Excavation is by pulling back loose soil until resistance is felt and then cleaning the surface with a brush. The object in question appears to be a fitting of some sort, since it is attatched at a point imediately above where the hole is located, in what I believe is a possible keel. This leads to the speculation that the hole may have originally been a slit in the keel, which was then covered by a plate to form an anchor point for a mast, or could just be strengthening. It is shown in the Bayeux Tapestry that the masts of the Invasion flotilla were indeed removable. If that were the case the question of how they were anchored may be answered by an appendage to the bottom of the mast in an L shape (pure speculation at this stage of course - but none the less of great interest). I would be pleased to hear from any academic source who can confirm how boats of this period are known to have anchored their removable masts.
There appear to be at least two quite large triangulat rivels, one each side the fitting and a further rivet or flange as marked. A smaller one can be seen in the dark area to the south-east of the main fitting. The state of preservation is so poor that without professional recovery it is impossible to be certain where the objects start and end. What is certain is that all the iron in these objects has been replaced, since there is no metallic response. None the less the oxide colour still remains in the soil and is most noticeable on the rivets.
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