Last weeks Survey..

[Dean]

Thought you'd like to see this one.

A high speed dig to escape the heavy path of a new Sainsburys

I called in to assist with thy metal detector after rumours of a few Roman coins found.







About half a dozen early Roman bronze coins had been discovered about six inches below surface of the large Romano-British (possible enclosure) ditch.


After signing in and a small chinwag I set about the spoil heap...

Bingo, one missed





No more after that.


They had finished the one section where the coins came up and moved on, so I requested permission to scan the area. Go for it....was the reply.


In the vertical face of the ditch section was a low conductive signal :)


I shouted..."Tom, can you come and have a scrape at this"


Two minutes later a coin fell out......and so did my eyes!







Turns out its a fine example of a stater of Esup Rasu of the Corieltauvi.

Philip de Jersey says....
"The classification references for this type are VA 920 and no. 405 in Spinks ‘Coins of England’. It’s very often in base gold or plated and there’s still a great deal of dispute about the precise dates for Esup Rasu (whoever he was, or possibly it’s two people) – sometime around the turn of the millennium BC/AD is about as accurate as anybody is prepared to be.
A very rare find to be this far South/west. Only five others from the county".

Good job I dropped in or it would never have been found.:D

[garybrun]

Well saved Dean.



Website for responsible Metal Detecting
http://www.ukdfd.co.uk
Recording Our Heritage For Future Generations.

[BAJR Host]

Thanks Dean...

Come on people... what are the rest of you up to? Are you all just digging blank trenches? or are you up to something fun? Community digs? YAC digs... whats happening out there?

"I don't have an archaeological imagination.."
Borekickers

[vulpes]

I don't see the point of this if those who do contribute don't give us a location.

[BAJR Host]

I would guess for commercial sites... there may be a problem with that... though for other types.. then not.


"I don't have an archaeological imagination.."
Borekickers

[Dean]

I get the feeling some are not interested either way, or there would be sensible communication.

We have been finding Roman coins and gold staters. There's only one Sainsburys being built in our city so posting the location on the internet would not be in the interests of the site would it. I guess this is the trouble with being 'hot off the press'. At least the two that sent me a PM understand perfectly.

Update; two iron brooches found in the same place. Heres a pic of one of them..

[Dean]

Ps, dig will be finished friday so location is still only available by pm until then.

[BAJR Host]

Thanks Dean... and thanks...

the numbers looking in show there is interest.. :)

nice iron brooch that!

"I don't have an archaeological imagination.."
Borekickers

[oldgirl]

quote:Originally posted by BAJR Host

Thanks Dean... and thanks...

the numbers looking in show there is interest.. :)

nice iron brooch that!

"I don't have an archaeological imagination.."
Borekickers


I think not publicly giving a location at this stage is very important!

On the finds - very nice. Any chance the people digging the features can tell us anything about the site later? Finds are pretty and important, but the context of the site itself is more so for me! (Otherwise the coins, brooches etc are just that - great in and of themselves, but nothing further to add to our understanding of who was doing what where)

[BAJR Host]

That said, it is often possible to place unstrat finds 'into context' - and add to the site data. Just like picking up scatters and fieldwalk info... gives valuable info, and of course, as a large % of detectorists know, the context of a find is important. One would add the question of mixed messages.. :
a find out of context is of little value / please report finds that are out of context because they are of value.

"I don't have an archaeological imagination.."
Borekickers

[oldgirl]

quote:Originally posted by BAJR Host

That said, it is often possible to place unstrat finds 'into context' - and add to the site data. Just like picking up scatters and fieldwalk info... gives valuable info, and of course, as a large % of detectorists know, the context of a find is important. One would add the question of mixed messages.. :
a find out of context is of little value / please report finds that are out of context because they are of value.

"I don't have an archaeological imagination.."
Borekickers


I think it's not entirely a mixed message. Some information is better than none, but more is better. [8D]

[BAJR Host]

touche :)

that said... it is better that the find was made, than not... ergo, hats off to Dean and many others, who volunteer their time for free to help us.... I thank them.

"I don't have an archaeological imagination.."
Borekickers

[oldgirl]

quote:Originally posted by BAJR Host

touche :)

that said... it is better that the find was made, than not... ergo, hats off to Dean and many others, who volunteer their time for free to help us.... I thank them.

"I don't have an archaeological imagination.."
Borekickers


I agree, much better the find was made - but I would expand, much better the find was made by someone who has added knowledge of it to the record of the site, as has occurred in this case. Co-operation is good, knowledge saving is good, respect is good. Poor recording of the finite archaeological resource by anyone is bad.

This is a really good example of people working together to move the understanding of the archaeology forward. That's why I said I wanted to know more about the site, when appropriate!

[Dean]

Well not sure I'm going to get time for a final visit tomorrow, and dig is basically at an end.
It is on the gravel terraces of the Severn, directly on the opposite bank to the notable Roman city of Worcester.
The site seems mainly early, late IA/ 1stC AD. Although I did find a 4th century coin higher up earlier on.
Not able to explain in archeo terms but...there are three sides of a ditched enclosure exposed, ditch being approx 4 feet deep on average. Not a great deal of archaeology inside but plenty of pot (looked like 1st century AD rims to me) and slag coming from high up in the outer ditch, including the copper alloy. Also some late IA pot, so I have been told. On the last visit one chap was excavating a large area of burning, plenty of ash, slag and ferrous bits. Oddly on top of the ditch itself..
Just a few obsevations from my brief visits.

[BAJR Host]

No bad at all... better explained than some reprots I have seen! :D

Wish more people were willing to show whats going on... a bit more excitement about what we are up to, would not go amiss... watch out for a whole article about my <s>summer holidays </s> er... Serious survey around Jerash.. ;)

interesting site DEan... sure the diggers were glad to be actually digging a site ! }:)

"I don't have an archaeological imagination.."
Borekickers

[flashdigger]

Talking of metal finds adding to the information of the area i am all for metal detectorists going over my site. They generally know their stuff when it comes to signals and will locate more than myself using their own equipment. However what are peoples opinions on the U/S finds they make on the site such as from the topsoil mounds or enexcaved areas around the site? It is these finds i stuggle to prise back out of their hands!. Usually if i am doing an Roman site i expect them to only hand over Roman suff, Med for Med site etc. What do others say about U/S stuff?

[Sparky]

Flash,
Retain and record it all. Unstrat finds from spoil heaps are just as informative of activity in the area as it would have been in the unmoved topsoil and found during field walking. Letting people take this information away is wrong. Furthermore, keep everything from all periods otherwise you will loose part of the overall story.
S

[Dirty Dave Lincoln]

"keep everything from all periods"
Hmm, methinks its by not doing so that some (ahem) archaeologist keep on budget!!:face-confused: