An archaeologist's life...

No, the thumbnail isn't a shot of Mars. Today I went up to the top of the village, to the site of the impending quarry extension, to meet with archaeologists who wanted to present their findings - before their findings are excavated, and turned into building materials!

A Roman road (number 541a of the Margary recordings) was known to run from Berkeley to Bitton, and it ran through the site now to be quarried. It was an abandoned road in post-Roman times, and quickly fell into disrepair. You can see the dearth of top soil on top of the rock on which the road runs, and the ploughs of modern times have almost entirely destroyed it.

In the main just might just be able to see what were described as cart ruts, worn into the cobbled surface of the road. But he might be making it up for all I know. ;-)

One of the clever bits of Roman roads was the creation of drainage ditches running parallel to the road, and one of these is evidenced in the extra. (The diagonal line of lighter rock is geological rather than engineered). It's a little sad to think of deliberately destroying heritage, but then again hasn't this always happened? What did the Romans overbuild?

Just a day in the life, both of archeologist and parish councillor...