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Step 1 Starting off

As soon as youʼve had your Instruction Session,

collected your digging equipment, and beenshown where to dig your test pit, begin byfilling in the box at the bottom of the front of your Test Pit Record Booklet with the name of the village youʼre in, the address of the gardenor field your test pit is in, the date, the numberof your test pit and the names of everyone onyour test-pit team.

Step 2 Measuring out your test pit

The next thing you need to do is measure out aright-angled square with each side measuringexactly one metre long. To do this youʼll need

some string, four xing pins or nails, a sheet of A4paper and a tape measure.

Start by pushing the rst xing nail into the

ground. Use the end of the mattock (gently!) asa hammer if you need to. To form the baseline of your square, measure 1 metre along the groundfrom the rst nail with a tape measure and push ina second nail in the same way as the rst. Connectthe two nails with a length of string.

Then tie another piece of string to your secondxing nail, using a piece of A4 paper (or thishandbook) to make sure that the corner forms a90-degree angle. Pull the string tight along theedge of the paper, measure 1 metre and insert athird nail, again at an angle. Take up the slack andtie the string to the third nail. Repeat the process tocomplete your square.

The key things to remember are:• Take your time and proceed carefully at all times.• Make sure you follow the step-by-step instructions in this handbook. The process of excavating the test pit is

divided into 20 steps, which are summarized for quick reference on the back page of this Handbook .• Remember and observe everything you were told in the Instruction Session and the Health and Safety

brieng.• Ask for help if you are uncertain what to do at any point — archaeologists from the Field Academy

will be visiting your test pit frequently.• Remember to think about how to divide up the various tasks you need to do so that (1) no-one gets too

tired, (2) youʼre using each otherʼs talents most effectively (3) youʼre working quickly and efcientlyas a team.

Excavating an Archaeological Test PitA test pit is a small archaeological trench which is dug scientically in a series of layers to nd pottery and

other bits and pieces which tell us what was going on in the past. Digging test pits is a very good way of investigating villages that are still lived in because the pits are so small (usually 1 metre square) and tidy thatthey can be tted in anywhere, even on small plots of land such as gardens. Digging a number of test pits ina village enables archaeologists to build up a map of the village, showing where people were living hundredsor even thousands of years ago — at times when thereʼs no other way of nding this out. And creating mapslike this for lots of villages will enable archaeologists to work out what the impact of events such as Vikingraids, the Norman Conquest and the Black Death had on the lives of people in the past. Thatʼs what youʼregoing to be helping with, by digging your own test pit on the Higher Education Field Academy!

Excavating an archaeological test pit properly is quite simple if you follow the instructions in thisHandbook : itʼs important that you carry out the techniques of excavation in the way this describes. This

will ensure that your work is conducted and recorded correctly, like that of a professional archaeologist,which will mean that your discoveries will contribute to the University of Cambridge research into thedevelopment of historic settlements in the countryside since the end of the Roman period.



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Check that your test pit really is square bymeasuring across the diagonals from corner tocorner — the distance should be 1.41 m! Correctthe shape of your square if necessary.

Step 3 Surveying your test pit

Next, you need to make a simple Locational Map on the page inside the front cover of your Test PitRecord Booklet , so that anyone reading it willknow exactly where your test pit was.

The rst step is to establish a baseline. To do this,nd any permanent structure, near your test pit,which you can also locate on your Ordnance Surveymap of the settlement. This might be the wall of ahouse, the property boundary, a eld corner or a

telegraph pole, for example. Draw this structure onyour locational map. (You donʼt need to worry toomuch about drawing accurately to scale, becauseyou will mark distance measurements on your map).If you have used a straight wall as your permanentstructure, the line you have drawn forms yourbaseline. If you have chosen a single point, suchas a telegraph pole, youʼll need to select anotherpermanent structure and join the two points with aline — this is your baseline.

Then measure the shortest distance between yourtest pit and the baseline and draw the test pit onthe sketch plan, marking the distances along thebaseline and between the test pit and the baseline.You can also draw in any features, like bumps inthe ground, that may be interesting. You may ndsomething when you excavate that relates to thesefeatures, so itʼs worth recording them. You mustalso mark which way is north on the plan (you canwork this out from the Ordnance Survey map), and

number each corner of the test pit from 1–4, goingclockwise around the pit, ideally with 1 and 2 onthe North side.

Step 4 Plastic sheeting

Unfold your plastic sheeting and lay it out at atleast 2 m from the edge of your test pit. This iswhere youʼll put the spoil that you dig out of yourtest pit. It needs to be away from the edge of the

test pit because if it was too close the spoil mightfall back into the test pit which can be dangerous(even a small amount of soil can be very heavy).Also, if you put the spoil heap too close to the test

pit, you might nd it difcult to nd a clear spaceto stand on to work!

