After two years of digging on the north bank of the river Thames near Runnymede, about a mile or so downstream from Windsor I have been taking stock of what has been found.
A lot of pottery is the first thing to note. Broken pottery of all different sizes and materials suggest that there was lots of food production. Much of the pottery is locally made, indicating that the Anglo Saxons did not have an extensive trade network in mass consumer goods like pots and bowls. however a few interesting items such as pieces of Iberian Amphorae hint at a wider world of commerce. Certainly the Thames must have been central to the lives of the people of the settlement.
Lots of bone can be found and being close to the churchyard we are always concerned that these might be human in origin, but all analysis points to our excavation being over a rubbish pit and the bones are of poultry, sheep and cattle.
A bone comb intricately designed was discovered on site many years ago, but no treasures have been discovered in a long while.
Coins can tell us quite a bit about the site and the mix of Roman, Early Anglo Saxon and Late Anglo Saxon coins tell us of a long period of sustained habitation.
Not much metal survives in the soils here, but brooches and pins have been recovered in small numbers.
The current name of the settlement "Wraysbury" has Saxon roots, but aside from the church and our archaeological dig the rest of the village does not seem to have any buildings earlier than the eighteenth century. . The George Inn, to the north of the church, is mentioned in 1731 as the place of meeting for 'staking day'; there was 1shilling. forfeit for non-attendance.
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