A CHANCE to undertake an archaeological excavation is not one which is often presented but, during September, we searched for clues at Boltby Scar Iron Age hillfort, built where a high point of the escarpment edge juts out to the west, two miles north of Sutton Bank.

The aim was to uncover new evidence to help understand the site’s former uses, its date and to identify potential for the reconstruction of part of the fort. Boltby Scar fort is particularly interesting as it has been built in and around a pre-existing Bronze Age cemetery.

The dig also formed an opportunity for volunteers to adorn old clothes, pick up a trowel and learn the skills of excavation and archaeological interpretation.

More than 30 volunteers participated and, come rain or shine, they showed up to support Dominic Powlesland and his team from the Landscape Research Centre.

So, what did we find? Well, actual finds were fairly few – small fragments of pottery and worked flints were our hoard and, yet, our volunteers and archaeologists were continually excited by their daily progress. We did uncover the most extraordinary stratification in the fill of the ditch which would have been part of the site’s defences.

Stratification is where we are able to see changes in the use of the site and related changes in climate through the build up of layers of soil. Samples of these layers are now being analysed.

The excavation has both enabled our archaeologists to start making sense of the past communities who lived and travelled along the westernfacing escarpment, and to raise more questions about their activities.

It is possible that Roulston Scar hillfort (now the site of the Yorkshire Gliding Club), a much larger fort, could have been a trading post or place of activity for people travelling through the area or living in smaller nearby forts, such as Boltby.

The hope to reconstruct part of the former bank using excavated material from the ditch may not now be possible. The site was bulldozed in the 1960s and, unfortunately, the damage was worse than anticipated, meaning that the material required is simply not available.

We may undertake further work next year to help us decide what to do.

During the excavation, we started a blog to record the experience.

This can be found at boltbyscar.wordpress.com The excavation was made possible because of the Lime & Ice project which seeks to involve people in exploring and understanding our landscape.

The project is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, with additional support from the North York Moors National Park Authority, the Howardian Hills AONB, English Heritage, Natural England and the Forestry Commission.

By Jennifer Smith