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Hadrian's Wall 1982-8
This excavation was directed for the National Trust and English Heritage by James Crow. I was Assistant Director.
It was probably one of the most fulfilling digs I ever worked on, certainly my longest archaeological job, though I left for Chells before the end of the fieldwork. Interesting and fun professional colleagues, a constant stream of varied volunteers during the summers, fascinating archaeology, the challenges of working in fairly remote Northumberland, all added up to a great experience. I worked here during a difficult decade for me, and the dig certainly helped prevent me from going completely crazy.
The work involved excavating and recording the remains of the Roman wall, before handing it over to a team from English Heritage to be consolidated. We focussed on Steel Rigg, Castle Nick and Sycamore Gap. We discovered a previously unknown turret at Steel Rigg and excavated the interior of Milecastle 39.
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Hadrian's Wall country |
The newly-repaired wall east of Milecastle 29 |
The team early in the excavation |
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Milecastle 39 before excavation, looking westwards |
Milecastle 39 during excavation, looking westwards |
Milecastle 39 during excavation, looking eastwards, the earlier trenching clearly visible |
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One of the buildings exposed in Milecastle 39 |
A wider view from the south west corner of Milecastle 39 |
A find gets some special attention |
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Close up of foundations |
Volunteers at work in the milecastle |
An overall view during excavation |
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Volunteers at work |
Excavation in progress inside Milecastle 39 |
The team in the milecastle |
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Excavation of a shieling between Milecastle 39 and Sycamore Gap |
Excavation of a shieling between Milecastle 39 and Sycamore Gap |
Roger Oram carries on recording while Jonathan gives some advice |
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Work on the wall east of Sycamore Gap |
Walking the plank in Sycamore Gap. No-one fell off! |
The top of the slope east of Sycamore Gap |
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Clearing rubble at the bottom of Sycamore Gap |
We work down the west side of Sycamore Gap |
Excavation north of the wall in Sycamore Gap |
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Sycamore Gap -- familiar to viewers of Robin Hood Prince of Thieves |
We work around the famous sycamore tree |
Recording the face of the wall |
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Looking west from Sycamore Gap |
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James Crow and a Newcastle University volunteer |
| For a while I was incharge of constructiing scaffolding jetties: | ||
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My first scaffolding construction |
My longest... |
My fattest, plus barrow hoist... |
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My highest... |
Not a place for someone with vertigo! |
But it was eventually realised, after such important people as Lord Montagu of Beaulieu and the Duke of Buckingham had crowded onto my scaffolding, that I wasn't qualified |
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So the professionals took over... |
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...and oops, their handiwork collapsed! Was I smug or wasn't I!! |
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Working east of Sycamore Gap |
Volunteers pause for a moment |
Roger Oram prepares to empty another barrow-load |
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There were some fine days... |
That even demanded protective headgear! |
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Note: These are personal snapshots, not official archaeological photographs.