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Community Archaeology

Worcestershire Historic Environment and Archaeology Service has a long tradition of working in partnership with local history and archaeology groups, volunteers, schools and the local community.  On most weekends you will find members of staff out and about, assisting  on fieldwork projects organised by local groups – much of this in their own time. Over 60 evening talks are also provided every year.  We also provide a popular series of ‘heritage walks' throughout the Summer and Autumn and a periodic Newsletter.. A dream for the future remains the provision of an annual community training excavation.  It has been difficult  to put together  a viable financial package to find the funding for fieldwork and the necessary  post excavation / publication).  In 2005 we won the tender to undertake the excavation at the Commandery, Worcester, as a community excavation funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.  This has been extremely successful and we hope to undertake similar projects in the future.  

• Evening Lectures
• Newsletter
• Publication of annual project summaries
• Summer Heritage walks
• Volunteer opportunities on digs

'WalkPast' at Bordesley Abbey

• Fieldwalking
• Field Survey training
  
  

Fieldwalking with South Worcestershire Archaeology Group

• Specialist finds identification
  
  

Finds ID day with Four Parishes Archaeology Group, Pinvin

• Participation in excavation
  
  

Many excavation sites are on closed building sites, or subject to tight deadlines. Wherever practical, opportunities are provided for local people to participate in excavations - as in the Wyre Piddle by-pass or at the Commandery, Worcester

• School Activities
• Participication in re-launch of  Worcestershire Young Archaeologist Club
  
  

Things we can learn from an Aglo-Saxon skeleton (replica)

Drawing of an Anglo-Saxon woman by pupil from Fladbury First School
(part of an event with Four Parishes Archaeology Group)

• Experimental Archaeology
  
  

Experimental pot-firing with Pershore High School

• Joint research
  projects with groups and individuals
  
  

David Guyatt, volunteer pioneer of the Tithe Map Project

Unlocking the Past project
funded by the
Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund

Archaeologists record the past for the benefit of future generations.  In 2006 the Historic Environment and Archaelogy Service decided to directly help the younger generation by organising a charity 24 hour potwashing in aid of BBC Children In Need.  Over £1000 was raised!

See HERE for pictures of the event.

The Historic Environment Record is open to the public Monday – Friday (with a web version in the offing) and we are pleased to provide facilities to assist local researchers.  

If you have an idea for local research that you would like to pursue then please come in and discuss it with a member of our staff.   This will establish what information we already have on the subject and if anyone is working on a similar idea.  Although resources and time are limited, we can establish what practical help we might be able to offer, and identify any sources of external funding.

For example, increasingly we are working with the Local Heritage Initiative to support local community projects to discover more about the heritage of their area (currently in  Wichenford, Dodderhill and the Pinvin / Wyre Piddle / Hill and Moor / Throckmorton parishes).  The scheme provides funding to allow us to provide specialist training and finds identification for local residents. The results can encourage a greater community ‘stakeholding’ in the future of the local heritage, demonstrated, for example, by input into the development of village plans.

In the first instance contact the County Archaeology Officer, Malcolm Atkin on 01905 855474 or e-mail matkin@worcestershire.gov.uk