Tom Copestake (2006)

On the 7th of June 2006 I went to an archaeological dig in Hedge End where I was to dig out a feature in a small spring to look for Roman pottery. When we got there we had a look around the site with the Project Officer.

When we arrived at the excavation it looked baron and dry and had lots of markings on the ground where there was different changes in colour. My feature was to be a small gulley near the spring, as the sun was bearing down on us it was hard work to dig on the rock hard ground, but when the hole got started it was an easier job digging in softer soil.

Eventually the soil colour changed from black/grey to green/grey so this was my second fill of the gulley. When I got closer to the bottom of the hole it got a lot soggier and I started to hit a layer of gravel where I stopped digging and then had the tedious job of cleaning up the hole which Cat helped me out with. Unfortunately I only found burnt flint no pottery.

Then on to the paperwork and photography we had to take three pictures of the feature each one on a colour camera and one on a black and white camera then I took about 4/5 pictures on the digital for later uses. The paperwork was the hardest part and most confusing we had to note what we dug and what we found inside the feature. Then we measured the feature, placed markers and drew the way the sides formed. This was called a section. The top down view or plan of the feature was also drawn. After that we then had to write more paperwork on the fills and the cut of the feature and after all this complex work we then lay in the shade and ate ice lollies!