The Living Levels Partnership aims to reconnect people living along the Gwent Levels with the region's magestic natural beauty and outstanding history and heritage. Over the course of the Big Garden Dig, you'll be digging a 1x1m Test Pit to find out what's buried in your garden. Your discoveries will become part of a collaborative effort to create an important snapshot of archaeology across the region. This page has everything you need to know to excavate your own test pit, and record your discoveries, like a pro. Let's get cracking!
Test Pit Portal
Dirty Weekend: Big Garden Dig on the Gwent Levels
Your step-by-step guide to unearthing history in your own garden!
What you'll need
✏️ Your Test Pit Recording Pack
You’ll need to download and print your Test Pit Recording Pack before you start digging. This includes:
- 1 x Test Pit Location Sheet
- 5 x Context Sheets (you can print more if you excavate more contexts)
- 2 x Finds Recording Sheet
- 1 x Section Drawing Sheet
- 1 x Full Set of Soil Description Cue Cards
⬇️ Click here to download your Test Pit Recording Pack
Once you’ve filled it out, you’ll need to scan or photograph each completed page and email it back to us, along with your photos.
🗂 Your Soil Description Cue Cards
You’ll have a copy of these in your printed Test Pit Recording Pack, but you might prefer to click and save them to your phone’s camera roll for easy access.
Colour (light-dark, hue, main colour)
Compaction
Composition (sand, silt, clay)
Inclusions (e.g., gravel, charcoal, chalk etc)
⛏ Tools and equipment
If you don’t have everything on this list, don’t worry! One of the key skills of doing archaeology is being able to improvise with what you’ve got. You will need:
- Test Pit Recording Pack
- Smartphone (for taking photos, and staying in touch on WhatsApp throughout the day)
- Shovel/spade (for de-turfing if you’ve got a lawn)
- Trowel (for digging with)
- 4 x large nails or tent pegs (for marking out the corners of your test pit)
- String (for marking out the sides of your test pit)
- 2 x tape measure (for measuring the sides of your test pit)
- Tarpaulin/plastic sheeting/large wheelbarrow (to place your soil onto to protect your lawn)
- Bucket (for removing your soil)
- Seed trays, tupperware, or pierced sandwich bags (for keeping your finds in)
- Masking tape, sticky labels, scrap paper or cardboard (for labelling your finds trays etc)
- Pen/pencil (for completing your records and making your labels)
- Spirit level or spirit level app (for helping you to set a straight line)
- Tea and cake (for break times – you’ll deserve it!)
Links to Zoom workshops
Saturday morning workshop (workshop #1) – https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/kA1XxGQT711vKhwpHke0QuEHxI-SfO8iW37PLWCKZWzTBQhXjA4PJ0HUCw80xGgTza7IHw_w5Cab8s5x.LHUoBOjnAy7IZO3b?startTime=1625301582000&_x_zm_rtaid=WxI-hgfdTHq7GEK3-mqyHA.1625412168103.8c6553c005d428f653814a2e4f3426bd&_x_zm_rhtaid=861
Sunday afternoon workshop (workshop #2) – https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/cT4VYnzZ3C8YYK9QIO1s8HTvPCubF3IRDyPMJXkrDUNQLdpJo-UhTUT8HUSLiOaMTfntirHESFBFz5aj.Fo4dPOh_5bh1WJB-?startTime=1625402419000&_x_zm_rtaid=mFNhk7ZgR0-OfsvXAreZ5Q.1625402235071.4ff83a4254425722e5033fc19189a273&_x_zm_rhtaid=995
Tutorial #1 How To Dig a Test Pit
Here's a summary of everything we cover in our first tutorial on Saturday morning
What to look for
A few examples of what you might spot in your Test Pit
🍰 Changes in the colour or composition of the soil
🏺 Artefacts
🐚 Ecofacts
🗿 Rubble or middens
Before you start...
The key things to check before you start using your tools
👍 Check that it's ok to dig
Before you start digging a test pit you should double check you are legally/ethically ok to dig a test pit in your back garden.
🏡 Is it your land or garden?
If you want to dig a garden test pit, you either need to be the owner or have permission from the landlord if you’re renting.
⚖️ Is it legal to dig for the purpose of uncovering history in your region?