Step 5 Beginning context recording

Before you begin to dig , you need to start lling

out the rst Context Record Sheet (on page 3 of your Test Pit Record Booklet ). Youʼll dig yourtest pit by removing a series of 10 cm thick layers:each layer is called a context or spit, and you usethe Context Record Sheets to record what yound out about each layer you dig.

Fill in the 4 boxes in the top left-hand corner,including the context number for the rst context— the layer which includes the surface – which iscontext number 1. (Youʼll have been told what the

Site Code is in the Instruction Session.)

Step 6 Context Record Sheet boxes 1–4

The next step is to draw a neat Context Plan of the surface of your test pit, using the 10 cm squaregridded box on your Context Record Sheet , sothat each centimetre (cm) on your plan represents 10cms in the test pit. (For this rst context the plan may

just show grass.) See the diagram below for the keyof Drawing Conventions illustrating how to representthe different types of material that you nd.

Itʼs best to draw your Context Plan from the southwith north at the top — draw an arrow in the boxabove your plan to show what direction north isin on it (NB make sure that all of your subsequent

Drawing conventions for context recording (see Steps 5 & 16).

Tile

Mortar

Plaster

Glass

Brick

Charcoal

Gravel Stone

Shell

Pottery

Bone

Metal

S

P

B

G

M

Br

T

St



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Context Plans are drawn from the same positionas the rst, so that each Context Plan has thesame orientation and can be compared with theothers). Make sure the numbers on the corners of the test pit you drew on your Locational Map correlate with those marked on the corners of yourcontext plan. Use box 4 on the Context Record

Sheet to describe what youʼve drawn and for anyexplanatory notes.

Finally, take a photograph of the surface of thetest pit before you start digging. On the laminatedphotographic record sheet, use a non-permanentmarker pen to ll in the site name (i.e. the nameof the settlement you are in), the number of yourtest pit, and the number of the context on the sheetin non-permanent marker pen, and place this soit is visible in your photograph (see front cover).Remember to make a list of all the photographs thatyou take on the Context Recording ContinuationSheet . You will complete the rest of the rst contextsheet after you have nished excavating the rst 10cm layer/context.

Step 7 Beginning to dig! De-turng

So — now you start digging! If you are excavatingin a grassed area (which most HEFA test pits willbe), you will rst need to de-turf the top of yourtest pit. Using a spade, carefully cut the surfaceto create squares of grass a spadeʼs width across.Then push the spade rmly under the grass so thatyou can lift off a square of turf about 5 cm thick.

You should look at the underside of the turf andrecord whatʼs in it (these are ʻinclusionsʼ) in box5 of the Context Record Sheet . Write ʻXʼ in therelevant box if any of the listed soil inclusions can

be seen. If you notice any other sorts of inclusionsthat arenʼt listed (e.g. clay), write them into theblank boxes at the bottom of the table. You thenneed to estimate the overall percentage of theseinclusions and the average size of particles, andll in the appropriate boxes in the table.

The turf squares should be carefully stacked withgrass facing grass and soil facing soil so theyremain in good condition for re-turng at the endof your excavation. Donʼt stack turfs too high, andkeep them away from the place where you will beemptying your spoil. De-turng should removeabout half of your rst 10 cm context.

Steps 8&9 Preparing a nds tray

Take an empty nds tray and line it with a sheetof newspaper ready to put any nds (i.e. anythingman-made) in. Using a permanent marker pen,label a medium-sized re-sealable plastic nds bag

with your site code, test-pit number, and contextnumber, and put it in this nds tray so everyonewill know which context the nds have come from.If youʼve noticed any nds attached to the turf asyou lifted it off, put them into the nds tray.

Step 10 Digging the context

Once youʼve removed the turf, youʼll need to startdigging out your test pit in a series of 10 cm thicklayers (contexts), using the mattock, spade, trowel,shovel and hand shovel. The equipment youchoose to use will depend on what your test pit islike — theyʼre all different! Harder layers may takelonger to dig, and large numbers of nds may taketime to process, but you should aim to completeeach 10 cm context in about an hour.

If the soil in your test pit is hard you can excavateit by gently loosening it with a mattock and thenshoveling the loosened soil out. NEVER raisethe mattock above your waist (youʼll simply tireyourself out and may hurt yourself or someoneelse with it) and donʼt hold it with the metal endupwards (as if itʼs loose it may slip down thehandle and hurt your hand ).

To use the mattock most effectively: hold thehandle and drop it gently but rmly into the soil— use the weight of the tool to do most of thework for you! Youʼre aiming to embed the blade

Using a mattock safely and effectively.



