Every month we feature two blogs written by volunteers, one describes an object in the Palace and one a plant from the Garden. It is great way for us all to learn more about the Palace, if you would like to contribute there is no set format so please do send us your ideas!
Here we are in January 2018 and so far I have not been very successful at shaking off the post-Christmas lethargy! A full-time PhD project means I’ve been leading a very sedentary life, so what better way to get outside for some much-needed fresh air and exercise than to sign up for the next community archaeology project at Fulham Palace. I can’t get involved as much as I would like, but one of the lovely aspects of this dig is that everyone gets to feel very much part of the team no matter what they can do.
This time around we are helping the gardeners to get some pits ready for new apple trees to be planted in. They take off the first 20cm of topsoil and then we come in to take it down deeper and hopefully find places where remnants of our material past might be hiding. And I was incredibly lucky today to do exactly that!
Apple Arch Digging Group
Coming in on the last day of this weeks digging, I thought it might be a case of fitting in around the other volunteers work. However, Anne very kindly gave me the chance to swap from pit 13 to one of the others further along. For a fledgling prehistorian pit 13 really would have been unlucky as I would have missed the two lovely pieces of struck flint I found in the pit next door (although who knows what pit 13 will produce)!
A Piece Of Struck Flint Dug Up From The Pit!
Sam assisting with the Apple Arch archaeological works at Fulham Palace this January
What are these flints, who made them and used them and why are they here? Our general consensus was some sort of broken arrowhead and a knifelike cutting implement. Obviously we need some real expert opinion here but Vanita seemed to be finding a fair bit of debitage in the pit opposite. We have a lot more pits to dig next week and a lot more potential for finding our prehistoric past in the Thames gravels. I look forward to seeing how this story unfolds.
Samantha Brummage, Archaeology Volunteer
Please send your ideas for Object / Specimen of the Month blogs to rachel.bray@fulhampalace.org If you would like some help, let us know.