Clare, Suffolk: 2011 Excavations
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As part of the Heritage Lottery Funded Managing a Masterpiece scheme, in Spring 2011 Access Cambridge Archaeology (ACA) will be giving Clare residents, school pupils and members of the public the chance to carry out their own small archaeological 'test pit' excavations throughout Clare to find out how the town developed over hundreds - even thousands - of years in the past.
The digs were kicked off at the end of April with children from Clare Middle School digging 15 test pits in the village, which was followed up with a further 17 test pits excavated by 80+ volunteers of all ages who dug over the weekend of the 7th-8th May 2011.
East Anglian article on the Clare Middle School test pitting
For the results of the Clare excavations please click here
Click here to download a poster of the Clare Community Dig (244 KB).
- The project was run by Dr Carenza Lewis, well-known from Channel 4'sTime Team and BBC's Story of England.
- Test pits are just 1m square and create a minimum of disturbance.
- They can be sited anywhere you wish (on unscheduled land).
- The digging can be done by you, your family and friends, by local school pupils or by interested members of the public from elsewhere.
- School pupils excavating will work in groups of 3 or 4, supervised at all times by school/college or HEFA staff.
- Property owners who aren't digging their own pit don't have to be present during the excavation, although you're welcome to get involved with the excavations and 'your' digging team if you want to. Finds are washed and recorded and retained for analysis, after which they will be returned to property owners, if requested.
- The small amount of spoil created is sieved onto tarpaulins, preventing damage to lawns.
- Test pits are completed in two days and back-filled, with any turf replaced neatly. The site should be invisible within a few weeks.
- Results will be communicated to everyone who's interested via the Clare Historical and Archaeological Society, the ACA project website, written reports and a follow-up talk.
For more information, please contact Clare Archaeological & Historical Society on 01787 277249 or m.m.smith1@btinternet.com
