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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.

sitestaff, 87 Photos

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Context (2034) 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 Context (2044) 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 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 South east end of site in Zone 4 Zone 4 South East Tomasz, our human tractor Ceri, our new recruit (L - R) David, Skeleton (1698) Fergal and Anies Anies interviews Fergal for a future feature Ashley, glad to be back at work Across site, looking north east Ruth doing a spot of trowelling Fergal's skeleton (1698) (1698) geophoto Soak-away face 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) Liz excavating skeleton (1006) Ɓukasz excavating Roman skeleton (1032) Grid square 525/85 - 525/90 Tom in post-medieval soak-away (937) Liz recording a post-medieval pit Anies, sensitive artist, archaeologist and videographer. Fergal waits, shovel ready Paula and her cremation burial. Liz grinning with joy at her most interesting discovery at Prescot Street so far Excavating an area with disturbed cremation urns Gary; findsman, archaeologist, outdoor survival expert Liz looking rather too pleased with herself Tom, Greg, a big steam rolling type machine Greg and Tom digging out another soak-away Working shot facing north Tom and Greg just can't get enough good soak-away action Anies bursts with joy at supervising the Prescot diggers Cross site shot looking north east Cross site shot looking east Sara and Tom cleaning the Post Medieval basement floor Anies and Ashley discuss Important Supervisory Business Zone 2 looking north east - another wall being cleaned