The services described below are provided as an example of the types of work undertaken. The intention is to work flexibly with clients in order to meet particular needs. Services range from single teaching and discovery sessions to more extensive project work within fixed time periods. If you wish to discuss your requirements, contact can be made by e-mail via the ‘Contact’ page or by telephone. Speak personally to Rob on – 01706 373436.
For Schools
- What is archaeology? An interactive presentation by an archaeologist. Learn about the work of the archaeologist. What do archaeologists do? How can they understand the past from recovered artefacts? (A single class session, 60-90 minutes)
- Finds handling and interpretation. A hands-on workshop in which children will examine collections of archaeological finds. They will be encouraged to interpret as well as question. What do these things tells us about past peoples? Who did they belong to? Who do they belong to now? Who should they belong to? How have they survived? In what ways are they valuable? (A single class teaching session, 90 minutes. This could be developed into a more extensive programme of study).
- Exploring your neighbourhood. A class or school project. The project will involve school pupils and their teachers exploring and discovering the localities around their schools in terms of change over time. They will be supported in this by an educational archaeologist who will serve as project co-ordinator and facilitator. Together they will seek to discover past places and landscapes both from the evidence of physical remains in the landscape and documentary evidence drawn from the Historic Environment Record.
- An archaeologist in residence. Invite an archaeologist into your school for a set period. Receive interactive teaching sessions and work together to develop new and innovative cross-curricula learning experiences.
- Designing and resourcing a local history study unit. Curriculum development work for, and with, teachers. Draw on the knowledge base of an educational archaeologist in order to design a programme of study for local history. Use the expert to help develop a bank of resource material that is tailor-made for the locality around your school.
- Designing a heritage trail. Use the services of an archaeologist to work with children and teachers to design and create a heritage trail in the locality of your school. Issues involved will include – How do you determine which places should be included? Is it possible to agree on which are the most important places?
- Adopt-a-monument. Select a significant local place/site/building/monument and form a special relationship with it. Learn about its history and help to plan its future. Take ‘ownership’ of it and consider how it might be cared for and utilised by the local community. Learn about the curatorship of ancient monuments and the role of the county archaeologist.
For Contracting Archaeologists
The provision of community archaeology programmes within developer-funded archaeology is not common. This situation is beginning to change, however. Recent projects at Hungate in York and The Butts in Worcester demonstrate the potential and value of community archaeology within a commercial setting. Community Archaeology North West is especially keen to work with contracting archaeologists and developers to advance community archaeology on suitable sites. Services might include –
- The design and delivery of community archaeology programmes within appropriate developer-funded archaeological fieldwork sites.
- The design and delivery of educational programmes of study for school groups.
- Forging links with local communities.
- The design and delivery of outreach programmes.
For Historical and Archaeological Societies
Advice and leadership relating to the following can be provided
- Taking your project to the wider community and creating a community project.
- Accessing funds and grants for community projects.
- Involving schools in archaeological and local history projects.
For Universities
Advice and leadership relating to the following can be provided
- Widening participation – introducing school groups to archaeology and the provision of interactive lectures.
- Ethical archaeological projects. Avoiding exclusion. Communicating with and involving local communities within archaeological research programmes.
- The design and delivery of community archaeology within research programmes.