Archaeological test Pit

[peanut]

anyone ever dug  a test pit in their garden ?  

If you have got a manicured lawn I expect erindoors woud'nt let you anywhere near it with a spade lol

I've always fancied giving it a try as we have a 16 century chapel in our garden and I've already found a pilgrim's badge and a Charles 1st Farthing just by doing a little weeding.

Well the time has come as they say.!  I need to remove the lilac trees and rebuild our bird feeding station and replant the area so I have a 3x2 metre plot I can dig up at last . I'm just waiting for the sun to make a show as I don't fancy digging up to me knees in water.

When I first came here 13 years ago there was loads of broken ceramics strewn around under the trees and the neighbour's kid used to come in and collect it all. I expect a lot of dateable evidence has already been removed but I'm sure to find more beneath the surface.

I have tried to detect here once or twice but there is simply too much iron and rubbish ...its impossible.

If anyone else fancies having a go, there is an excellent guide https://www.archeox.net/digging-test-pit that will tell you how to go about it and how to record everything properly.

[peanut]

isn't there anyone interested in Archaeology   maybe you're all only interested in getting hammered 

[Chef Geoff]

Is it your time of the month Nick? lol. I'm afraid if you post up links, people will read them and find them very interesting but most won't come back and tell you, if your posting info to help...do it for the love

[nfl]

im intrested in test pits in me garden but i,d need at least 3 skips to take away all the iron id have to get through

[win]

I'd be interested but its probably the way to a rapid divorce.

[rich]

Hi Peanut I am up for digging a test pit where do you live can I keep what I find or will it be a 50/50 split

[Val Beechey]

When we first moved down here our place was standing in a piece of field with sheep wire round it. Not even a daffodil in 'the garden'.
Once again I had to set to and get it sorted. This is the last time, I thought, so everything had to be double dug and planted to last.
I've always had a thing about pottery so every bit of interesting stone had to be examined. I have several bits that could be very old. I've often said I'd take them to get an I.D /age but never have. A test pit is a great idea. Anyone interested, try a veggie plot. Runner beans are easy to grow.

Val

p.s. Look what I did. All my own work.

[LUCKY]

You have created a lovely area in your garden to relax in Val.  I'm not green fingered so have a lawn with a border of flowers.

[peanut]

Is it your time of the month Nick? lol. I'm afraid if you post up links, people will read them and find them very interesting but most won't come back and tell you, if your posting info to help...do it for the love

I ain't got no love for any human Geoff  ......I hate everyone equally    I'm just a grumpy old git and I blame it on my genes

Win... haven't you got a little square of garden somewhere you could turn into a wildlife haven ?? nod nod wink wink .or a small herb garden etc

Val thats a beautiful garden , well done. it looks very relaxing and tranquill , somewhere to relax after a stressful day

[Napoleon]

Val , that is a stunning garden any chance to detect  joking .Again you have done a very good job.Nordine.

[Val Beechey]

Thanks for the praise Lucky, Peanut and Nordine. It was a long time in the planning and a lot of hard work but it payed dividends in the end.

Nordine, it's already been done to death, complete with holes in the lawn.  Good training area. Dig as you wish to be dug by.
Now Peanuts garden, on the other hand, is the one to have a mini rally in. A 16th cent Chaple, that sounds promising. Any chance Peanut ?

Val

[peanut]

Now Peanuts garden, on the other hand, is the one to have a mini rally in. A 16th cent Chaple, that sounds promising. Any chance Peanut ?

Val

unfortunately the garden is full of 400+ years worth of rubbish and is almost impossible to detect.
I found a Charles ll farthing and a mediaeval cast bronze rider and horse, eyes only 
Judging by my test pit it looks like the medieaval layer is over 12" deep 

[peanut]

I thought I'd update you on my progress with the test pit.

I took it down in two 4" layers and then finding the soil becoming more compacted with some signs of burning took it down a further 2-3" carfully with a trowel.
The final surface is very compacted and is clearly a working surface of the stables . Judging by the difference between the external ground level and internal floor levels of the chapel the mediaeval ground level is likely to be 12" -18" further down.

I will tidy up the edges and sides and  record all existing surfaces then I intend to take a small area down until I find 'natural' if I can .

 The general rule of thumb is for every cubic metre of earth dug it expands to 2.5 times the cubic capacity. As I have carefully sifted every square inch of it it has probably expanded fourfold .!    I've got bags of gorgeous sieved loam all over the garden groan.

If you look carefully at the bottom of the image 'looking north east ' you might be able to see the various layers of activity and burning that have been cut through already. there are two pinkish layers sandwiching a burnt layer.

Unfortunately 2x posts holes had been dug right in the middle of the test pit some time in the past and you can see one with some pea gravel in it and the other still contains the remains of a wooden post which had rotted beneath ground level.

When i get a chance to wash the bits of tile and pottery and bone etc in the two terracotta pots I'll post a piccy.

[Chef Geoff]

Nice work Nick, it should be an eye opener to see what layers you come across

[archie]

dont need a test pit, the bloody moles are doing it for me.  quick, wheres the shotgun!!!