Archaeology Live! 2012 - Site Diary (Weeks 1-6)

[YAT]

Ok here we are again.... Archaeology Live 2012!.

We have not moved far from last year, across the road in fact. There are some details about the dig on the web pages - www.dighungate.com/content.asp?ID=43

Basically we have been given the opportunity to see if we can follow what we were finding across the road in Block H, and so far it seems that we have amazing preservation of the Victorian layers and earlier.

This is the mid 19th century OS map for the area


In 1907 the corporation conducted a sanitation study on the area

We have 2 trenches on the site.

Trench 1 sits along the line of Carmelite Street and we are looking into the back yards of numbers 10-15

Trench 2 is looking at buildings that once fronted on to Hungate and we have part of the pub on Carmelite Street and 37-43 Hungate (unfortunately not the chip shop)


Here is a pipe that we found whilst we were machine clearing the top rubble over the site


It is the coat of arms for the city en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coat_of_arms_of_York which seem appropriate as it is the 800 year anniversary celebration this year www.york.gov.uk/leisure/Arts_and_entertainment/Festivals/york800/

So it has become the image for the t-shirt this year


If you want to get one it is from the team at ZIK ZAK again - www.zikzak.co.uk/acatalog/hungate_dig_t_shirts.html

[YAT]

WEEK 1

We got off to a good steady start this week. Lots to get on with on site and as the site is very free draining it has not been too much of an issue with the wonderful weather we have been having!!!

Trench 1 along Carmelite Street has been proving to have more complicated archaeology than we first thought.

The rear of number 15 has turned out to be a real jumble of floor layers and truncations. The team digging this have been doing a lot of recording punctuated by removing rubble layers.


In Trench 2 we have had unexpected finds like a BT telephone line buried using reused sewer pipes as a duct. It seemed to have a strange effect on the trainees?!


The team have been working their way through these features, getting up to speed with the recording


Even some of the tasters have been getting in on the act with recording.


We also got chance to visit the commercial team and see how they have been getting on with the excavations at the former hostel site on Peaseholme Green.


So all in all a good start - many thanks to the great team who got us on our way.

[YAT]

Week 2

Well another week of interesting weather, but loads of good archaeology being done on and off site.

Trench 1 has continued to prove to be a bit of a puzzle when it comes to the space at the rear of no.15 Carmelite Street. The group working there have continued in stripping back floors and disturbances.


Above one of the floor layers we found a 5 centime coin (French) from 1922 - so maybe an interesting story to how it got there?


Further down the street, to the rear of 10 and 11 we have complicated sequence of outhouse and toilets? This will be fun to pick to bits as we get into them.


The recording side of things is going to be a big task to start off with.



Trench 2 has made good progress. We appear to have some unused stanchion base excavations from the previous office building which stood on the site.

These regular shaped pit are giving us a good window into the earlier archaeology. In one the was a void at on edge...


So we had a look inside...


A little deeper... (note the captive audience!)


It looks like we have an early culvert linked with this building. It will be interesting to see just how far this goes.


The rest of the team here have been hard at work

(they have honestly, they were just having a moment of quiet reflection)

Finds wise we have had a good week with an interesting pipe, as demonstrated below.


Also a possible cigarette holder


Which is once again ably demonstrated


When the weather was poor we managed to get a lot of work done inside on all the material we have been excavating


A great big thank you to all the team that did loads of really good archaeology this week.


Many thanks to Dave and his ode during the bbq

THE TOBY/BEN EXTRAVAGANZA.

WITH APOLOGIES TO RUDYARD KIPLING.

IF YOU CAN KEEP YOUR HEAD WHEN ALL ABOUT YOU
ARE DIGGING UP YORK AND SCRAPING WITH THE TROWEL
IF YOU CAN TRUST BEN AND TOBY WHEN ALL AROUND YOU
WE PLOT THE EASTINGS AND NORTHINGS AND RAVE ON ABOUT COPROLITES FROM THE ANCIENT BOWEL.
IF WE CAN WAIT,JOHN AND BEN CAN DO THE PHOTOS
PAUL AND DAVE MUST PROTECT THEIR KNEES AND BACK
WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE FIVE DAYS IN WHICH TO DO IT
WITH THE HUNGATE TEAM WE KNOW WE HAVE THE KNACK!
IF YOU CAN DREAM,YOU’D ALWAYS CHOOSE THE STRATIFIED CONTEXT
IF YOU CAN PUT UP WITH DAVE,HE JUST MIGHT WANT TO COME AGAIN
IF YOU SCRAPE AND BRUSH AND WRITE UP ALL YOUR WORK
JUST BE CAREFUL THAT IT DOESN’T BLOODY RAIN(AGAIN!)
IF YOU CAN FORCE YOUR HEART AND NERVE AND SINEW
TRY TO SURVIVE ALL THE RIGOURS OF THE ARCHAOLOGICAL TRAINING
WE HAVE TO THANK ALL OF OUR WONDERFUL MENTORS
FOR THE SUPERB HELP AND EXPERIENCE WE ARE GAINING.
SO,IF WE KEEP HEALTH AND SAFETY FOREMOST
AT THE DIGS THERE ARE NATIONALITIES GALORE
WE ARE SHOWN THE WAY AND LAP UP WHAT THEY SAY
WE CERTAINLY LEARN WHAT ALL THE EQUIPMENT IS FOR.
WE ALSO STRIVE TO KEEP BEN AND TOBY HAPPY
MATRICES IN YORK,A REPUTATION SECOND TO NONE
THEY HAVE REALLY TESTED US TO THE LIMIT
NO MATTER,MANY THANKS,WE’VE WORKED WELL AND HAD A LOT OF FUN!!

COPYRIGHT DAVE DIGNUM.JULY 2012.

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WEEK 3



Trench 1










Trench 2








Team

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WEEK 4

Trench 1







Trench 2













Team

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Week 5





Trench 1






Trench 2










Group

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WEEK 6


Trench 1








Trench 2













Group