The 2000 Season: Overview at Week 5.
by Amanda Clarke

Work this week has concentrated in the backyards of the late Roman buildings lining the north-south road.

These small parcels of land continue to reveal rubbish pits and scoops cut through the dark soils, containing dumps of animal bones. This week we have excavated pits containing nothing but the skulls and jawbones of sheep and cow; last week we excavated the pits containing nothing but the long bones! It is interesting to note that different pits appear to have been used for the discard of different parts of the animal.

In the south-east quarter of the trench work has focused on the excavation of 3 deep features pre-dating the late Roman buildings, and which may be associated with the 2nd century brick building revealed in the side of the construction trenches of late Roman Building 1. Of these 3 deep features, one is probably an early well into which has slumped the clay floor make-up Building 1.

This feature will not be examined this year. The second of these 3 features is almost certainly a latrine or cesspit. It is square in plan and filled with a green silty material which has been extensively sampled. The samples have produced many large fishbones, small seeds and evidence for coprolites - all typical latrine pit material. The third deep feature under excavation is a 2nd century well, originally excavated or part excavated by the Victorians.

At a depth of approximately 15ft a square wooden shaft composed of at least 2 layers of horizontal lain timbers has been revealed. This is a shaft less than 1m square and consisting of the original Roman timbers. Excavation continues within the shaft, and gradually the entirety of the wooden shaft is being revealed. The intention is to excavate material from within the shaft until it is bottomed, at which point the timbers will be removed and recorded one by one.

With just 1 week of excavation left of the 2000 season, attention is focused on removing all remains of the construction deposits of the late Roman buildings, as well as excavating the remnants of the late Roman soils in the backyards. It promises to be a busy final week!