merovingians:

First dig of the season at Hornby Castle, North Yorkshire.

So here we have:

1) a day’s work for me, which mostly consisted of uncovering a large patch of mortar (the white-ish bits) within what we originally thought was a 12th century apsidal structure. Our work today cast some doubt on that assumption, as the ‘apse’ bulges out at a rather unusual angle.

Also, those small post-holes running in a regular semi-circle and slightly overlapping the stone structure (most of which seems to have been robbed), run down through the mortar layer, which indicates they post-date it. The mortar is probably the base of a floor, possibly of tile or wood, probably 14th century though that’s also conjectural. There was a thought the post-holes were related to a staircase on the spot, but the continued spread of the mortar makes it harder to tell. More excavation will probably tell us more. 

2) What we thought was a continuation of the sophisticated 14th century drainage system found in Trench 2 (this is Trench 3, the numbers are for the season in which they were started). Our dig leader now thinks it may be an 18th century connection to the previous drainage system, rather than part of the original late medieval line. As you can see, the edges are not flush, and don’t have the connecting bits (that’s a technical term) that became widely used in the 19th century, so they leak badly. Typically, these would be surrounded by a layer of limestone to absorb the water and thus lessen the inevitable stink. 

3) My finds tray for yesterday. Most of that is loose bits of rubble, and a few rocks I mistook for something relevant, and a few chunks of dirt with embedded charcoal, and more interestingly, a number of shards of late medieval pottery, including a shard of Saintonge Green (a high quality import ware glazed with a lead and copper mix that creates a greenish sheen. There’s other pieces of Humberware and other local sources. 

Unfortunately I missed the first weekend of the excavation season, as I was away for a Comitatus training weekend, but I thought I would reblog the site update that Ross posted. (Thanks Ross.) Looking forward to getting back to digging next weekend!

nationalpost:

‘Beyond reasonable doubt’: King Richard III’s remains found buried beneath England parking lot
He wore the English crown, but he ended up defeated, humiliated and reviled. Now things are looking up for King Richard III. Scientists announced Monday that they had found the monarch’s 500-year-old remains under a parking lot in the city of Leicester — a discovery Richard’s fans say will rewrite the history books.

University of Leicester researchers say tests on a battle-scarred skeleton unearthed last year prove “beyond reasonable doubt” that it is the king, who died at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, and whose remains have been missing for centuries.

“Richard III, the last Plantaganet King of England, has been found,” said the university’s deputy registrar, Richard Taylor. (AP Photo/ University of Leicester)

As a follow-up to yesterday’s Richard III posts, I also just wanted to reblog this photoset, because I think it is quite interesting to see the remains in situ.

Here you can see the reconstruction of Richard III’s face, as well as his skull juxtaposed with a portrait. The portrait is thought to be based on contemporary images of the king’s facial features. More information about the facial reconstruction can be found in the following BBC article, from which both images were taken:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-21328380

thebritishnobility:

Richard III : The twisted bones that reveal a king

• When Richard was killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, he was said to have been buried in Greyfriars church, Leicester. But this church was lost until archaeologists excavated a car park and discovered medieval remains. Victorian foundations had almost destroyed the entire grave and the feet were lost, but the bones still promised to provide a treasure trove of information - would they also reveal a king?

 

• Richard III was portrayed by Shakespeare as having a hunched back and the skeleton has a striking curvature to its spine. This was caused by scoliosis, a condition which experts say in this case developed in adolescence. Rather than giving him a stoop, it would have made one shoulder higher than the other. Highlighted are the facing sides of the 10th and 11th thoracic vertebrae, showing uneven growth as the spine bent.

 

• Evidence of a number of wounds were found on the skeleton but the face area was largely unmarked, apart from a sliced cheekbone. The skull has undergone a CT scan and the results will be used to reconstruct the king’s appearance. No portraits made during his lifetime have survived and some later copies show signs of having been altered to make him appear more sinister.

 

• The back of the skull shows dramatic injuries. One consists of a hole near the spine, where a large piece of bone has been sliced away by a heavy bladed weapon such as a halberd. This, along with a smaller wound opposite, may well have been a fatal injury. A smaller dent which cracked the inside of the skull, is thought to have been caused by a dagger. There are a further five wounds on the skull, all inflicted around the time of death.

 

• The teeth of the skeleton have provided important information. As well as evidence of disease and tooth decay, calcified plaque can be analysed for evidence of diet and environment. He had lost several of his back teeth before he died, probably due to dental caries. DNA samples were extracted from the teeth and the right femur to compare with known descendants of Richard’s family. Despite the potential for DNA to degrade, a match was found.

• The back of the skull shows dramatic injuries. One consists of a hole near the spine, where a large piece of bone has been sliced away by a heavy bladed weapon such as a halberd. This, along with a smaller wound opposite, may well have been a fatal injury. A smaller dent which cracked the inside of the skull, is thought to have been caused by a dagger. There are a further five wounds on the skull, all inflicted around the time of death.

  Interactive feature produced by Greig Watson, Christine Jeavans, Mick Ruddy, Sophia Domfeh and Paul Kerley.

  Photographs by University of Leicester and Jeff Overs. Portrait of Richard III: Collection of the Society of Antiquaries of London.

York in the Snow

British Museum Clocks and Watches Room

1a and 1b. masterpiece clock, 1620
Thomas Starck, Augsburg, Germany
This clock not only displayed the time and the day of the week, but also included saints’ days, feast days, the length of day and night at different times of the year, and the likely times of eclipses.

2. gilt-brass clock-watch, 1580s
Hans Schniep, Speyer, Germany

3. astronomical watch, 1600-1610
H. Roberts, London, England
This watch shows the positions of the sun and moon in the zodiac and the time of high tide at London Bridge.

4. hexagonal clock, 1450s
unknown maker, Burgundy
The oldest clock on display at the British Museum, this table clock is designed to reflect the architectural style of the day.

5. silver and gilt-brass watch, 1620-1630
Jean Vallier, Lyon, France
This watch has an alarm, and in addition to the time, it displays the date, the phase of the moon, the month, the season, and the day of the week.

6. planispheric astrolabic clock, 1560s
maker’s mark ‘M’, France
This astrolabe is driven by a clockwork mechanism and shows the positions of the sun, moon, and stars.

7. silver coach watch, 1650s
Jean Baptiste Duboule, Geneva, Switzerland
This watch displays the month and day, the age and phase of the moon, the season, and the zodiac, as well as the time.

8. marine chronometer, 1800
Thomas Earnshaw, London, England
This chronometer was designed for the purpose of determining longitude at sea. Marine chronometers had to keep extremely accurate time under adverse conditions, allowing for the calculation of longitude based on the difference between Greenwich Mean Time and the time on board ship. This particular example was carried on the HMS Beagle during its famous voyage of 1831 to 1836.

Women’s Social and Political Union Banner, 1910
Museum of London

Made in the style of a friendship quilt to represent the solidarity and comradeship of the imprisoned suffragettes, this banner comprises eighty rectangles of linen embroidered with the signatures of those women who had gone on hunger strike and endured brutal force-feedings while in prison for their activist work.