The excitement has been mounting here at Godolphin recently, as the staff and volunteers on site have been preparing for the archaeological dig ‘I Dig Godolphin’. The grounds of Godolphin, near Helston in Cornwall, are now being excavated as part of the Council for Archaeology’s Festival of Archaeology. There are many questions surrounding this historic estate, and currently we are looking to the orchard and Cider House to provide some answers. More information on the Godolphin estate can be found here.
‘I Dig Godolphin’ runs from today (15 July) to 28 July, and I will be updating you on all the news from the dig site. Fingers crossed for some fascinating finds!
The dig kicked off this weekend with the help of our countryside Ranger Pip and a mini digger. This is only used to take off the turf, as the rest will be completed by hand.
The first cut is made, with the help of Ranger Pip and a mini digger.
Four trenches were then opened, and with the help of lots of volunteers, it wasn’t long before progress was made…
Volunteers made lots of progress today on trench A.
Today’s list of interesting finds includes a Bronze Age flint tool, and lots of pottery. The Cider House was once used as a working pottery, and because of this, we have found some interesting pieces of 1960s ceramics, still glazed with intricate patterns. Other bits of pot have a grainy, granulated surface which tells us that they can be dated to the Medieval period. Our volunteer Sandra has had an enjoyable day on the dig, and especially liked seiving for finds.
Seiving for finds in the sunshine.
It’s been a successful, albeit hot day at Godolphin today. Let’s hope for some more sunshine and archaeological finds tomorrow!
Archaeology National Trust SW 