Test Pitting Reference Guide - Bible
1. So what have you signed up to?
What is a Test Pit?
A Test Pit is a small archaeological excavation, consisting of a square trench measuring 1m by 1m and up to 1m deep that can be dug by hand, by anyone, in an open space in their garden. The Test Pit is dug methodically, i.e. layer by layer, and carefully recorded, with the aim of identifying evidence of past human activity, usually by finding pieces of pottery and other material, or, if you’re lucky, archaeological features such as rubbish pits, building postholes or even wall foundations.
While we can learn a great deal about the history of our towns and villages through study of historical documents and maps, place names, aerial photographs and so on, archaeological excavation is often the best or only way to add to or confirm the results of such research.
The opportunity for large-scale excavation however, particularly within our established settlements, is usually rare and so the excavation of a collection of Test Pits, which can be squeezed in anywhere throughout a village is a good alternative. Test Pits are also a great way of allowing a community, with the help of professional archaeologists, to investigate its past history and learn a bit about how archaeological excavation works.
By collating the results from all the Test Pits the archaeologists will try to establish a general picture of the origins and development of a settlement, and hopefully find out something about the people who lived there.
What are you looking for?
Archaeological excavation aims to identify any evidence of past human activity that may be buried below ground at any given site. This evidence usually consists of features, such as buried soil layers, rubbish pits, ditches, graves or parts of former buildings such as postholes, wall foundations and floor surfaces and the finds material that has ended up within the features.
Although some finds will have been deliberately buried, such as grave goods or treasure hoards, most of the finds material found by archaeologists is the discarded rubbish from the activities of everyday life and work in a settlement.
Due to the small size of a Test Pit you might need a bit of luck to find a proper archaeological feature such as a pit or building but you’ll almost certainly find the bits and pieces that people have thrown away or lost over the years, mixed in both the topsoil or within buried older soil layers. Finds will consist of man-made items such as sherds of pottery, metalwork, glass and building material, as well as organic or environmental material such as pieces of animal bone or shell.
If you are not sure if you should keep something then please KEEP IT. It can always be discarded later at any stage during assessment and analysis by an archaeological finds specialist, who if not visiting sites will be found at the HQ.
1. So what have you signed up to?
What is a Test Pit?
A Test Pit is a small archaeological excavation, consisting of a square trench measuring 1m by 1m and up to 1m deep that can be dug by hand, by anyone, in an open space in their garden. The Test Pit is dug methodically, i.e. layer by layer, and carefully recorded, with the aim of identifying evidence of past human activity, usually by finding pieces of pottery and other material, or, if you’re lucky, archaeological features such as rubbish pits, building postholes or even wall foundations.
While we can learn a great deal about the history of our towns and villages through study of historical documents and maps, place names, aerial photographs and so on, archaeological excavation is often the best or only way to add to or confirm the results of such research.
The opportunity for large-scale excavation however, particularly within our established settlements, is usually rare and so the excavation of a collection of Test Pits, which can be squeezed in anywhere throughout a village is a good alternative. Test Pits are also a great way of allowing a community, with the help of professional archaeologists, to investigate its past history and learn a bit about how archaeological excavation works.
By collating the results from all the Test Pits the archaeologists will try to establish a general picture of the origins and development of a settlement, and hopefully find out something about the people who lived there.
What are you looking for?
Archaeological excavation aims to identify any evidence of past human activity that may be buried below ground at any given site. This evidence usually consists of features, such as buried soil layers, rubbish pits, ditches, graves or parts of former buildings such as postholes, wall foundations and floor surfaces and the finds material that has ended up within the features.
Although some finds will have been deliberately buried, such as grave goods or treasure hoards, most of the finds material found by archaeologists is the discarded rubbish from the activities of everyday life and work in a settlement.
Due to the small size of a Test Pit you might need a bit of luck to find a proper archaeological feature such as a pit or building but you’ll almost certainly find the bits and pieces that people have thrown away or lost over the years, mixed in both the topsoil or within buried older soil layers. Finds will consist of man-made items such as sherds of pottery, metalwork, glass and building material, as well as organic or environmental material such as pieces of animal bone or shell.
If you are not sure if you should keep something then please KEEP IT. It can always be discarded later at any stage during assessment and analysis by an archaeological finds specialist, who if not visiting sites will be found at the HQ.
2. Equipment
To excavate and record your test pit you will need a basic range of digging (most of which you hopefully have in your garden shed) and recording equipment.
If you have registered you will be sent a ‘Dig It’ pack, but these can also be collected at the initial briefing or from the HQ during the event. This will include the following items and should be returned at the end of the project.
1m2 grid template – with guidance notes
Test pit recording booklet
Test pitting reference guide
30cm photo scale & arrow
Photo board
Photo record form
Non-permanent and permanent marker pens
Labels
Finds tray
Finds bags
Other tools that you will need to try to provide include:
Digging tools
Spade and/or shovel
Hand shovel/garden trowel
Buckets/wheelbarrow
Garden sieve (1cm mesh)
Trowel (plasterers type, ideally with a 4”-6” blade)
Stiff hand brush
A sheet of plastic/tarpaulin, c. 2m x 2m – on which to put your spoil heap if you want to protect your lawn etc
Recording equipment
Digital camera
Washing up bowl
Soft nail brush/toothbrush
Garden seed trays
5m length of string
2 steel hand tape measures
4 large nails/tent pegs
Clipboard
Pencils, rubber, sharpener
To excavate and record your test pit you will need a basic range of digging (most of which you hopefully have in your garden shed) and recording equipment.
If you have registered you will be sent a ‘Dig It’ pack, but these can also be collected at the initial briefing or from the HQ during the event. This will include the following items and should be returned at the end of the project.
1m2 grid template – with guidance notes
Test pit recording booklet
Test pitting reference guide
30cm photo scale & arrow
Photo board
Photo record form
Non-permanent and permanent marker pens
Labels
Finds tray
Finds bags
Other tools that you will need to try to provide include:
Digging tools
Spade and/or shovel
Hand shovel/garden trowel
Buckets/wheelbarrow
Garden sieve (1cm mesh)
Trowel (plasterers type, ideally with a 4”-6” blade)
Stiff hand brush
A sheet of plastic/tarpaulin, c. 2m x 2m – on which to put your spoil heap if you want to protect your lawn etc
Recording equipment
Digital camera
Washing up bowl
Soft nail brush/toothbrush
Garden seed trays
5m length of string
2 steel hand tape measures
4 large nails/tent pegs
Clipboard
Pencils, rubber, sharpener