Friday 25 November 2011

Day 12 - Second day at Siddon's Ridge Camp

Back to the ridge site which is has a wide variety of features spread across the top of the site, and on lower lying land at each end. These include several sets of tent rings, some large hollowed out firing positions connected by what might be a snaking communications trench, gun emplacements, possible latrines and other as yet unidentified constructions in the landscape.

The first pictures shows a view along a part of one line of tent rings towards the north, where a large circular structure which has obvious stone side walls commands a view from the ridge on three sides. Some of the team excavating this feature are shown in the following images, together with a view back along the line looking south.





The following image shows a section of the trench we think was for communication and an exploratory sondage dug across it in the near view, with one of our detectorists investigating the forward edge of the trench outer wall. You can see that the trench itself is full of blown sand, which has to be removed to discover the original depth when used.



Another view of one of the large redoubts at one end of the complex.

Before lunch today the whole team took a guided walk from one end of the site to the other, with the members responsible for excavating or examining each feature describing what they were doing and what had been discovered. We also discussed how each feature fitted in with the overall pattern of the site.




Scattered Mauser cartridges in the south facing wall of a firing position in the southern redoubt. It seems likely that one man fired these at some point when under attack.








A fantastic day on an incredibly interesting site. We return here tomorrow for our final day in the field this season. More pictures, description and theories tomorrow. 


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