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about 5 cm into the soil. Once youʼve done this,lever it up or pull it towards you to loosen the soil.

As soon thereʼs enough loosened soil in thebottom of your test pit to get in your way, use theshovel to get it out of the pit and into a bucket tobe sieved. At all times, keep the bottom of the test

pit as level and horizontal as possible — but youshould dig around any large stones or rocks untilyou reach their base during the normal course of the excavation. If you pull objects like this outprematurely you will disturb the context below.Small plant roots may be cut off.

NEVER pull a nd out of the ground : instead,excavate the soil around it and when itʼscompletely exposed gently lift it up and place ityour nds tray. A nd that is still partly buriedwhen you have nished a context should be left inplace until you have moved on to the next context.(Remember to draw it on your next Context Plan .)Finds that are rmly buried in the sides of your testpit should also be left in place.

Step 11 Dealing with the spoil

Tip the contents of each bucket of soil into thesieve a bit at a time (holding the sieve over theplastic sheeting). Itʼs a lot easier to sieve smallamounts, and youʼll be able to spot any nds moreeasily of thereʼs less in the sieve. Take care whenlifting buckets of heavy soil.

Sieve all of the soil as it is excavated and keepanything and everything that you think might bemanmade or interesting for some other reason .These are your nds! Pottery, bone and metal arethe most common nds in test pits and you should

keep stone if you think itʼs been used by someone.IF IN DOUBT, KEEP IT!!! (Itʼs a lot easier to

throw something irrelevant away later than it is todig through the spoil heap again to nd somethingimportant thatʼs not been kept!.)

Once all the nds have been taken out of thesieve, tip the residue out onto the plastic sheeting.(Try not to spread the soil out too much as this

will make it harder to shovel up when you back-ll.) Then put some more soil into the sieve andcontinue!

Step 12 Processing your nds

Finds should be cleaned, recorded and put in thelabelled nds tray to dry. Once youʼre past yourrst context, make sure you donʼt mix up the ndsfrom different contexts .

Fragile nds should never be washed. Keep an eyeout for paint on stonework or wall plaster and alsofor Early Anglo-Saxon or prehistoric pottery (thisusually looks like dried-out dog biscuit!), whichcan all be damaged by washing. Similarly, apartfrom carefully removing excess soil with a drytoothbrush, do not wash metal nds. Donʼt washorganic nds (e.g. textiles or wood) either.

But most other nds can be washed and left todry in the nds tray on site. Non-fragile pieces of pottery, bone or stone should be gently washedwith clean water and a toothbrush. Avoid scrubbingthe nds as this can damage them. If the water getstoo dirty, replace it with clean water (as a roughguide, if you canʼt see down 5 cm (or a ngerʼslength), the water needs changing!)

Once your nds have been identied by a FieldAcademy expert, they should be recorded in box 7

on the Context Record Sheets (using the ContextRecording Continuation Sheet at the back of theRecord Booklet if necessary). Once theyʼre drythe nds can be put into the clearly labelled ndsbag (this might not be possible until after the endof the dayʼs digging).

Steps 13&14 Digging the context

Carry on with steps 10–12 until you get down

about 10 cm. Use your tape measure or ruler tomake sure you donʼt excavate more than 10 cmat a time. Also, try to keep the sides of the pit asstraight as possible so that your next context willSieving the contents of a test pit.



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also be exactly 1 metre square (your test pit shouldnot end up looking like an inverted pyramid!).

If you nd layers of stonework or evidence of oors such as a layer of mortar, cobblestones ortiles, call one of the Field Academy archaeologists.

Test pits can also contain changes in the colouror consistency of the soil caused by somethinghappening in the past. Itʼs very important that yourecognise these changes and donʼt dig throughthem. This isnʼt easy, so again itʼs vital that youtake your time and keep constantly on the watch.The soil in your test pit will naturally changecolour as you dig deeper, but if you notice apatch of soil thatʼs a different colour from thesurrounding material at the same level it should berecorded on your Context Plan with a dotted line.Donʼt proceed any further until a Field Academyarchaeologist has advised you what to do.

When youʼve got down about 10 cm, use yourtrowel to scrape away any remaining soil to leavethe bottom of the test pit clean, at (apart from anylarge rocks etc. that youʼve decided to leave) andhorizontal. Use the side of the trowel rather thanthe point and draw it rmly towards you, keepingthe excavated test pit surface as level as possible.

When all the test pit is level and clear of spoil,make sure you have a good look for any features.

