Post-Excavation & Specialist Services Department
The work undertaken in this department is largely unseen by our clients and even less well understood than the fieldwork. Nonetheless it is absolutely vital to the successful completion of all of our projects. It is within this section that we deal with the ‘produce’ of the fieldwork, or put another way, the archaeological archive. The archive may be a combination of artefacts such as pottery, glass, building materials, stone, coins, as well as animal bones and environmental samples. The paper records generated on site comprising descriptive text, plans drawings and photographs of the excavated remains forms the other side of the site archive.
The physical finds such as the artefacts and features will inform on the nature of the human activities on site whereas the animal bone and environmental samples will provide information on economy, climate, environments and diet.
Our involvement in the projects commences with cataloguing the material generated in the field and the washing and processing necessary prior to passing it on to relevant specialists. Once the records and drawings have been checked, indexed and summarised in order to place the finds and samples in their archaeological context, the specialists can start their assessment and analysis of the remains.
PCA deals with large amounts of artefacts of all eras, in from the Prehistoric, Roman, Medieval and Post-Medieval periods. The types of materials that we routinely deal with includes pottery, roof tiles and bricks, glass, moulded stone, flint tools, leather, coins, jewellery, tools and household items. These are all dealt with by in-house specialists and, where necessary, by consultant experts.
Similarly remains recovered from the environmental processing, such as carbonised and waterlogged seeds and wood, shells, snails, diatoms, fish, and animal bones as well as soils all contribute to studies of the environment, climate, economy, welfare, social and religious aspects of people and sites being investigated.
The assessment phase of the post-excavation work serves to establish the nature and importance (or lack of) the archaeology uncovered. It informs the client and planning department of the results of the fieldwork and establishes the parameters of what, if anything, needs to be done with the excavation archive.
Where sites are considered of significant interest and where the remains are not preserved in situ but excavated in advance of destruction of the archaeology there usually is a requirement to publish the results of the fieldwork. Pre-Construct Archaeology uses a broad range of outlets including national and local academic journals, local interest magazines and increasingly our own Monograph Series.
Following assessment, and where required the analysis and publication of a site archive, it is prepared for deposition with a relevant local museum service, where the materials can be accessed for further research by interested parties or for display to the public.
Pre-Construct Archaeology prides itself in producing publications that stand up to academic scrutiny, as well as reports that are accessible to a broad spectrum of people. Summaries of completed projects and current sites are posted under Sites.
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