REDDITCH residents have the chance to take part in a community archaeology dig in Beoley over the weekend of October 2-3.
Neighbouring village Beoley is one of six medieval settlements being explored as part of a Worcestershire-wide archaeology project called ‘Small Pits, Big Ideas’.
Over the weekend 15 ‘test pits’ – which are one metre square archaeological digs – will be excavated across the village of Holt End in Beoley, in the hope of answering questions about the village’s origins and development over time.
Now local residents can get hands on unearthing the past – and no previous experience of archaeology is needed.
Each test pit will have its own dig team of two to four people and participants are encouraged to take part for the whole weekend, so they can see their test pit go from start to finish.
Guidance will be provided by experts from Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service (WAAS), along with any equipment.
Beoley is the first settlement to be investigated by the Small Pits, Big Ideas project.
Community archaeologist, Nina O’Hare, said: “This is a great opportunity for anyone interested in archaeology to have a go and unearth answers about the past.
“It’s not a mock excavation but real research – relatively little is known about medieval settlements in rural Worcestershire as many villages remain lived in, making large excavations impossible.
“Through small ‘test pits’ in gardens, we’re able to find clues left over the centuries and piece together the village’s story.”
To take part or to find out more email: [email protected] or call 01905 844090.
The project has been made possible with a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and is one of six across Worcestershire to explore the origins of local settlements through the archaeology hidden in back gardens.
