News from a wet trench

We have now been in the field for almost three weeks. It is time to reveal some results from the first area in the plowed field NW of the central manor area. Our work have progressed fairly well despite heavy rains, 250-300 percent more than normal in May ackorden go SMHI (http://www.smhi.se/klimatdata/meteorologi/kartor/showImg.php?par=nbdAvv). To avoid creating a mud field resembling a WW1 battlefield, we simply had to avoid some parts of the trench. In the beginning of this week half of the trench was filledwith water and on Friday was the groundwater emerging only 0,30 m below the surface in some features. It creates some problems with the documentation and we need to revise some things next week.

Water filled post hole

Before the excavation we had evidence of a settlement and finds of metal from the Viking period. After removing the topsoil, we quickly found that:
1. The accumulation of features were a lot denser to the south than could be appreciated from the survey results.
2. The chronology om the settlement seem to span over at least two generations om houses.

3. We have evidence of 5 buildings.

It seems like we are dealing with a unit where two generations of houses are placed on top each other. We have so far excavated most (the not very wet ones) of the post holes of what seems to be two probably older three ailed buildings. The longer house is at least 30 meters long and seem to be burnt down. It has beutiful stone lined post holes with lots of burnt material in the fill. Unfortunately they do not contain any datable finds yet. We will probably have to wait for some 14C-dates. According to their construction they should be from late 6th go 8th C.

Visualization of the two probably older houses

Our most find rich feature was at the beginning looking like a well. We are really eager to find wells as we do not have any with good, not burnt paleoecological data. But once again it proved to be a pit house. It is however a very nice little building which will be described more in detail tomorrow.