June 2009
PRE-CONSTRUCT ARCHAEOLOGY LAUNCHES NEW OFFICE!
 Flying
in the face of current economic indicators Pre-Construct Archaeology
Ltd has expanded its capabilities across the UK and is delighted
to announce the opening of its third office. In addition to well
established and successful London and Durham offices, our new office
will be in Sawston Cambridgeshire*. The new office is to be known
as PCA South Central and will provide a wide range of professional
services to the surrounding counties. An indication of the areas
covered is shown in blue on the accompanying map, but of course
if you have project outside of the region please ask for a quotation,
as PCA offers a nationwide service.
The key contact for PCA South Central is Peter Moore (Director).
The South Central Office will be responsible for undertaking all
below ground and built heritage projects across central England.
If you require heritage advice for projects in this region please
contact us on the details below:
Peter Moore
Pre-Construct Archaeology Ltd
3 Bowers Terrace
Mill Lane
Sawston
Cambridgeshire
CB22 3JE
Tel: 01223 832385
Email: info.southcentral@pre-construct.com
*Please note we are independent of and not affiliated to Pre-Construct
Archaeology (Lincoln).
May 2009
PCA Publishes our new Monograph - On the Boundaries of Occupation:
Excavations at Burringham Road, Scunthorpe and Baldwin Avenue, Bottesford,
North Lincolnshire
By Peter Boyer, Jennifer Proctor and Robin Taylor-Wilson. View the
summary here.
February 2009
Romano-British pottery from Drapers’ Gardens
The excavations at Drapers’ Gardens produced a vast quantity
of Romano-British pottery. Almost 45,000 sherds were recovered weighing
1.57tonnes and the process of identifying, dating and quantifying
these sherds has just been completed, although analysis of the data
is still in its very early stages. See more pictures of the Roman
pottery here.
December 2008
 King’s
Cross Central: Eastern Goods Yard
A programme of archaeological watching brief and excavation was
carried out by Pre-Construct Archaeology Ltd at the Eastern Goods
Yard, King’s Cross Central. The site was located to the north
of King’s Cross Station and comprised a fine example of a
near-complete 19th century railway Goods Yard. The site is to be
converted for use as a University, and will also have shops, commercial
and residential areas. Much of the site lies within a Conservation
Area and many of the buildings are listed. See more of this article
here.
Novbember 2008
 Pre-Construct
Archaeology would like to thank British Archaeology for short-listing
us under the ‘Best Archaeological Discovery’ section
at the British Archaeological Awards ceremony held at the British
Museum on Monday 10th November. We would also wish to congratulate
all winners and nominees in each of the categories up for an award.
Unfortunately on this occasion Pre-Construct Archaeology was not
itself the winner, but we are extremely happy to have received a
‘Highly Commended’ certificate from Carenza Lewis of
Time Team fame for our wonderful Roman altar from Manchester.
Further details of the altar - dedicated by one Aelius Victor,
almost certainly in the Roman military and potentially from the
Rhineland - can be found here.
 Links:
www.britarch.ac.uk/awards
October 2008
Exhibition in Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery
 The
results of excavations undertaken by Pre-Construct Archaeology,
working in partnership with Cotswold Archaeology as CAPCA, are currently
on display in a temporary exhibition in Bristol City Museum and
Art Gallery.
The excavations, for the Bristol Alliance, took place in the Quakers
Friars area of Bristol, just outside the city wall and immediately
north of the Castle. As well as extending our knowledge of the Friary
established on the site by the Dominican, or ‘Black’,
Friars in the 13th century, the site provided evidence of medieval
and later life on the periphery of the city – tanning, tawing,
metalworking and sugar refining being just some of the many industries
represented.
September 2008
The annual lecture at Guild of Arts Scholars Dealers and Collectors
is featuring a lecture by PCA's Dr Frank Meddens on the Narrow St
excavations; titled Pirates of the East End.
The Lecture will take place on Thursday 30th October 2008 at 6.30
for 7.30pm, at St Etherlburga's, Bishopgate, City of London EC2N
4AG.
