Day8: 15 July 00
At almost halfway through the excavation, and ahead of the weekly day off, it was an opportune time to undertake a major clean of the whole area and to take stock of the evidence so far. The site continues to present its ambiguities and its potential. The chapel foundations retain pride of place, and we still need to clarify the nature and function of the sub-circular structure which lies part-buried beneath it. We will need to remove a substantial part of the chapel floor to understand this and to see how it relates to a new structure emerging at the west.
The whole site at the end of a hard day's cleaning.
Digger of the day Michelle Morris: Vigorous cleaning of the stonework emphasises the different constructions of the later (left) and earlier (right) enclosure walls.
At the east end the later of the two enclosure walls appears to curve around the end of a small cell-like structure approximately two metres wide which had become clarified during cleaning. The builders of the medieval chapel clearly knew it was there and respected it. Was this the east end of an earlier chapel which lay on a slightly different alignment? The careful symmetry and keying of flags suggested it might be, but the presence of midden (including a spindle whorl) suggested otherwise. Excavation will be targeted at exposing more of this structure in and around the area of the chapel chancel.
Detail of the cell-like structure at the east end of the site.
For two of the diggers July 15th was also a birthday. Cake inevitably appeared on site, but only the most optimistic could expect to light a candle in the Orkney wind!