Community Archaeology in Nottinghamshire gets into the Festival Spirit

Nottinghamshire Community Archaeology offers a range of opportunities for people to get involved in aspects of their local heritage and the Festival of British Archaeology has been the perfect opportunity to encourage more local people involved with their archaeology.

Emily Gillott, Community Archaeologist for Nottinghamshire County Council reports:

“All last week an open excavation was held at Mons Pool near Collingham, and we had volunteers from Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire along to the site digging a fantastic little Romano-British settlement. The excavation was also open to visitors all day on Monday and Tuesday, and considering how remote the site is (down a long old winding road and then onto a gravel trackway at the end) we had a fantastic number of visitors, some of whom came and dug for the rest of the week. This was really a lead-in to a much bigger series of things we will have happening at the site next year.

“On Saturday we were at the University of Nottingham Museum for their Roman Day, running a mosaic-making activity. The Museum has just won the Renaissance East Midlands award for Best Museum in Nottinghamshire, so the day started on a high! And I can honestly say I have never seen so many people in that little museum! It was a great day.”

It’s now all hands on deck to prepare for ‘Time Travel Trent Vale’ on Saturday 31 July (10.00-16.00); the biggest event Nottinghamshire Community Archaeologists will have ever run! Newark Castle will be packed to the brim with re-enactors, activities for families, stalls, music and storytelling. For more information see the events listings and search for ‘Newark’.

For more information about the work of Nottinghamshire’s Community Archaeologists, visit their website.