This September we were invited to Marston Magna for a test pitting day organised by Anne Teather and Andrew Chamberlain of Past Participate, a community archaeological research organisation.  We were digging in the grounds of the Old Rectory House to see if we could find any artefacts connected with the former buildings and what sort of activities could have taken place there.

Five test pits were dug, all of which uncovered a variety of finds including building rubble, pottery, glass, clinker, animal bones and rusty iron artefacts.  After lunch we had a break from digging while Andrew showed the MAYANS around a WWII brick-built air raid shelter that he had excavated which was a fascinating opportunity for our members.

All the test pits were meticulously recorded by the MAYANS using paperwork designed by Carenza Lewis from the “Time Team”.  The finds will be washed and sorted at our next sessions, and a report will be written and submitted to the Historic Environment Record.

It was a day of great enthusiasm and discovery and we would like to give a big thank you to Anne and Andrew for their hospitality and for giving our members such a fantastic experience!