In a packed day over 20 people turned up for the initial training session. After a brief introduction by Gill Shapland, Chairman of the Dig Project, the floor was handed over to Aileen Connor, of The Archaeological Field Unit (AFU) who took us through the reasons for excavating sites followed by an Overview of Bronze Age Barrow Sites and their Excavation, this included the different types and shapes of barrow that we could possibly come across from this period.

After a brief break for tea and coffee we continued with a couple of practical sessions. The group were divided in half and we then went outside to learn firstly how to use a Dumpy Level and then how to set out a site grid with Taleyna Fletcher, AFU. In the Final lesson of the morning we were taken through Health and Safety, Site Rules and Induction, an essential element for anybody working at the site.

With lunch finished we again went outside to be taken through the various tools that are to be used on site and then back inside for a talk on Test Pits and Sectioning.

Site Drawing and Site Recording followed and finally we covered the Recovery and Processing of Finds. A very full day, now we are just itching to get on site.