Dunning's Big Dig 2012
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Dunning’s Big Dig 14th-19th August 2012 Data Structure Report By Kevin Grant Acknowledgements The project would like to thank the community of Dunning for their interest, encouragement, and hospitality throughout the course of the Big Dig. The project was only made possible by those individuals who undertook the excavations and proposed their own gardens for test pitting: Ian and Francis Philip, Simon and Moira Warren, Sandra and Emma Kelman, Albie and Sheona Sinclair, and Nan Ross. Thanks are also due our competent and hard-working team of student assistants: Julia Wither, Sarah Shaw, Marie Conger, David Brown, David Clelland, Zane Stepka, Yvonne Robertson, Genoveva Dimova, Daniel Dompierre-Outridge, and Natalia Rebollo. The project directors would like to acknowledge in particular the contribution of supervisor Fiona Watson in overseeing much of the excavations and providing much needed support. Table of Contents Acknowledgements 2 Summary 4 Introduction 4 Site Location Topography & Geology 4 Aims 5 Methodology 6 Results 6 Discussion & Recommendations 12 Conclusions 13 References 13 Appendices 15 1) Context Record 15 2) Drawing Record 16 3) Photograph Record 17 4) Finds Records 19 List of Figures Figure 1 Location Plan 5 Figure 2 Photographs of finds from Trench 1 discussed in text 7 Figure 3 Post-excavation record Photograph of Trench 2 8 Figure 4 Post-excavation record Photograph of Trench 4 10 Figure 5 Photographs of finds from trench 5 discussed in text 11 Figure 6 Summary of depth of deposits and periods represented by 12 artefactual evidence Cover images: Top: Excavations at 19 Ochil Gardens. Featuring Nan Ross, Louisa Campbell, Fiona Watson, Genoveva Dimona & Yvonne Robertson. Lower Left: Test pit being laid out, Thimble Row .Featuring Louisa Campbell, Kevin Grant, Ian Philip, Simon Warren, & Sandra and Emma Kelman. Lower Right: Excavations underway at Thimble row. Featuring Francis Phillip, Sheona Sinclair and Marie Conger. Summary Members of the community of Dunning, Perthshire, undertook a programme of test pitting in five in gardens within the village. The test pitting recovered a large number of artefacts which range from the 20th century to the late medieval period. Information on the archaeological deposits investigated during the project will aid in assessing which areas of the village may yield fruitful results from future archaeological investigation. The Big Dig acted as a pilot for future community archaeology activities within Dunning, was successful in testing the Big Dig methodology and providing training for students and local community members. Public engagement undertaken during the course of the excavations and at an open day also served to increase local interest and may generate increased participation in later community activities. The Big Dig was undertaken as part of the Strathern Environs and Royal Forteviot (SERF) project. The project was directed by Dr Louisa Campbell and Kevin Grant with support from field supervisor Fiona Watson. Students from the Universities of Glasgow and Aberdeen, alongside visiting overseas students, also took part in the excavations. Introduction Five 1m by 1m test pits were excavated, between the 14th and 19th of August 2012 as part of a programme of community engagement within the SERF Project. Site Locations & Topography Dunning is a small village in Perth and Kinross, which lies in Strathearn, between Auchterarder and Perth. Five areas were proposed by members of local community within gardens in residential properties in the village. Grid references for each trench were taken using ordinance survey mapping, coupled with measured offsets from known points which appear on ordinance survey maps. The location map overleaf shows the location of these trenches throughout the village. Trench 1 was located in the rear garden of Weavers Cottage, Thimble row. The centre of the test pit was located at the point of intersection between a line running 4.5m from the North West corner of Weavers Cottage, Thimble row and a line running 5m from the North East corner of Acharn, Thimble row. NGR: NO 02165 14203. Trench 2 was located in within a small garden behind The Bakehouse, Muckart Road. The centre of the test pit was located at the point of intersection between a line running 9.5m from the North East corner of the rear extension to The Bakehouse, Muckart Road and a line running 2.75m from the North West corner of a brick-built shed in the rear garden at the above address. NGR: NO 01849 14392 Trench 3 was located in the rear garden of number 33, Kirk Wynd. The centre of the test pit was located at the point of intersection between a line running 8.1m from the North West corner of the rear extension to 33 Kirk Wynd and a line running 7.9m from the North East corner of the rear extension. NGR: NO 01871 14651 Trench 4 was located in the rear garden of 19 Ochil Gardens. The centre of the test pit was located at the point of intersection between a line running 6m