A TOWN UNEARTHED – March 13 and 14th, 2011
A Town Unearthed – March 12th & 13th 2011
A group of very hardy volunteers assembled this week end in The Bayle, Folkestone to start working on test pits in residents’ gardens.
We have also started a pit in the garden of the Bayle Pond. We were very careful not to spoil the gardens although when it rains it is difficult not to tread the ground down.
Visitors turn up from time to time to ask questions and to tell us what they know about the area.
The size and shape of that pond has increased and decreased according to persons memories at an alarming rate. One young man has a collection of maps and memorabilia which he is going to bring in next weekend. So maybe we will get a definitive shape and size.
At first it seemed as though we would not find much but those archaeologists seem to know what they are doing and soon a lucky team in one garden turned up a piece of human skull and two little teeth still attached to a piece of jaw bone.
Another team have found what might be a path or wall and in one garden, another team, after going down to a considerable depth, have found a pit. Could have things in it but wont know until next week when we return .
While all this was going on, over at the Library, Marion and Ian were entertaining and informing a group of very lucky children.
I went down there with Lesley to see what they were doing. Well, I can tell that I wish I had been taught in this way when I was at school. Not only the children were transfixed but also I suspect were their parents.
Highlights
The skeleton
Where do you put the sliced bread in the scale of ages? – All done with paper plates
The skulls that had various grim looking injuries
Ian, enthusiastically wielding an axe and sword to demonstrate how they got them.
The fact that one victim survived for some time after his injury, as his skull had started to mend – NO ASPRIN OR VINEGAR AND BROWN PAPER IN THOS E DAYS
One message that came over to all was that these human remains are treated with care and respect by all who handle them.
Later, the children and parents came up to the Bayle and learned about what we were doing there and why.
I hope they enjoyed it. I did.
Back next weekend to find out more about the Bayle digs.
Digger
