Day 2: Tuesday the 14th of June

Day 2 brings roasting sunshine!

Under Simon's supervision, test pits were dug, drawn, and backfilled in order to get an impression of what's going on archaeologically in the areas surrounding the lodge:

Drawing the sections of the test pits

In the long gallery, clay pipes such as these were found:

The pipe at the bottom bears an inscription (just about visible in this photo): WIL, reminiscent of similar pipes found last year bearing the inscription WILD, the name of a clay pipe manufacturing family from Rotherham.

Meanwhile, in the outer courtyard, Alvaro was keenly examining some soil:

Insert joke here ...



Chris's surveying team were performing magnetometry surveys, dressed entirely in metal-free clothing to avoid interfering with the device. The exception was Anthony, who, wearing clothing containing metal, was used as a deliberate red-herring to show how an archaeologist can interfere with the recordings. The magnetometer can detect archaeology hidden beneath the surface by detecting changes in the Earth's magnetic field caused by archaeological features.

And finally, the eagerly awaited find of the day:

This worked bone handle was found by Jess in the long gallery. The find is probably 19th century, as the cottages in and around the long gallery were being used to make bone objects for the cutlery industry in Sheffield at this time. The bone remains unidentified at this stage - keep an eye open for updates!