University of South Wales 2013 Autumn Excavation... or... Happy as a pig (remains) in muck!

Day 1,  just before the excitement began.

Following the success of the summer dig the decision was quickly made to conduct further research archaeology during the autumn, so with the guttural bellowing of deer stags all around us, the USW autumn excavation began. 
After clearing away the leaves left by the storm (which seemed to have completely missed Llanfihangel Tor y Mynydd) we got down to executing our excavation strategy, which was to basically answer questions which had been raised during the previous dig.
Site C had been closed, and it was concluded that there were more pressing questions to be answered in Site B rather than Site A. We extended Site B by means of adding a new trench imaginatively named Site D, this was to answer the previous digs question of plaster being discovered on what was thought to be an external wall.

Alfie, the youngest member of the team.

Assisting us in Site D was the youngest archaeologist I've ever met, Alfie, and what a little workhorse he turned out to be too. Not only did he find some great finds for a first timer, but he wasn't afraid of the hard work and the mud either. Unfortunately Alfie had to leave early for football training, but never mind hopefully he can come again another day.
However, two other first time diggers had the finds of the day, and pretty special they were too. 

A window you can't see through just has
 to be something else?

Firstly there was, what was considered to be a window which was unearthed in the summer excavation, a pretty cracking window it was too... until Nathan started to 'clean it up a bit'. What was initially thought to be rock which had fallen into a void behind the external wall turned out to be something truly spectacular. 
Inserting a camera into the void and taking a picture or two resulted in the discovery that this was a pretty darn complete bread oven. It is thought, based on the evidence so far discovered, that this complex building dates from approximately the 17th century. To say that there was a bit of excitement on the site at this point would be an understatement.

Inside the bread oven.

The next pretty great find was discovered adjacent to an external wall of Site D, a complete little ceramic pot of some description.

The pot was found along with partial remains of a pig and a delightful green glass 'onion' bottle neck. 
I can't wait to get back there tomorrow, rain or shine.

P.S. 'Site B' obviously stands for Bread Oven!