Sight of the Site
- By: Gary Webster |
- Sep 18, 2008
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There was more open evening action this week. The excuse for last time was National Archaeology Week, this time we were back by popular demand. This time rounds it was more focussed on our site specifically, especially as we have all of our more interesting features just turning up.
Gary’s goat
We started off with a site visit, showing people the more modern features, the Victorian and Georgian periods, and then the Roman areas that we had exposed. This was done slightly earlier than it was last time, as with the icy chill of winter fast approaching, the light fades sooner.
Next up was my time to shine. As keeper of the finds it was my job to display some of the interesting artefacts that we have found. The horn core is a usual favourite, however the newly-found leaden goat was quite the crowd pleaser. Best not to try and forge your own goats out of lead kids! The Roman coins, as per usual, held the most interest.
The lead goat
Everyone made there way then up to the canteen, to be dazzled with technical wizardry. A resident GIS specialist, be it Andy or Dave, explained how all of the records and plans are digitised, and how this enables the electronically gifted to manipulate these images by using all manner of dark magicks. The overlay of the old maps onto a view of excavated features I found particularly spectacular. Seeing the walls we had recorded lining up nicely with ones that had been recorded when the structure was still standing left me with a warm glow inside, knowing we were on the correct path.
After everyone had put their heads back on (after having them blown off, see?), it was Guys’ turn to give the public, rabid for more knowledge, a history of Prescot Street, from the Roman period right up to the modern day. We also looked at all of the wonderful things that we have turned up recently, finishing on our star find, the glass plate excavated by Ruth. Whatever was left of the collective synapses were then soothed with tea and sandwiches.
For the serious thinker it was off to the pub!
You missed a treat!