Web address

Click on http://manor-lodge.dept.shef.ac.uk for more information about the dig, including images, history, and fieldwork findings.

Thursday, 7 July 2011

Day 19: Thursday the 7th of July

Bloggers: Rachael and Kate 'the Goth' B.

The following quote suitably sums up conditions today:

"The dust is murdering everyone on site." Charles Hay, 2011.

Long Gallery Update

Matt (ably assisted by Jon) had excavated a sondage (a small area of excavation inside a larger trench to aid investigation of specific features or areas) in trench 22 yesterday, and he is now recording it by producing section drawings.

Jon is measuring the section of the sondage, so that Matt can draw it
The sondage shows that the flagstone floor within the 19th century houses were laid after the pottery kilns were in use, because demolition material from the kiln can be seen in the section. Elsewhere in trench 22, the surface was being trowelled back to reveal more flagstones, which seem to pre-date those found elsewhere in the long gallery, as they continue underneath a wall of one of the cottages. Another fireplace belonging to one of the cottages was also revealed today.

Trowelling in trench 22
Trench 21 is now finished, and trench 19 is being cleaned back again, in preparation for further recording through drawing and photography.

Charlie's beard says "Mnnphmnnnarghphnmmhph"
Trench 20 Update

In trench 20, the southern extension has been mattocked down to the same level as the rest of the trench.
Nat LOVES mattocking
Finds from the extension include ceramics, animal bones and lots of clay pipe. Also, Melissa and Laurel have been cleaning a feature in the western end of the trench which is suspected to be a second wall and possible foundation cut.

And here we have a series of small walls...

Some serious spoil heap management has been undertaken...


Today's Interview

Melissa

So, what university are you from?

I'm from the University of Warwick.

What area of archaeology do you study?

I don't, I'm actually a dirty scientist, studying biology.

What area of archaeology interests you then?

I hope to go into forensic archaeology, and they require excavation experience which is why I'm here.

What kind of site would you hope to work on?

A mass grave.

What has been your find of the day?

Definitely a takeaway wrapper!

Thanks to Melissa for being an obliging interviewee!

This week has also seen the archaeobotany field school take place, and once again flotation has been continuing in the archaeology grotto...

Is this a side effect of flotation? We think so...
Find Of The Day
Small bone needle from Trench 22 
Quote Of The Day
Matt: "HOLY SONDAGE BATMAN!"
Posted by Manor Lodge 2011 at 08:23

4 comments:

  1. Leonidas the wookiee7 July 2011 at 14:07

    what a lovely picture of me gurning due to adverse dust conditions

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mike10 July 2011 at 05:47

    Greetings...
    I am a descendant of a family who lived at the Manor ruin 1830 - 1848. More specifically I suspect, based on 1841 census evidence, that this particular family lived in the Long Gallery.

    My question is: Roughly, how many persons or families would the Long Gallery have reasonbly accomodated at that time?

    Based on 1841 census evidence, my theory is that 26 persons in 4 households lived specifically in the Long Gallery in 1841, while 101 persons in 16 households lived in the larger, more accomodating, and perhaps double-sided, South Range portion of the Manor ruins.

    Does 26 persons in 4 households roughly square with what appears would have been the accomodating capacity of the Long Gallery back in 1841?

    Thanks, and be careful upon what or whom you step! lol

    Mike
    Pennsylvania, USA

    ReplyDelete
  3. Manor Lodge 201113 July 2011 at 07:30

    Hi Mike,

    Thanks for your comment, and your interest! It's nice to see that our project is making waves on both sides of the Atlantic!

    We'll look into your question, and get back to you soon. In the meantime, have you seen the project website at http://manor-lodge.dept.shef.ac.uk ? It has quite a few photos of the 19th century cottages that we've been excavating in the long gallery.

    Thanks again for you interest, it's great to hear from a descendent of the community we're studying!

    The Manor Lodge Team, University of Sheffield

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mike15 July 2011 at 09:06

    As information for its own sake, the 4 households that I theorize specifically occupied the Long Gallery in 1841 were these:

    3-person household (Fisher)
    7-person household (Jackson) <--- my forebears
    7-person household (Hoult)
    9-person household (Cowlishaw)
    --
    26 Total

    The head of the Cowlishaw household was a certain William Cowlishaw (a Cutler) who I think was also the founder and Minister or Pastor of the nearby Wesleyan Chapel which, per an old photo I’ve seen, appears to have once stood close to and in-line with the south end of the Long Gallery, i.e., between the south end of the Gallery and Manor Lane.

    Because of the size of the Cowlishaw family and what with William being a Cutler as well as the local Pastor, it could be assumed that the Cowlishaw household might have occupied double what might otherwise be regarded as the normal or expected familial/household space in the Long Gallery; again theoretically.

    Hoult and Fisher were Ag Lab’s. Jackson and two sons were Coal Miners.

    Altogether there were 16 males and 10 females. Adults 15 to 56 yrs of age numbered 15, leaving 11 persons, of which 9 were children and 2 were infants 2 yrs old and under.

    Mike

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)