Even if you’re the owner, or have permission from the landlord, you need to check that it’s legal to dig for the purpose of uncovering history in your country or state. For example, it is legal in the UK, but not in the Republic of Ireland.
🚫 Is your garden protected?
Even if you’re the owner, or have permission from the landlord, part of your garden might be protected – especially if you are close to a scheduled or listed monument, a cemetery, or a wildlife reserve. If that’s the case, make sure you choose a spot that is well away from any protected areas.
🤔 Even if you can dig, should you?
If you suspect that there may be something of natural, scientific, or historical interest that you might actually damage, then pause and ask around for advice, or choose a different part of the garden to dig.
⚠️ Have fun, take a break, put up a hazard sign!
You don’t have to rush, or do it all in one go. But if you’re going to leave your test pit unattended, remember to put up some hazard signs (a sign, colourful ribbon, or something obvious) to make sure any passersby, or delivery people, don’t trip and fall in. Be generally aware of health and saftey.
☎️ Remember, there are lots of alternatives to digging!
If in doubt, ask us on the WhatsApp group
👀 Do a quick archaeology google
🗺 Do old maps and LiDAR reveal any clues about what might be in your garden?
Have a look at the > Living Levels Historic Map Viewer < it has historical maps and LiDAR data for the region. Have a look for your garden and see what this data can tell you before digging the test pit. This could give you an indication before you start digging what archaeology may be present.
Archaeology is like piecing together a jigsaw puzzle, the more clues you go in with the easier it is to place the new pieces together!
⚡️ Are there any pipes, drains or services in the way?
When choosing a spot, try to pick one that’s likely to be well away from any drains or services. If in doubt, don’t use heavy-duty tools like a pickaxe or sharp spade that might damage them – dig slowly and carefully with small hand tools.
⚠️ Be aware of the risks
⚔️ Sharp things
Keep an eye out for things like glass, building rubble, and metal. It’s advisable to wear gloves.
💩 Contaminated soils
Even garden soils can carry nasties. Again, it’s advisable to wear gloves and wash your hands thoroughly when you finish, and definitely before eating or drinking!
⛈ Weather (sun/rain)
Watch out for sunburn, dehydration, chills, or slippy ground – all caused by the weather.
⚡️ Pipes and services
Be careful about where you place your test pit, and always dig slowly… just in case.
🏃 Trips and falls
Make sure everyone using your garden knows about your Test Pit. If you leave it, remember to put up something visible so that other household members, or delivery people, don’t fall in.
💪 Using heavy tools
Be careful and move slowly. Remember where you put your tools down too! Don’t leave them somewhere that might cause a trip, or where you might stand on them.
🍪 Have fun, take a break, put up a hazard sign!
You don’t have to rush, or do it all in one go. But if you’re going to leave your test pit unattended, remember to put up some hazard signs (a sign, colourful ribbon, or something obvious) to make sure any passersby, or delivery people, don’t trip and fall in. Be generally aware of health and saftey.
How To Dig a Test Pit
Your step-by-step guide to marking out your test pit, digging it, and recording your discoveries like a pro!
Step 1. Mark out your test pit
You will be digging a 1m x 1m Test Pit. We are going for a perfect square, and there are a few ways to check this:
1. You could use a piece of A4 paper to check the corners are 90-degrees
2. You can use the method in the above video based on Pythagoras’ Theorem. Check that the sides all measure 1m, and that the diagonals are both 1.41m. If that’s true for you, then you’ve got a perfect square!
3. Dont forget to step back and look to check it looks like a square. Your eyes probably won’t lie to you, if it doesnt look like a square it is worth measuring it out again.
Step 2. Fill out the first page of your Test Pit Recording Pack
You’ve laid out your test pit. Before you start digging we need to know where it is. This is so archaeologists in the future can attribute your finds and records to a location. A completed page should look something like the one above.
✏️ Fill in the boxes at the top of the sheet
This so we know which records will be attributed with the test pit. You will have been given a test pit number during the Saturday morning workshop (if you can’t remember send us a message and we will be able to tell you).
✏️ Draw a sketch plan showing the location of the test pit
You can use landmarks around you such a buildings, fence lines, trees and roads. You can also add some measurements. One you’ve located the test pit, number the corners starting in the NW corner going clockwise.
