The day started with mist raising over the fields and the rattling call of young Mistel thrush as we arrived at the Vila. The trenches were draped with numerous spiders webs dripping with droplets of water. As the sun warmed the site the lizards appeared dropping from the walls to grab a worm or insect disturbed by our troweling.
The next section of turf was lifted in room 28 as we headed for the centre of the room.
Turf cutting
Fay went down a few more courses of wall to prove once and for all that the eastern end of the north range was extended.
The wall coming in from the left is the end wall of the range , with the wall coming in from the right just butting against it. The stones are not inserted into the other one
Martin and Seb worked behind the wall to see if the hexagonal part of the room had been so in roman times or if the Victorians had made a best guess.
Martin recording the trench, drawing to scale the layers, wall and features
Back in room 28 – the mosaic room, the removal of the soil above hopefully mosaic was going apace, Tony, Ann, Carol and James worked steady and carefully having been briefed that there may just be small sections of mosaic.
But it was not mosaic they uncovered but another possible hearth!
James, Tony and Ann cleaning back the soil
The ‘hearth’ edged with old box flue tiles from the under floor heating system.
The white tag in the picture is marking where Ann found some roman glass 🙂
Ann and her glass find
And finally it was not who stole all the pies but who stole all the kneeling pads! I am afraid it was me as I went back over the area around the first ‘hearth’ and was trying not to damage the surface already exposed.
My kneeling pad path
Archaeology National Trust SW 