from the North West corner of the main building of 19 Ochil gardens and a line running 7m from the South West corner of the garage at the address above. NGR: NO 02016 15006 Trench 5 was located in the upper terrace of the rear garden of Ashgrove, Quarry road. The centre of the test pit was located at the point of intersection between a line running 6m from the North West corner of the main building of 19 Ochil gardens, and a line running 7m from the South West corner of the garage at the address above. NGR: NO 01967 14392 Trenches 1, 2, 4 & 5 were located on even areas of lawn. Trench 3 was located on an area of earth under ornamental gravel, between two garden features. Aims As part of a wider proposed programme of community engagement in Dunning associated with the SERF project, a pilot programme of community excavation was undertaken. A ‘Big Dig’ model was used whereby local residents were encouraged to excavate test pits in their gardens with the support and assistance of the project team. The aims of the project were twofold: 1. Investigate the nature of the archaeological record within the village of Dunning. - Recover finds from various areas of the village to ascertain the nature of occupation throughout the village over time. - Investigate the nature and survival of archaeological deposits throughout the village to ascertain which areas may be fruitful for future archaeological investigations. 2. Assess possible methodologies and undertake public engagement which will inform further community archaeology activities in the future. - Assess the effectiveness of the Big Dig methodology. - Generate interest within Dunning about community archaeology projects in the future. - Increase public awareness of SERF within the local area. This data structure report aims to address the field results of the excavations with relation to the first aim – a second reflexive report will address the second. Excavation Methodology An excavation methodology was designed which was intended to be simple and methodical as possible as excavation was to undertaken largely by individuals with little or no archaeological experience. The methodology was also designed to allow for a fast pace of work given time constraints on each test pit. Test pits were excavated using a system of 10cm spits with photographing and drawing at each level. Although this system of arbitrary spit excavation was conducted, each context was recorded by photograph, drawing, and written description. After initial de-turfing, excavation was undertaken by trowel to ensure high recovery of artefacts. Mattocks were available to be used discretionally by project staff only to mitigate potential health and safety issues. All trenches were backfilled by hand and returned to original condition after excavation. Figure 1. (Left) Map showing approximate location of test pits excavated within the village of Dunning, Perthshire. Finds were not individually recorded but bagged and recorded firstly by spit and then by material. This allowed some resolution of finds stratigraphy within the test pits whilst also ensuring that the large number of post-medieval finds did not create an unnecessary and laborious finds recording process. Particularly informative artefacts were selected by the project team for individual recording and bagging after the excavations were completed. A detailed manual was written by the author which was used for training purposes during the project and distributed to volunteers. Results Trench 1 - Weavers Cottage – Excavated by Ian and Francis Philip, Albie and Sheona Sinclair, Marie Conger, Julia Wither , Louisa Campbell and Kevin Grant. Trench 1 was fully excavated to a depth of 70cm, with a further 50cm by 50 sondage in the South- Eastern quadrant of the trench to a depth of 75cm. The upper layer of the test pit was comprised of a thin layer of firm, dark black-brown, 20th century or later 19th century garden soil (101) approximately 10 cm thick, which overlaid a substantial occupation layer of orange brown clay silt (102). This deposit contained frequent inclusions of coal and charcoal in the upper half of the deposit with charcoal and burnt clay or daub in the lower half. Context 102 had a depth of c 75cm and appeared to exhibit significant intra-context stratigraphy which was revealed through the distribution of artefacts. Images of a selection of the finds discussed below appear overleaf (figure 2). The initial 10 cm of context 102 produced large numbers of fragments of mid/late 19th century transfer and sponge printed ceramics, metal, glass, and abraded clay pipe fragments. Mid-19th century buttons were recovered at 20-30cm (FN142) and 30-40cm (FN119). Finds became increasingly sparse as the context became deeper, with Post-Medieval ceramics becoming significantly less frequent by 50cm below ground level. Below 60cm, the frequency of finds dramatically reduced: where in the 50-60cm spit seventeen individual artefacts were recovered, 60- 70cm produced eight finds and a 50cm by 50cm sondage into 70-75 only two finds.