Discovering important clues about our past is no longer the exclusive preserve of archaeologists, and with help from the LHI, teams around the UK are making archaeological news.

Myers Wood

The team investigating the history of Myers Wood near Huddersfield have much to celebrate, and have recently scooped two top British Archaeological Awards.

The initial discovery of iron making remains happened by chance, when an amateur archaeologist was out walking his dog. The trail led archaeological enthusiasts and experts to unearth a slice of iron making history that’s being hailed as one of national, and even international significance.

Lopen Mosaic

Another LHI project to capture the judge’s attention was the Lopen Mosaic, and a film documenting the work to unearth one of the largest and most important Romano-British mosaics ever to be discovered.

The team behind it were really up against the clock and had three weeks in which to unearth and document the mosaic before having to cover it up again to preserve it from the elements.

Have a Go

Both projects are proof of what can be achieved with an interest to learn more about the past, a lot of hard work and a little help along the way. Although it might initially seem quite daunting, archaeological expert Kevin Cale, is keen to encourage enthusiasts to have a go themselves.

Many people come to archaeology with preconceived ideas of what it involves, typically a trowel and excavation work. Kevin is keen to dispel this myth and teach people how much can be learned by simply taking a fresh look at the landscape around them.

Armed with an enthusiasm to learn more about the past, teams of volunteers under his tutelage are looking for clues and embarking on their own research to learn more about local history. A lot can be learned from doing just this, and adopting this approach has opened up the subject to a whole new audience and inspired a number of communities in Yorkshire to go out and gather clues themselves – the type of clues that often go unnoticed as we go about our daily lives.

Not just Digging

Arial photographs and historical maps can be used to highlight changes to the landscape and personal photographs can often shed some light on long forgotten customs and traditions. Simply asking people to share their life stories has provided teams with vivid first hand accounts of life since the turn of the century, and even those who have lived in and around the area for years have been amazed at what they’ve discovered.

Great Ayton

Nurturing skills at a local level has also been instrumental in gathering evidence that might otherwise have been lost, and a team of enthusiasts from Great Ayton are proving something of a role model for this.

When an old building in their village was earmarked for development, the group cajoled and persuaded the local council and the team of developers to allow them to research and document its history before conversion work began. By doing this they were able to chart its history as a former brewery and set a precedent for development on other historic buildings.

LHI is a winner

The successes shared by all of the projects have helped to enrich our understanding of the past on both a local and national level, providing snapshots of local life at the turn of the century and, even in some cases, unearthing historic archaeological finds.

All the teams have much to celebrate and together, are going a long way to document our past and preserve it for the future.