Local Archaeological Societies - How To Start Up?

[Austin Ainsworth]

quote:Originally posted by Captain_Vince

First post to the forum - blimey, what a moment!

Setting up community archaeology groups is not easy (and thanks for the nice words, Archgirl19!). The main thing is, that unlike the belief of some who shall be nameless (but who are editors of a national archaeology magazine!), this can't be something that is done 'top-down' by local authority archaeologists - it has to come from people 'out there' who want to do it.

Most of the community archaeology groups who work in North Somerset and close by were founded because someone had a problem that a community archaeology group was the answer to. YCCCART started when a farmer approached a local historian to survey a historic barn, CHERT when a group of us realised that nobody else would ever do detailed surveys of the landscape of Charterhouse on Mendip, and so on.

The groups are now beginning to focus on publication, and are also branching out into things like preparing leaflets on archaeology for the local AONB. It is also my experience that groups begin to 'bud off' new groups elsewhere (so CHERT has produced at least four offspring), and that once the work is underway, it helps to begin to revitalise the traditional archaeology and history socieities in the area. But remember: it's taken me 8 years to get to here, and it is not work for the faint-hearted..

If there is that demand, then I, or my colleagues, or my former colleagues, were able to go out to the groups, and deliver the (small) amount of training and support they need to start surveying, understanding and managing their local area. It is one of the things 'heritage' to the credit of my local authority who employ me that they have supported this from the word go, and continue to do so.

Anybody who wants a bit of a chat or exchange of e-mails on the subject is more than welcome to call me at North Somerset: I'll be back on 3rd September (currently enjoying leave in good ol' Weston-super-Mare!)

Vince

Good to see you here Vince, haven't seen you since the Time Team Charterhouse debacle a few years ago.