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Trench 2
Fourth week
Pit linings and hoof prints
Pit linings and hoof prints
Two of the pits in the alignment have now been half sectioned, with the third left for full excavation in plan over the next few days. Both of the sectioned pits are clay lined, and the profiles of each show an interesting sequence of infilling by peat, with lenses of clay and silt probably reflecting periodic cleaning and the slumping or erosion of material from the adjacent banks.
Two views of the same area:
Section view
Plan view
The patterns in these sections may also reflect the disturbance of the clay lining by animals, something which we have seen first hand after nightly visits by cattle. Wheelbarrows and barrier tape have now put paid to this problem, though the damage caused by unwanted hooves has tested the dietary resolve of even the staunchest vegetarians on site.
A possible prehistoric hoof mark in the clay pit lining.
The agents of contemporary hoof marks in Trench 2.
Two pits are dug in section with the third to be dug in plan:
Before
After
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