Digging Diary

Dear All,

We have some fantastic discoveries to report since our last newsletter - but, more of that anon.

First, an invitation to everyone.

Monday 12th & Tuesday 13th July are our next Big Dig dates

As on previous 'Big Digs' we are delighted to have Kevin Cale guiding and steering us through a special two-day dig. High on a lovely, warm, south-facing, sheltered from the wind, slope (always a plus on our site!), there is a series of platforms that contains one of the first furnaces discovered on our site. It's never been opened up though - mainly because it has a series of intriguing working platforms, above and below it, and we need plenty of manpower to do justice to this feature. This feature is very different from other furnaces we've seen and excavated - it should tell us lots about how folk worked up here and it will be an important chapter in the ever-unfolding story.

Please do come along - just bring your good selves, your lunch and plenty of liquids, and appropriate footwear/layers/waterproofs/suncream. We'll provide the rest - trowels, spades ... and including a sun shelter if necessary (here's hoping!). Do come and join us - contact me at gill@iron-age.org for times and venue - we'll be delighted to see you!

Latest Discoveries: Big news of Little Furnaces

High on the summit of our hill, right in the centre of the Iron Age settlement, something rather wonderful has been found. In both pouring rain and burning sun we have uncovered and explored a jumble of stones - nothing very exciting (or even recognisable!), we thought at first. Then several irregular hearth-like features were spotted, set into all this stone but none of it made obvious sense until we looked deeper - and there, tucked beneath the later layer, we

found at least three amazing bowl furnaces. We know our site contains medieval furnaces, probable Scandinavian furnaces, Iron Age furnaces and just yards away there are several small Iron Age hearths. But now we have bowl furnaces, the very earliest form of Iron Age metalworking sites - and several of them! Plenty more to learn from these in the coming weeks.

Also in July ... please join us for a taster or two what life was like when these ancient furnaces were being used on this site ...

Prehistoric Dacre - A Guided Walk. This will be on Tuesday 20th July 10am-1pm. It's free but booking is essential - as are good boots and waterproofs or suncream. We have evidence of possible Neolithic life, very real Bronze Age remains and a wealth of Iron Age settlement features (including the new discoveries ...). Come and see what life was like on your doorstep just two thousand years ago.

Tuesday 27th July: Prehistoric Dacre - A presentation at the Schoolroom, Dacre Top. 7-9pm. A virtual tour (mud and rain free as well as cost free!) with refreshments too. Do come and discover more about the prehistoric settlement that's on your doorstep.

Contact me on gill@iron-age.org to book your place at either of these events.

New members are always welcome.

We are always happy to receive invitations to give talks and presentations.

And thank you to those who have already donated for my charity trek through the archaeology-strewn stony Jordanian desert to Petra next March. I'm already 1/6th of the way to raising £2,900 (by Dec 2010) for Classic FM's Music Makers who provide live music therapy and education projects across Britain -

but still a long way to go, so all donations gratefully received. Discover more and please dig deep and donate on www.justgiving.com/GillianHovell.

Thank you.

We close with a view of one of our latest regulars - two oyster catchers have rather superbly supervised the last few weeks of digging ...

Gill