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GEOPARK BLOG

The Origins Dig Diary

8th September
Hi. I'm Iona Chaddock and I'm a third year student studying Archaeological Science at the University of Sheffield. I was fortunate enough to be involved with the first part of the ‘Origins Dig' back in April, and was delighted when Paul and Mark asked me to come back this time around.

My primary role has involved recording, bagging and tagging all of the finds from this year's excavation. Each piece of bone, tool and even coprolite (faeces) has to be systematically recorded so it is possible to later reconstruct exactly where they were found.The trench has been divided into squares measuring 25cmx25cmx5cm named ‘spits'. Each ‘spit' has a unique number assigned to it (30681, for example) that allows us to work out exactly where the sediment (and any finds) came from within the trench. These unique numbers correspond to a complex labelling system that has allowed sediment to be removed from the trench, taken to the wet sieving tent, processed and any important finds within the residues recorded.

This morning Mark removed what has now been identified as a Woolly Rhino humerus and scapula, (upper arm bone and shoulder blade) and they have since been washed and recorded. However, we now appear to have reached a sterile context in the trench and are no longer finding any bones - large or small. Tomorrow we intend to begin under-cutting a large boulder and we will hopefully find some more goodies in the sediments there. Watch this space

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