Day 14: Spotlight on Finds

Today’s blog is dedicated to finds, the generic name we bestow on any item we retrieve from our excavations. These can be anything from an animal bone, a piece of pot or a King Henry III halfpenny (although the latter are extremely rare!). Whatever it is, each is carefully recorded, cleaned and packaged on site before being sent to specialists in each particular item for further study.

Recording finds in three dimensions

Step 1: Recovery

As soon as an object is uncovered, it is recorded in three dimensions. For finds such as animal bone, iron nails and shells, this means we are able to see their distribution within each context although these objects will then be collectively bagged. Other objects, such as pottery, window glass and window came (the lead strips which held the glass in place) are recorded in three dimensions as small finds, and are bagged individually. This enables us to be able to locate these particular items precisely within the trench and discuss dating and distribution patterns in greater detail.

Sieving for finds

However, it isn’t always possible to retrieve all objects that are deposited in a context. Some items might be too small to spot and sometimes the methodology employed to excavate the context may also restrict our ability to spot objects; there is an obvious difference between spotting a find whilst troweling and spotting one whilst mattocking! As a result, all the soil removed from each context is carefully sieved, revealing items that would otherwise have been lost forever. We also use the invaluable services of Steve, a metal detectorist who systematically scans our spoil heaps to retrieve any objects that we may have missed.

Regardless of where and how we found them, all finds are then bagged up with the site code (THOR14), the trench and context it originated from and (where applicable) the small find number. They are then sent back to camp for the next stage in the process.

Hilary, our superstar!

Step 2: Cleaning

Finds now enter the care of Hilary, who is the organiser of the campsite and chef extraordinaire, producing the best food we’ve ever had on excavation in the most primitive of circumstances. She’s also in charge of finds processing, ensuring that finds are cleaned where appropriate, are dried and repackaged for further study.

The first step in finds processing is to work out what should and should not be cleaned. Objects such as animal bone and pottery are (usually!) extremely robust and can therefore withstand a cleaning process which basically involves scrubbing it with a toothbrush until all the dirt has been removed. However, other objects such as window glass are not only extremely fragile but react badly to being immersed in water, fragmenting and decaying even further; metals such as iron are similarly adverse to this method of cleaning. As a result, finds are sorted into their relevant material groups and only those which can be cleaned are subjected to the toothbrushes wielded by our willing volunteers.

Step 3: Drying and packaging

This is only a tiny percentage of the retrieved tiles!

Once the finds are clean, they are dried on newspaper for a few days to allow all the moisture within them to evaporate. Failure to do this will mean that the objects sweat within their bags, leading to the development of mould and bacterial growth which will eventually destroy crucial evidence. This is also the first time excavators will be able to see the items they retrieved in their clean and recognisable form, so it’s quite an exciting time! After a few days have passed, the finds are segregated into their material type and placed in clean bags with all the relevant information written on them in permanent pen. They will be then sent to specialists for further study, and the information they provide will be incorporated within the final excavation report.

Packaged finds waiting for their onward journey

At the moment, the excavators are producing plenty for the finds processors to do; Trench P in particular has produced enough tiles to keep us busy for the next fortnight! However, as work progresses, it is almost certain that even more objects will be uncovered and coaxed to reveal their secrets.