✏️ Add a text description of what you’ve drawn
This can include any keys or written description of what you have drawn.
Step 3. Take a photo
📷 Take a photo
Before you start excavating your next context, you need to take a photo. A formal Test Pit photo includes:
- Your Test Pit looking clean and tidy (no loose soil, tools, or people in the background)
- Top and bottom edges of the Test Pit parallel to the top and bottom edges of the photo
- Scale parallel to the Test Pit edge
- Facing North (or with an arrow pointing north in the photo)
- A label in the photo that includes your Test Pit and context number
✏️ Fill in the photo register
Also fill in the photo register with specific details of the photo, this included which direction is at the top of the photos, what size the scale is, which context is in the photo and any other description that help contextulise the photo.
Step 4. Draw and describe your context
Once you’ve taken a photo, you need to start filling out a context sheet. This includes filling out the boxes at the top, drawing anything you can see sticking through the dirt, and describing the colour and composition of your context context. It’s time to get your hands dirty!
✏️ Fill in the site code
The site code is the same for everyone: LVL21.
✏️ Fill in your test pit number
Enter the test pit number we gave you during the morning workshop.
✏️ Add context number
The first context you will record will be the turf you remove. Everyone will remove 10cm of turf/soil. Treat this as the top soil we’d strip in larger trench. Each context in a three digit number (T-NN) where ‘T’ is your test pit number. If your Test Pit number is 4, your first context number will be 401, and your second one will be 402.
✏️ Draw a plan of the top of the context
For the plan you will draw what you can see at the top of the context, you can draw in any finds you can see, and the boundry between different contexts.
✏️ Describe what you drew
In the box below describe what you’ve draw – add a key if you’ve drawn in finds, describe in words what you’ve drawn.
✏️ Fill in the soil description
This includes:
✏️ Compaction
How easy was the soil to remove? Glossary terms include:
- Compact
- Loose
- Hard
- Soft
- Friable
- Firm
- Spongey
✏️ Colour
We describe colour in three parts: value (whether is light, medium or dark), hue (the colour it is slightly ie. pinkish), and finally the main colour. Please stick to basic colours e.g. brown, black, red, pink, green. Not chocolate or burgundy!
✏️ Composition
This is all about identifying what type of soil you have – clay, silt, or sand. Clay is the finest, sand is the grittiest. This can tell us a lot about the environment and what was happening!
✏️ Inclusions
What inclusions do you have? (Common ones include: chalk, charcoal, flint, pebbles). How frequent are they? What shape are they? What size are they? (Small? Medium? or large?) Are they well sorted? E.g. Common small pieces of poorly sorted sub-angular flint
Ta dah!
Step 5. Start digging!
Dig slowly – keeping your eyes peeled
Stop after 10cm, or when your reach a new type soil, whichever comes first!
If you notice the soil change before you’ve excavated 10cm down, stop and record, it looks like you may have identified a different archaeological event
Scrape the soil towards you, rather than dig
Don’t burrow, keep the base nice and flat
Remove loose soil into a bucket
Put any finds into a labelled container
Keep the sides of your Test Pit vertical and clean
Keep the soil separate to the turf. This is to help you backfill on Sunday. If possibly also keep all the soil and turf on some plastic sheeting as this makes tidying up so much easier.
Collect the spoil in a bucket and sieve the soil (checking it by eye works too). This makes sure no stone (or find) if left unturned.
If at any point your not sure how to dig what’s in your test pit send a message on WhatsApp and we can give advice.
Step 6. Finish your context sheet
After you have finished excavting a context you need to fill in the RIGHT side of the context sheet.
✏️ Fill in dimensions
You need to add the length, width and depth of the context. If you’ve excavated a context that covered the whole test pit down 10cm you would fill in:Length: 1.00 Width: 1.00 Depth: 0.10
✏️ Fill in the Matrix
You are going to add in the context number for the record you are completing in the centre box. You then add the context that was stratigraphically above in the box above it. You then add the context that was stratigraphically below in the box below it.
✏️ Add an interpretation
This is what you think the conetext is. How do you think it got to where it is? Is it topsoil? Is it made ground, if so when do you think this ground was placed?
✏️ Add what you found!
Have a look at your finds tray and see which materials you have collected. Tick all the relevent boxes on the context sheet. If you’ve found something not listed, write it down after ‘other’.
