Ivan Clowsley

The adventure continues

Time Team 2 Episode 2 Broughton

And so less than two weeks after Boden my bruises and blisters had almost healed and I’m packing my bags again for another Time Team dig. Destination Banbury, Oxfordshire to look for the Romans.

I love Roman digs there’s always tons of finds and although I’ve found tesserae before I’ve never actually found a mosaic maybe it’ll be this time! I was hoping a few lessons had been learnt from the first dig, it was all a bit chaotic but, great fun. My friends Penny and Mark were already on site so they knew what the crack was. I arrived at the hotel again on the Friday evening and unpacked my bags, had a shower then headed for the bar. The first person through the door was Matt who very graciously got the beers in. We drank, we eat , then drank some more, a cracking night with the rest of the team.

I don’t know who took this photo but thanks. Recording of the Roman ditch.

Saturday morning my first day on site but day two of the dig. Again there was lots of activity on site, we were down in a valley surrounded by Turnips, now that was a turnip for the books ……. groan! I was asked to assist in excavating what was thought to be a Roman ditch. Ditches are often very rewarding to dig as they have usually accumulated lots of rubbish over time and archaeologists and this one came up trumps too. Josh from Cotswold Archaeology (CA) was trench supervisor but Carenza came to give us a hand and she was a whizz on the mattock. Helping out were the Itinerary Triangle History and Archaeology Society ( ITHAS). We found Roman pot, tiles, nails and one of the local volunteers who was sieving found a late 4th Century Roman coin, now that was exciting. With this dating evidence we could confirm this was a Roman ditch. The experts were scratching their heads though as the ditch would have channeled water down the valley towards the villa but why? By early afternoon we’d excavated the ditch and Theo an archaeology student started recording the ditch.

Carenza was over seeing the opening of a new trench, one that John’s Geo Phys indicated had a wall in it. Could this be the fourth range of the villa? After some brick work was exposed myself and some of the ITHAS local volunteers started to see if we could find the bottom of the wall. Time ran out though and we had to leave it until tomorrow. In the hotel that night we got a real insight into the tensions that build up with the pressure on to decide exactly where the dig was going and were to put in new trenches. Tim was holding court with John, Stewart, Carenza, Helen, Matt et al pouring of the Geo Phys results deciding the best course of action. Exhausted I trooped off to bed.

Carenza discussing a Roman coin that had been found.

Sunday Dig 2 day 3

We were on site early and it was very quiet, where was everyone? No sign of yesterday’s volunteers, no sign of Carenza but hold on there’s Matt over there. I wondered over had a quick word with Matt and he encouraged me to keep going at the wall. So I kept mattocking carefully, shovelling out my loose then cleaning up with my trusty trowel. Eventually Carenza showed up and said keep going to see if you can find the bottom of the wall. A short while later Mark from Cotswold Archaeology turned up and said we need to get a move on there’s still lots to do. He said put a sondage in one end of the trench and we can find the bottom of the wall quickly. So that’s what I did. At this point a passing camera crew, Denis and Mark, filmed our exchanges from every angle of course! The wall was only two courses deep ( the rest must have been robbed out) it was decided it must have been a garden wall (main image at top of page). The villa had two or three ranges with a garden in front. When I’d finished digging CA moved in to do the recording.

Stewart Ainsworth explains the revetment and the wider site to guests including Suzannah Lipscomb.

I was then told to report to Chris who needed a hand. Chris was in a long trench with two features in it. He was at one end excavating a ditch and he wanted me to carry on digging a small wall or revetment of rough construction. I was becoming an expert on wall excavations! Neil Holbrook came over to see how I was getting on and offered words of encouragement he wasn’t sure wether my wall was a more modern drainage ditch. I had other visitors to, Susannah Lipscombe and friend came over to see what I was up to. I explained my trench wasn’t very exciting but she should have a look in the next one. It had a bath house with a horses in head in it. Quick as a flash she said “are we talking a mosaic or the godfather”!! I soon finished up then was directed to my fourth trench this must be a record surely.

Hilde had a very interesting area she and her team were working on. She gave me a run down on what they were doing and what she reckoned they’d found. Lots of animal bones were being unearthed and pot. They’d also found hypercaust tiles, so the thinking was this must be a dining room where guests would be entertained. I did a quick clear back so the cameras could start recording a scene then surprise surprise Hilde said, “could I work on the outer wall please,” no worries said, I I’m happy to help. The cry went up for everyone to report to the ‘sarcophagus’ trench for the closing scene and end of dig photograph. Tim thanked us all and said “see you all next year.” What an end to another wonderful dig. I’m so lucky.

That evening Tim said he’d had had enough of hotel food so he took us all out to a Thai restaurant. What an absolutely lovely bunch of people, yes they’re experts in their fields (no pun intended) but they’re all so friendly, approachable and fun to be with on the dig and off it. Time Team really is like an extended family. John toasted Tim for all his hard work and determination to bring Time Team back. A toast to absent friends and finished with Mick’s favourite toast “death to our enemies”.

Carenza on the mattock watched on by Gus Casely-Hayford amongst others.

I’d like to thank Tim Taylor for allowing me to take part and the Patreon supporters who made it all possible.

The classic team shot discussing tactics around the Time Team Land Rover.