Step 15 Finishing a context

When youʼve nished digging the context (context1 will nish at 10 cm down from the surface,context 2 will nish at 20 cm down, context 3 at30 cm etc. etc.), ll in boxes 5, 6 and 7 on yourContext Record Sheet . For box 6 ll in thenumber or numbers from the chart below closest

to the colour of your context. Finally, checkthrough the Recording Task Checklist (top rightof the Context Record Sheet page) to ensure youhavenʼt forgotten anything.

Step 16 Starting the next context

After you have excavated the context, start llingin the next Context Record Sheet , including boxes1–4 (as described in step 6 above). Draw a plan of the exposed surface of the test pit, then repeat steps8–16 to dig the next context. Remember to keepthe nds from this context separate from the others.

Continue this pattern of recording-then-excavating-then-recording again (steps 8–16) for up to 10contexts until any of the following occur:

(a) You hit bedrock!(b) You hit ʻnaturalʼ — the term used for layers

that have never been disturbed by humans.(c) You nd a feature that a Field Academy

archaeologist tells you to leave intact and stopdigging.

(d) You reach 1 metre in depth (but if you reach1 metre in depth before lunchtime on Day 2,ask a Field Academy archaeologist whether itʼssafe or useful to dig any further).

(e) You run out of time! (youʼll have to stop digginga couple of hours before the end of Day 2).

Once any of (a)–(e) above happen, make sureyouʼve nished the context youʼre on up to the endof step 15, then move on to step 17.

Step 17 Recording the last context

Turn to the FINAL Context Record Sheet

(towards the end of your Record Booklet ). Fillin your test pit details in the top right-hand cornerboxes, and then draw your nal context plan in thegridded square, just as you have done for all theother contexts. This is bottom of your test pit (butof course itʼs also the top of the next context down,which youʼre not going to dig).

Step 18 Section drawing

Next, you need to draw all 4 sections (sides) of your test pit. By doing this you will record anychanges in the appearance of the layers youʼvedug through, and youʼll also be able to record the

How to hold and use your trowel to clean the surface of yourcontext.

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10



20-step Test Pit Digging Guide(ONLY to be used in conjunction with the HEFA Test Pit Handbook)

StepWhere towork

What to do

1 Record booklet Fill out all boxes on the front cover of your Test Pit Record Booklet .

2 On marked testpit site Measure out your 1m square test pit with tape, string and nails.

3 Around test pit Measure and draw a sketch plan to record test-pit location.

4 Near test pit Lay out your plastic sheeting at least 2 m away from test pit.

5 Record bookletFill in details on top right-hand side of rst Context Record Sheet page in your

Test Pit Record Booklet .6 Record booklet

Complete recording steps 1–4 on the Context Record Sheet , including drawing aplan of surface of rst context (i.e. layer) in the gridded square.

7 In test pit Remove turf (if present) with spade, in squares as neatly as possible.

8 Beside test pit Line an empty nds tray with newspaper.

9 Beside test pitLabel a plastic resealable nds bag in permanent marker pen with the site-name,test pit number and context number and place in the nds tray.

10 In test pit & onspoil heap

Use mattock to loosen soil in test pit, and the shovel to put it into bucket. Keep thebottom of the test pit as level as possible. Try not to get soil on the grass.Sieve every bucketful of soil (holding the sieve over the plastic sheeting).

11 On spoil heapPick out of the sieve anything you see that looks man-made (these are yournds) and throw the residue onto the spoil heap on top of the plastic sheeting.

12 Beside test pitClean any nds and place them in the nds tray to dry (only put them in the ndsbag when they are dry).

13 In test pit Continue until you have removed 10 cm from the whole surface of the test pit.

14 In test pitUse your trowel and hand shovel to remove all loose soil from the exposed sur-face and leave it level.

15 In recordbooklet

Fill in the rest of the Context Record Shee t by completing recording steps 5–7 onthe sheet.

16 In recordbooklet

Begin your next context by lling in the top left-hand-side boxes of the next Con-text Record Sheet in you booklet and completing recording steps 1-4 includingdrawing the exposed surface of your test pit in the gridded square.

Return to step 8 to begin the second context (on the second Context Record Sheet in the RecordBooklet). Repeat steps 7–16 for each context (10cm layer) until you have nished your test pit, then goon to step 17.

17 In recordbooklet

Fill in the details on the top left hand side of the FINAL Context Record Sheet page in your Record Booklet and complete all 7 recording steps.

18 In recordbooklet Fill in all parts of the nal Section Drawing Sheets .

19 In test pit Take soil samples for phosphate testing from the side of the pit from each 10 cmcontext.

20 In test pit Back-ll your test pit and replace turf AS NEATLY AS POSSIBLE .

Tidy site, collect up and clean your equipment and return with everything to Field Academy centre.

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