When you’re done, it should look something like this:
♻️ Repeat steps 3-6 for each new context in your Test Pit
Remember, you’re digging in spits of 10cm, or to when you notice a change in the colour, compaction, or composition of the soil – whichever comes first.
On average, people might manage to dig up to a depth of 0.5m (that’s at least 5 contexts).
But it totally depends on the type of soil you’re digging, how long it takes you to record each one, and all sorts of other factors.
We recommend that you stop digging new contexts at 2pm on Sunday – that’s when we’ll have our next live tutorial focussing on finds, and finalising your Test Pit Recording Form.
☎️ Summon an archaeologist for help or guidance
Remember, you can get help and guidance from our team at any time 10am – 5pm during the weekend.
Just message us on WhatsApp, and we’ll either answer directly, or give you a 1:1 call, depending on the question.
Tutorial #2
Here's a summary of everything we cover in our second tutorial on Sunday afternoon
What to do with your finds
Step 7. Keep your finds in a labelled tray until you're ready to clean them
Remember, when you find things while digging, you should always put them straight into a tray, bag, or container that is clearly labelled with the context it came from.
Step 8. Clean and dry
Cleaning finds is simple and very therputic. To clean finds the best tool for the job is a toothbrush.
You gently brush the find with the toothbrush to remove the dirt. For some finds you can also get the toothbrush wet to help clean them.
As a general rule of thumb you can get bone, pot, brick and flint wet. You should avoid getting metals wet espcially metals that rust like iron. If you are ever in doubt if you can get the find wet pop a photo on the WhatsApp group and we can advise.
Step 9. Photograph your beauties!
It’s time to lay out and organise your finds. Keep them organised by context. If you’re feeling fancy, you can then subdivide them by type like this:
Or this:
If you find something really special, you can take an individual close up, like this:
Step 10. Tally them up on your final recording sheet
Once you have cleaned all your finds and they have dried its time to count up your bounty!
You will do this by filling in the finds register that is part of you recoding pack. First fill in the site code (LVL21) and your test pit number.
Divide your finds up by material (still keeping them seperate by context). Each material within a context will get an entry on the register.
First write in the context number the finds are from, then the material. Count how many pieces of that material you have an write that under ‘Quantity’. Weigh them (you can use kitchen or bathroom scales) and add the weight in gramms. Under notes you can add any addition infomation.
The finds register should look something like this ⬇️
Finalising your records
Step 11. Your final section drawing
Once you’ve finished excavating it’s time to draw your section. You will find some grided paper in the recording pack to do your drawing on.
✏️ Fill in the infomation at the top of the page
The site code is LVL21, add in your test pit number, the name of who drew the section and the date.
📐 Set up a string line
Put a nail in at corner 1 and 2. Tie a piece of string between the nails making sure this is level (use a spirit level) and the string is taught. Place a tape measure between the two nails.
📐 Measure
Measure down from the string line to the top of the test pit at regular intervals.
✏️ Connect the dots
Look at the section and see what shape the top of the test pit is. Use the measurments as a guide to draw this shape.
📐 Measure
Measure down from the string line to the bottom of the first context at regular intervals.
✏️ Connect the dots
Look at the section and see what shape the context is. Use the measurments as a guide to draw this shape.
♻️ Repeat
Keep measureing and connecting the dots untill you have drawn all the contexts in.
Once you have finished the section drawing between corners 1 and 2 you can draw the other 3 sides of the test pit.
Step 12. Give everything one last check
Before sending your records back to us, it is worth giving them all a read through a checking you’ve not missed any sections and you’re happy with how they’re looking.
Step 13. Email us your completed Test Pit Recording Pack!
Once you’ve double checked your records you need to send them back to us so we can include your test pit in the official report!
Scan or take a photo of each page in your completed Test Pit Recording Pack. Drop it into an email with your photos.
Send the whole lot to indie@digventures.com by Friday 09 July 2021
What next?
Step 14. Join us for a bonus Finds Tutorial
More details coming soon!
Step 17. The official report
Your discoveries are part of a collective effort to fill in the archaeological gaps of the Gwent Levels. We’ll publish an official report and let you know as soon as it’s ready.
More details coming soon!
Archaeology / In Your Hands
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