Is it that time already?… Treasured Islands! Episode 2, Day 1

Blog 7 9th September 2011

At the very moment when I write this, at Studley Royal there should be a slight rumbling sound in the background as the mechanical excavator rolls off the trailer and trundles through the gardens to start opening up the trenches at Quebec. I have to say that I wasn’t expecting to the feeling the way I do – rather like its Christmas Day. And I sort of wish that I’d had another ten days to get ready.

Thankfully, unlike Christmas, there are lots of other very competent people on hand to take up the strain – especially, Sarah, Alexa, Tessa and Jen at the estate, and Justin and his team from Field Archaeology Specialists – so everything is in place that should be.

But I am still very aware that I’ve been doing less for this project than I’d have liked over the past few months, not least in terms of updating this blog. That’s the life of the NT archaeologist, I fear: those who are old enough might remember the old circus/Variety Hall act where a chap kept 50 plates spinning on the end of vertical bamboo canes. That’s what my job is like (and I wouldn’t have it any other way. The trick, of course, is to make sure that its not the expensive crockery that get’s broken!). Since the last posting there were other Festival of British Archaeology events to run at Nunnington Hall (which managed to secure national and international press coverage) and a number of very interesting things to do on our Housesteads Estate on Hadrian’s Wall. And a family summer holiday to fit in.

And things have been a little bit quieter on the Quebec front. Tessa delivered her amazing “Rubbing shoulders with Georgians” exhibition. The life size cut-outs figures from eighteenth century illustrations were unnervingly human presences – even if, in this week’s strong winds, they showed a surprising (and ungenteel) “Jackass”-style tendency to hurl themselves around the landscape. Justin and his team have processed the survey data, and produced a really accurate map of the site, including reconciliation of the different historic map depictions. I’ll say a little bit more about that in a future Blog (it’s the main thing I’ve been meaning to write about in the past few weeks). We’ve used the map to position the eight trenches we’re going to be excavating over the next fortnight or so, designed to try and find different parts of the shoreline and islands – while also leaving space for the interpretation spaces, and the family activities being run for tomorrow’s Heritage Open Day event. We’re having a dig pit with C18 finds – and the outstanding redcoat re-enactors of Lace Wars are back by popular demand. And Justin will be back with his digger, so that small boys of all ages can enjoy watching a JCB at work as part of the fun.

My turn for dressing up comes on Monday, when I’m leading two tours in the guise of William Aislabie, under the title “Remember Quebec!” – the 12th being the anniversary of the battle, which was once commemorated at the Quebec garden. Unfortunately we haven’t been able to source a small cannon to fire as they did then. Maybe next year?

The excavations open to the public tomorrow, and we’ll be digging every day except Wednesdays and Thursdays between then and Sunday September 25th. Do visit if you can – and please let us know if you’re reading and enjoying this blog.