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Swaledale and Arkengarthdale Archaeology Group The Swaledale Project 7000 Years of a Landscape and its People Registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation Number 1155775 |
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The Swaledale Project: Hagg Farm Sites 102
& 103 Dig Image Diary October 14th onwards... 2013. This dig is in association with Tony Liddell. SWAAG wishes to thank Brenda and David for allowing us to continue our work at Hagg Farm. |
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This Blog is going to be kept in
chronological order, so click these links to go to a particular
day... October: 14th 15th 16th 17th 18th This page will be updated each evening usually between 6pm - 7pm UK. |
 Possible round house platform |
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14th October Images: Weather: Very wet for most of the day but we got a lot done. My thanks go to: Flora and Graham, Philip, Doug, Ric, Rob, Lesley, David Williams, Jackie, Kate and Dustin, Mike and Tony Liddell. Trench 1 = 10x3m Trench 2 = 7x1m. More images tomorrow. |
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15th October Images: Weather: Damp morning better afternoon. Thanks to everyone that came today a fantastic amount got done in difficult conditions. They were: Flora and Graham, Ric, Rob, Lesley, David Williams, David Metcalfe, Jackie, Kate and Dustin, Mike, Tony Liddell and James Spry YDNPA, who came to discuss his project for the next 12months whilst working for the YDNPA. |
 Image above and below shows a small 'fire pit' when someone appeared to have set a small camp fire, but strangely they appeared to have used coal. Pottery fragments suggests that it may have been 19c.   The above image of the 'bank' towards the southern end of the main trench shows a random stone deposit consistent with it being a field clearance heap.  Below the top and subsoil horizons appears to be a thick natural layer consistent with it being of glacial origin which may have been re-deposited after a major landslip event that can be seen on Lidar images of this area (see image below HF = Hagg Farm).   Southern end of Trench 2 showing a similar stone clearance bank  The eastern extension to trench 2 shows a greater depth of top and sub-soils before reaching a yellow clay. All the evidence appears to indicate that these two platforms have not be used as settlement platforms and most likely were cultivation terraces.  Graham starting to backfill   Turf back in place. Tomorrow we will be continuing a series of small excavations to complete our work on site 103, which is about 120m north of this site.   More images tomorrow... |
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16th October Images: Weather: Good digging weather in the morning until just after 2pm when heavy rain made the dig site far too slippery to continue. Thanks to all members that came and the visitors: the Arnetts. They were: Philip, Doug, Flora and Graham, Ric, Rob, David Williams, David Metcalfe, Jackie, Kate Millar, Kate and Dustin, Emma and Tony Liddell. |
We have now moved about 120m north of Site 102 to Site 103 a
Romano-British settlement. Below are the 4 small trenches we
have opened. Far left Trench 10 over what appears to be and entrance to the enclosure. Middle foreground trench is following the enclosure wall to the south (left) by extending June 2013's Trench 7. The third trench from the left is an extension to June 2013's Trench 6. Just behind the Land Rover a 2x1 test trench (Trench 11). Due to the rapid onset of heavy rain just after 2pm only images from about midday are available.  Image above and below is Trench 10 over the enclosure entrance.   Image above and below is the upper enclosure wall gradually being revealed. Note Trench 10 entrance is in the background. The Roman period pottery images at the bottom of today's pics is from where Philip is knelt in the trench but a little lower down.   Image above and below is Trench 11 with most of the top soil removed. More tomorrow. 
Image below is Trench 6 extension with the top soil removed. More tomorrow.  Below if the Roman-British pottery sherd.   |
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17th October Images: What a difference a day makes. Torrential rain yesterday stopped work just after 2pm, and today bright sunshine and nice and warm. |
 Trench 11 completed by Kate and Dustin yesterday  Trench 7 as it was left when the rain descended yesterday.  Trench 7 later this afternoon.  Trench 10 with the large enclosure wall at the far end.  Trench 10 David (left) Justin in the background and Tony keeping his head down.  But I got him!  Top of Trench 10 with 3 round clay areas to be investigate tomorrow.  Trench 7 Left to right: Mike, Graham, David and Rob.  Kate and Dustin doing a quick test pit (trench 12) in an area close to Trench 6  Emma and Jackie in Trench 6. Thanks to all that came but I didn't manage to photograph today especially Flora and her flapjack! |
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18th October Images: Grey damp morning and early afternoon. Trench 10 was completed for this dig — 4 images below. The bottom of the trench was cleaned so that it could be recorded. The stone wall was drawn. There are a lot of unknowns between the southwest end of trench 6 and the trench 1 door sill, and from the SW corner down to trench 10. |
    A report for this 5 day excavation will now be written. It will be published on the website in due course. |
| What next? We will now have a break over winter, get the reports written, and in the new year decide on what we are doing in 2014. It is very likely that in 2014 we will complete our work on site 103 first, then consider excavating at another site that will also broaden out excavation experience. SWAAG is very grateful for the marvelous support we have received from the landowners: Mary Clark, David and Brenda. Thank you. |
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