The Thornborough Archaeology Group is launching a series of community-centred fieldwork projects across the Ure-Swale Catchment of North Yorkshire. This programme of fieldwork is planned to commence on the 4th and 5th May 2025 with a ‘taster’ event at Windmill House, just to the north of Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire. Volunteers will participate in, and experience, archaeological fieldwork by excavating test-pits (small areas of excavation placed apart at intervals) in an area known to produce prehistoric worked flint and chert. By doing so they will experience the excitement of field archaeology and have a go at many of its core jobs such as basic surveying, the proper use of tools, find identification, section drawing, and context recording.
The event is free to attend, but nonetheless costs us money to run. The archaeologists leading the project are providing their time for free, whilst all the necessary digging equipment will be borrowed. But we will have to purchase a large amount of essential consumables and some items connected to surveying and recording:
Photographic photo scales, and plastic numbers
Record sheets, permatrace, clipboards, and notepads
30m tapes, 5m hand tapes, steel rulers, and aluminium line levels
Canes, nails, clips, and polypropylene line
Find bags, zippa bags, and plastic boxes
Sharpies, pencils, rubbers, and sharpeners
First aid kits
This Crowdfunder campaign is dedicated to raising the £320 needed to purchase the above. If you care about the prehistoric archaeology of the area, are one of those participating in the fieldwork, or would simply like to support and encourage community-centred fieldwork dedicated to its investigation, then please consider donating.
Thank you.