Roots, rocks and flies: Day 1

Start of the day

After disregarding my untrustworthy satnav, then missing a turning and ending up in the wrong village, I finally arrived at my destination, and one by one so did everyone else. Our team of 11 diggers started the day by checking out the tithe maps of the area and identifying buildings within our remit of excavation. Following this Ray and David introduced us to the three sites which we would be working on, imaginatively titled A, B and C. 
Sites A and B presented us with the remains of the buildings identified on the tithe map, with site A a possible roadside cottage and site B hosting two buildings, one possibly being a pig sty. Site C however was remarkably enigmatic. A very large mound, which possessed spectacular views across the valley towards Raglan, completely covered in undergrowth. This mound seemed to be entirely constructed of rocks. Is it just the largest pile of rocks I have ever seen, or more tantalisingly, is it a barrow? I guess only excavation can answer that one.

Site C before...

Teams were sorted out and Gareth, Andy and I made up 'Team C'. After gathering ourselves and the necessary equipment together (and receiving a brief advisory note about adders from David), we headed to site C, the enigmatic barrow (well that's what I'm calling it for now anyway). After marking our quadrant we cracked on with clearing the remains of the undergrowth which consisted of a plethora of roots, more roots and ivy, and quickly came to terms with the huge task ahead of us. 

...site C during...

Team C progressed in good spirits, not even dampened by the persistent and copious flies (bug repellent was completely ineffective), or the constant battle with sliding down the mound (I swear by the end of the week I will permanently have one hip higher than the other!), or even the ROOTS! I think I may dream about roots and flies tonight! 

Initially I wasn't really expecting to have much in the way of finds from our site, however we quickly came across a piece of corroded metal, a chunky piece of green glass possibly from a sherry bottle, a piece of charcoal and a metal ring. Not bad for day 1.
All in all, I have really enjoyed the first day of the USW excavation. I don't see it as just something to do to pass the time during the summer, work and family life do that for me, or something to satisfy a passion. I relish the chance to take part in experiences such as these because I know that they are enriching the whole university experience for me. They are teaching me new skills which I may never have known that I possessed and they are also making me much more attractive as a potential employee following my graduation as a mature student. Students (mature or not) should grasp any opportunity that may present itself, life in the big wide world can often be harsh, and definitely comes as a shock after the security of living with parents, so to undertake projects which make you stand out from the crowd can only be a bonus.

...Site C after. Tomorrow we start to clear the stone!

...by the way, that new trowel is pants, I'll be using one of the uni trowels tomorrow!