During this second lockdown we are luckily able to continue working on the outside building projects at the farm. Here, Archaeologist Claire Walton gives an update on what we have been working on this past week.

“What could possibly go wrong?” 

This phrase somewhat sums up what it’s like working at Butser. We devise, try and test out various ideas during the construction of our buildings here on site. 

Some ideas work out brilliantly, matching archaeological evidence and justifying our choice of interpretation. Other plans go a little awry in the execution, and we have to think about how to resolve the problem we have created for ourselves!

A perfect example is the construction of our end gable wall. Due to the nature of its construction, it quickly became apparent that an extra thick layer of daub was going to be required to cover the rather uneven wattle. No self-respecting Neolithic person would have been happy with bits of hazel wattle projecting out the wall -they were without doubt as sensitive to aesthetics as we are today. 

The first coat of daub therefore had to be treated like a ‘scratch’ or undercoat. I based the ‘design’ on photos I had seen of houses in Ethiopia which have a daub undercoat, with a dimpled surface. In their case, the daub undercoat is then topped with modern concrete! Clearly, the dimpled holey surface creates a good bond with the top coat.  We too have needed a second coat on top, to smooth out some of the particularly ‘bony’ bits. The difference is I’ll stick to our Neolithic concrete – daub. We also used small hazel sticks banged into the existing daub layer and left to stick out a couple of inches to act as additional support pegs for the final layer. It seems to work extremely well. 

Meanwhile at the other end of the house, the planked wall has been completed and we’ve stuffed the wall with turf and moss. Not only does this block up all the gaps, but it certainly gives the impression of working towards a completed look. 

We have also just completed the planking in the doorway, which certainly lends the building a cosier feel. Bit by bit, we are creeping towards completion. 

And for those of you who are wondering….. yes, Will is STILL on the roof. I think he’s trying to give Saint Simeon of Stylites a run for his money.