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Public archaeolgy in action (and me – my curiosity only just survived)

For most people in this area, those that don’t yet know about the marvels and wonders of the Prescot Street website, the white hoardings around the site could hide all manner of things… The rumblings and grindings and arrival and departure of plant give the impression that something huge and impressive is under construction behind the white boards, all to be revealed at a later date… Some local residents that grew up in the area, or those that study or work close by, can perhaps remember the previous incarnations of the site as housing, bomb-damaged site or car park.

But what about the archaeology? Would anyone consider that?

And doesn’t it make them curious? What else is going on?

Using information boards is one of the principal methods of communicating the past to the general public. The content of this type of communicative text is hugely significant – for most observers, this will be the only information they recieve about the history and archaeology of the Prescot Street site. A website is all well and good (very good I think), but your average internet attention span is low – and not everyone has internet access. So for all local residents, office workers, passers by, lorry drivers, rear view mirrorites, hotel visitors, lost folk looking for Tower Hill Tube Station, church goers, drinkers, curry aficionados and school-drop parents I give you….

The Prescot Street Dig information boards.

Design by Paula Carvalho

Text and images created by Guy and myself.

With the kind support of Grange Hotels

Feel free to drop by and have a nosy.

cemetery, 122 Photos

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Context (1930) The far North East end of site Zone 4, facing Prescot Street Zone 4 Far East end of site Remains of heavily truncated skeleton (1918) Anies defining the cut of tomb foundation (1839) Anies & Tomasz and tomb burial (1839) Across site looking north west North East corner of Zone 4 Pitland in Zone 4 Looking South West across Zone 4 South east end of site in Zone 4 Zone 4 South East (1901) Burial (1890) (1898) Roman quarry pit (1894) Roman quarry pit (1873) Roman quarry pit (1887) Roman quarry pit Roman coffin stain with skeleton (1891) Tomasz in grave cut (1910) Roman grave (1859) Grave cut [1910] - the deepest one on site so far (1863) Roman quarry pit (1909) Oval-shaped Roman quarry pit (1907) The basement of one of the houses on Prescot Street [1910] Grave cut Liz's current project - a skull Anies and some well-placed advertising Adrian, Ashley & Tomasz discuss the basement area in Zone 4 Fergal taking samples from soak-away (1555) Across Zone 4 looking south west Liz cleaning a skull North East corner of Zone 4 [1915] Roman pit Cist Cremation (1805) Double Cremation Opposite view of Double Cremation (1812) GeoPhoto Burial (1812) Rich Cremation (1801) Detail of Cremation (1801) Detail of Cremation 1801 Detail of offerings associated with 1801 Three flagons laid outide wooden container (1801) GeoPhoto Burial 1810 (legs only) Burial (1810) Early stages of (1801) Pit [1873] Cremations 1805 and 1820 with lids on Will and Jon tackle a double cremation Double Cremation Aerial View Aerial View of Zone 3 eastern end East End of the Site The Whole Site Zone 3 Working Shot Zone 3 Working Shot Chalk Burial 1834 GeoPhoto Stone Lined Tomb 1839 Stone Lined Tomb (1839) Digger Bliss (1801) after partial lifting of the grave goods (1801) after partial lifting of the grave goods Looking back over zone 2 Western end of Zone 3 looking north Remnants of the Ring Ditch [1770] Zone 3 border with Zone 4 Fergal and Ruth Double Cremation 1805/1820 looking south (1831) after excavation (1831) GeoPhoto (1831) GeoPhoto (1831) Upturned skull Burial (1831) Wide shallow pit [1829] (1824) GeoPhoto Burial (1824) Liz looking so happy to be lifting the feet of (1812) Detail of Burial (1812) Greg excavating burial 1812 Ruth lifting cremation (1801) Clearing a large pit Cut of Cremation Burial [1856] Cremation 1851 Grave Cut [1835] Cut [1801] of Cremation Burial Tile Cist 1805 After Opening (GeoPhoto) Grave Cut [1832] Shallow Pit [1844] Burial 1813 - Grave Cut Context 1574 - Roman pit Context 1566 - shallow linear cut Context 1561 - large posthole/small pit Context 1570 - Pit Anies, pretty in pink. Context 1581 - Gary's Roman pit Placed stones within a linear feature Working shot north east Roman building materials (?) from context 1455 David protects his hearing Gary and Ionut Adrian digging pit 1469 Looking north Adrian admires Anies' techniques Ruth and Will digging a drainage feature 1406 1406 again If you're not on the list, you're not coming in Will in 1478 - possibly a Roman robbed out wall foundation Liz in a ditch -  1471 & 1473 Fergal cleaning something or other Gary sorting out some levels Gary is working out his line of collimation Never underestimate the comedy value of an auto level Across site looking south west 1406 - drainage feature 1443 gravel surface 1443 gravel surface 1458