Excavation

A core aspect of our work involves excavation and this can take several forms. From limited investigations during the monitoring of development groundworks; characterising remains as part of an evaluation; or the detailed excavation of an open area, we have a considerable breadth of experience and expertise in this field.

 

Full excavation is the final fieldwork stage of a programme of works that is quite often preceded by a suite of pre-application investigations including desk-based assessments, and evaluation through geophysical survey and/or trial trenching. For a full excavation to be required, the results from this preliminary work would have demonstrated the presence of significant heritage asset(s) on the site that would almost certainly be destroyed by development groundworks. In order to mitigate their loss in these circumstances, there would be a requirement to fully excavate and record any archaeological remains threatened by destruction. We often refer to this as 'preservation by record'.

 

Open area excavations can apply to sites of all sizes and can vary in duration from weeks to months depending on the scale and complexity of the archaeological remains. Once the fieldwork has been completed, the project enters the post-excavation stage and involves an assessment report on the features and finds encountered with recommendations for further analytical work and dissemination such as publication. Post-excavation programmes can sometimes extend over several years but usually on an intermittent basis as we receive specialist reports and refine our interpretation.

 

Over the years we have been involved in all types of excavations and have a solid track record for delivering excavation projects to a robust academic standard.

 

 

 

 

 

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