3rd- 7th August 2009
Our Students
Training Week
3rd- 7th August 2009
Our Students
Front row; Sally, Maxine, Sophie,
Middle row ; Karn; Olga, Rachael, Jenny, Francine.
Back row; James, Charlie, Peter, Christopher, Matthew
This years training dig held at our on going site in Bexley, was over subscribed. We had to turn down more students than we had on site!
But now we had turn the unruly bunch pictured above in to a team fit to tackle the archaeology.
We only had one week to do it
On their first day Pip gave the students the “Introduction to the site” talk and “Health and Safety” the objective of this talk was to get the students to recognise the hazards present on an archaeological site and the importance of safe working practises……. then it was Field Walking which everyone got into, well all most everyone, they did learn the “if in doubt put it in the bag” rule. We ended up with lots of pretty stones and one small piece of samian
Pip also took the Students down to the open field for geophysics in two groups, both group of students did very well.
.
Lizby’s talk on finds taught the Students among many other things, how to identify types of finds found during an excavation, and how to become familiar with pottery, its fabric and general dating and hopefully learn, what the finds could tell them.
Lizby’s finds drawing class was a winner our students really put their best in to this. The finds processing class our students were introduced to pot washing!! … what to wash, and what not to wash, also to understand about the preservation of materials and conservation techniques.
But their week was not all academic we did let them loose on the archaeology just to reaffirm their understanding of the health and safety issues on our site, and to learn the technique of how to use a trowel, aided and abetted by Clare, Steve, Pip and Kay.
Our man from the Museum of London, Vince with help from Ann, took the students through the concept of Ordnance Datum heights and levelling techniques. Seen here left; Students practicing 
taking levels and calculating OD heights on site
The Students were also shown by Vince and Ann how to draw accurate plans and sections of those that are in trench1 (see pictures below)
During their week on site the Students had talks from Michael Chairman of the Crayford Manor House History & Archaeological Society, on clay pipes, the subjects cover here were, the variety of pipes, techniques involver with dating, recognise the different sorts of information that can be gained from the study of clay pipes.
While Martin our Chairman gave our lucky Students a well received talk on pottery, which would help them on site to recognise the different types of pottery and to understand how to spot date pottery especially the post medieval that we get on site.
Michael’s on talk Clay Pipes Martin’s talk on Pottery
There is one thing this years Students achieved that other years students
Had not….. That was they actually got Pip lost for words!!! HOW you may well
Ask
They did it by handed Pip a Thank You card and a bottle of wine; he was also seen to shed a tear (maybe He is human). They also give Martin a bottle and rest of the Field Officers chocolates and things.
In one week on site the unruly bunch that turn up on site that Monday had turned into a Great Team. Well Done
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the Field Offices, Clare, Lizby, Ann, Steve, and Kay, not forgetting Vince, Martin, and Michael, plus Mum to us all, “Our make you feel at home officer” Val. And of course the Students