Tickets are £25.00.
Apply to: The Clerk, Guild of Arts Scholars Dealers & Collectors
Furniture Makers Hall, 19 Austin Friars, London, EC2N 2HE.
Cheques made out to Guild of ASDAC
PCA with Sampson and Horne Antiques will be running
a special exhibition of artefacts recovered from the Narrow St excavations.
These excavations in Limehouse, East London uncovered the residences
of known privateers. The artefacts recovered describe the high standard
of living enjoyed by those who lived in this tight community.
The exhibition runs from 1st October 2008 to 28th
November 2008, Mon-Fri 10.00am - 5.30pm at
Sampson & Horne Antiques
120 Mount Street, London W1K 3NN
www.sampsonhorne.com
Entry is free
Download some of our Narrow Street Posters:
Community
International Connections
Timeline
July 2008
Out lastest Monograph has been published - From Temples to Thames
Street.
From Temples to Thames
Street – 2000 Years of Riverside Development: Archaeological
Excavations at the Salvation Army International Headquarters, 99–101
Queen Victoria Street, City of London
May 2008
Archaeological Investigations
at Old Seagers Distillery, Deptford
During 2000 and 2007 Pre-Construct Archaeology, on behalf of CgMs
and their client Galliard Homes, conducted a series of archaeological
investigations at Old Seagers Distillery, Deptford, London Borough
of Lewisham. The work was conducted in advance of the redevelopment
of the site for residential purposes.
April 2008
Excavations at Kensington
Palace
Pre-Construct Archaeology recently conducted a series of archaeological
investigations on behalf of Historic Royal Palaces in the grounds
of Kensington Palace. One trench was dug on land adjacent to the
east wing in a grassed garden area termed “Alice’s Tree”,
three were opened in White Court, the supposed core of the Jacobean
Palace, and a further two were excavated in the Rose Garden.
Excavation and Open Day at
Chester Road, Manchester
A public open day held by PCA on Saturday 12 April 2008 attracted
hundreds of visitors of all ages. Many came along to the site of
the former Tom Garner Motors premises on Chester Road to see one
of the most important archaeological finds ever made in Manchester.
A field team from PCA made the highly significant discovery –
an inscribed stone altar of Roman date - during a two-month programme
of excavation. The site lay on the opposite side of the River Medlock
to Mamucium, the Roman promontory fort and associated settlement
located in the Castlefield area of the modern city, and the investigations
have provided important new evidence regarding the extent of Roman
occupation in the city.
Legionary Gemstone discovered
from Drapers’ Gardens
Excavations at Drapers’ Gardens recovered a large number
of exciting small finds. Perhaps the most beautiful is a small oval
gemstone (or intaglio) some 15 x 11mm. The design cut into the stone’s
face is a strongly military one, depicting a legionary eagle perched
on a thunderbolt and holding a victory wreath in its beak. To either
side of the eagle are maniple standards, topped by a hand. The specialist
on Roman gemstones from Britain, Dr Martin Henig (Oxford University),
has suggested that the style of the gem cutting and the stone (which
is red jasper) indicates a late second-century date. He also says
that this intaglio is the finest example of its type known to him
from Roman Britain.
March 2008
M74 Completion Project, Glasgow, Scotland
HAPCA, a joint venture between Pre-Construct Archaeology and Headland
Archaeology, is undertaking one of Britain’s largest ever
archaeological projects on the M74 Completion Project. The new eight
kilometres stretch of road across Glasgow and South Lanarkshire
will complete a vital part of the west of Scotland’s motorway
network. The project includes the excavation of the Caledonian Pottery
Works, the Govan Iron Works and a block of tenements at Pollokshaws
Road. Evaluations were also undertaken on a further 10 sites which
have led to the subsequent additional excavation of a biscuit factory,
lime works, tenement buildings, a foundry and Falfield Mill. Of
great importance on the project is the public archaeology programme,
which includes site visits, museum displays, oral history, lectures,
working with schools, simulated dig and workshops. Further information
on all aspects of the project can be seen at the following website
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