Our two week-long excavation of a pair of stackstands near Hawes is now completed. Dig director and our Community Heritage Officer Douglas Mitcham was very pleased with the results and how much the volunteers achieved in spite of the appalling weather with high winds and heavy rain causing us to lose several days half way through.
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- Taking final measurements of the trench
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- Taking a soil sample from the lowest level of the trench
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- Discussing how to label a soil sample correctly
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- Filling barrows with soil from the spoil heap ready to start backfilling the trench
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- The trench filling up slowly
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- Levelling the soil on the surface of the trench
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- Trampling down the soil to get rid of air pockets
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- Laying the turf back onto the trench – a big jigsaw puzzle
On the final day, four of us bravely laboured through squalls of rain to backfill and returf the site to Doug’s satisfaction. Who said archaeology was glamorous?!
