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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.

diggers, 85 Photos

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Burial (2120) Context (2104) Context (2034) Burial (2106) Ruth & Will sampling deposit (2137) Tomas & Anies at work on their chalk-lined burial The Prescot Street site looking East East end of Zone 4 East along Prescot Street towards the BT Radianz building The construction is well under way in what was our Zone 1 Tiny machines and giant props The North West corner of the old Zone 1 - it's VERY deep! Across Zone 4 facing West Zone 4, looking South West Looking directly West across site Planning Zone 4 Across Zone 4 looking North East Taking samples The far North East end of site Zone 4, facing Prescot Street Zone 4 Far East end of site Far East end of site in Zone 4 of the excavation Gary's goat Gary's lead goat Anies defining the cut of tomb foundation (1839) Anies & Tomasz and tomb burial (1839) Post-medieval drainage feature in Zone 4 Across site looking north west North East corner of Zone 4 Pitland in Zone 4 Looking South West across Zone 4 Zone 4 South East Cremation burial (1051) being excavated by Paula Paula's cremation (1051) ready for its geo-photo Close up of Paula's cremation (1051) Lukasz at work David sampling a possible cremation Site shot west south west Another soak-away.  What fun. Context (1095) if you were interested. The site office ?20th Century post medieval walls - part of South Tenter Street The side of my head Inhumation (1083) with the head resting on a tile Inhumation (1083) (1083) Second big quarry pit (1064) Ashley working on (1083) Tom's poorly preserved Roman burial with only long bones present Gary's inhumation waiting to be geo-photographed Votive deposit (1083) with flagon and black burnished platter Liz's inhumation (1006) Lukasz's inhumation (1032) with pot at feet David's cremation (1087) see journal for further details Paula's cremation (1051) David's cremation (1087) Ɓukasz excavating Roman skeleton (1032) Trench 3 Pits in Trench 2 Trench 2 Trench 3 Trench 3 Trench 3 Trench 3 Trench 3 Trench 1 Trench 1 Trench 2 Trench 1 Trench 1 Trench 1 Trench 2 Trench 2 Trench 2 Trench 2 Basement Trench 1 Roman burials from 2006 evaluation Last remaining building on site - now demolished Last building Prescot Street Site Hut Medieval leather shoe sole and vamp Leather shoe Diggers at work CIMG0425.JPG