Funnily enough, yesterday was my last course work deadline. A tremendous feeling of relief flooded over me when it sank in that – yes ! – really, that was the last piece of work I would hand in with a deadline at Holloway; unless I come back for a PHD. I celebrated as best I knew how… I spoke with a friend and we went for a drive in my car, Pegasus.
The friend, Dantares, also had finished his work for the year and we decided to go out together. With no particular plan, but my car at our disposal we headed for a motorway.
After a little while, we spotted a village with a ridiculous name. Such is our mutual sense of silliness that we decided immediately that the place must be worth of a visit. As it is so beautiful I am tempted not to tell everyone its name, lest some less discerning people come to hear of it. For that reason, we will call it simply Silly Bottom Wick.
Many qualities about the place seemed like they were from a blissful time 50 years ago. There was plenty of green open space, trees and quietness. Around us, buildings from every age before the 1930s could be seen. Occasionally a classic British sports car could be seen parked in a rural and tasteful drive way. The road did n’t even have road markings most of the time. The take home message was, this is a place with ‘good taste.’
The sophisticated grace of the three manor houses was particularly praise worthy. One day I aspire to own a house similar to one of them. They appeared to be largely Georgian houses, but with earlier constructions still visible in places. Even more unusually, they were not spoiled with excessive property developments, but rather stood in tasteful company with only a few ‘comfortable’ houses a short walk away.
Then something a little unusual happened. We took a short walk into a field and Dantares saw a pile of debris that interested him. Like a tracker dog smelling the scent, he bent down and soon held up about an inch square of pottery.
‘It’s Roman I would say… you can tell by the lack of crystallisation... since the Romans cooled their pots very quickly there was not chance for the crystals for form.’
Such are the benefits of studying classical archaeology, being able to spot Roman pottery at 10 paces! A free cup of Café Lumiere coffee to you Mr. Dantares!
(my thanks to http://museums.ncl.ac.uk/reticulum/HOWWEKNOW/Archaeology/PotSherdHandsSml.jpg for the image)
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