The work undertaken by this department, while largely unseen by our clients, is absolutely vital to the successful completion of all of our projects. It is during the post-excavation process that we:
Post-Excavation Services
- catalogue the material generated in the field
- wash and process the finds ready for specialist assessment
- analyse the information produced during fieldwork
- produce the archaeological archive
The archive may be a combination of artefacts, such as pottery to environmental samples. The paper records generated on site comprising descriptive text, plans, drawings and photographs of the excavated remains form the other side of the site archive.
While much of our post-excavation work is the result of our own excavations, our dedicated specialists provide a broad range of post-excavation services to external clients.
Contact our Post-Excavation managers Vicki Ridgeway, Jon Butler or Lucy Whittingham to discuss your requirements.
PCA deals with large quantities of artefacts spanning all eras from the Prehistoric to the Modern and the types of materials include building materials, pottery, glass, flint tools, leather, coins and jewellery.
These are all dealt with by in-house specialists and, where necessary, by consultant experts. Once the analysis is complete, a report is issued for publication. PCA uses a broad range of outlets including:
- Our own Monograph series
- Local interest magazines
- National and local academic journals
PCA prides itself in producing publications that stand up to academic scrutiny, as well as reports that are accessible to a broad spectrum of people. The final stage of the process is to deposit the archive with the relevant local museum service. Here the materials may be accessed for further research by interested parties or for display to the public.
