SATURDAY JULY 16TH, WITH MIKE ALLEN
It was a warm and sunny day and the Downs Barn location was idyllic.
Mike began by explaining the basic concepts of geo-archaeology; soils and sediments, their constituents and development through time. Through interaction by means of numerous questions fielded by Mike we learned about the significance of peds (soil aggregates of specific shapes), horizons, the particular archaeological significance of buried soil and more.
It was a warm and sunny day and the Downs Barn location was idyllic.
Mike began by explaining the basic concepts of geo-archaeology; soils and sediments, their constituents and development through time. Through interaction by means of numerous questions fielded by Mike we learned about the significance of peds (soil aggregates of specific shapes), horizons, the particular archaeological significance of buried soil and more.
Before long we were involved in group practical sessions, first learning how to identify soil types from samples and involving a lot of messy balls of sandy clay and loam and spit. Then came the main challenge, each small team was given a monolith to interpret, that is a vertical soil and sediment section that had been extracted from an exposed soil profile at an archaeological site. We looked for horizons and layers, examined the soil and sediment types and discussed their archaeological significance. We were all very impressed at how much it was possible to determine about each site from this newfound knowledge.
Finally we were given a selection of different charred seeds and chaff to examine through microscopes. Again of great interest.
So thank you Mike for such an excellent day. I am sure we will make use of what we have learned at future digs.
Jacqui Lake
