PCA has worked on burial sites for more than thirty years, uncovering thousands of skeletons across Britain. Most reflect expected health patterns, but every so often individuals with striking and uncommon pathologies emerge.
One individual, from St Mary Newington in Southwark (pictured here), was a young adult with bowed, shortened limbs and pronounced changes to the spine. Although the missing skull prevented a firm diagnosis, the skeleton suggests a serious congenital or metabolic disorder that would have caused pain and mobility issues.
The second case, from the Saxon cemetery at Sun Lane, New Arlesford, shows features consistent with Klippel-Feil Syndrome: fused vertebrae, spinal abnormalities and restricted movement.
Despite their visible differences, both individuals were buried in the main areas of their cemeteries, suggesting social acceptance within their communities.
📅 26th Annual BABAO Conference, 18–20 September 📍University of Leicester 🎙 James Young Langthorne & Dr Ariadne Lucia Schulz
We’re delighted to see PCA’s work at the Tower of London featured in National Geographic! It’s always exciting when the stories we help uncover reach such a wide audience.
This #FindsFriday, we’re sharing one of the most tantalising discoveries from the site, a pair of medieval funerary incense pots (c.1150–1250). As Alfred Hawkins, Curator, says in the article, “Grave goods in Medieval England aren’t really a thing,”
Only two such “gravpottes” have been found in the UK, suggesting the individual may have come from Northern France or Denmark, where they were more common. If the charcoal fragments are large enough, it might even be possible to reconstruct the incense.
For #FindsFriday, a decorated comb from an Early to Middle Anglo-Saxon settlement in Worcestershire, though it may not be local.
The comb’s trapezoidal connecting plates, along with its elaborate decoration (sawn-out openwork X designs and undulating chains of overlapping ring-and-dot) match Mairéad Dunlevy’s class C2 Irish combs, dated to the 7th–early 8th centuries.
Irish combs do turn up on Anglo-Saxon sites, but until now only class D combs, dating from the later 7th–early 9th centuries, have been found. Excitingly, this would be the first class C comb recorded in England.
Photography has been central to the archaeological record since the earliest excavations, from fragile glass plate negatives to today’s vast digital archives. Each image helps preserve context, capture discoveries, and record the evolution of sites over time.
Drones have taken this further, revealing entire landscapes, showing scale at a glance, and offering perspectives once impossible.
This footage comes from a recent excavation in the Cotswolds (Bronze-Age to Anglo-Saxon activity). The client is Centaur Land, and thanks to SUMO GeoSurveys for the film.
And stay tuned, two red kites make a spectacular appearance at the end!
PCA archaeologists from the Newark office have been busy over the last few weeks at Newark Castle in Nottinghamshire, and the work has been turning up some unexpected finds.
Adjacent to the Gatehouse, a substantial section of walling was revealed during monitoring. Early thoughts were that this was a possible outer gatehouse; however, after visits from a Castle expert and consulting various mapping, it is now thought this wall may be part of the fortifications by the bridge that crossed the River Trent during the Civil War.
Elsewhere, during excavations for an attenuation tank, an unexpected retaining wall was exposed. After assessing the stone thickness and style, it is thought that this wall is part of the earliest phase of the stone Castle (the magnificent stone structure that currently stands was probably preceded by an earth and timber castle). This discovery has reshaped our understanding of how the Castle may have looked; the ditch seems to have only partially encircled the Castle.
During investigations to ascertain the route of the wall, the team made a rather exciting discovery. At the bottom of the outflow of the garderobes, a large capped cesspit was revealed. A large, worn millstone was used to cap the cesspit at some point during the medieval period, to make way for a garden.
From Civil War bridges to medieval garderobes, Newark Castle still has stories to tell.
In archaeology, individual finds are valuable, but it’s often the bigger picture that tells the real story. Assemblages, or groups of objects found together, can reveal patterns of behaviour, trade, and chronology in ways that isolated finds simply can’t. Too often, limited sampling or tight excavation windows mean specialists don’t get the volume of material needed for meaningful analysis. But when we do have the chance to excavate large assemblages, especially of pottery, the payoff can be huge.
Large ceramic assemblages are crucial for refining chronological frameworks in British archaeology. Pottery styles evolve rapidly and vary regionally, making them sensitive indicators of time and cultural change. Analysing form, fabric, and decoration across stratified contexts allows us to build precise dating sequences and trace shifts in occupation, identity, and social practice.
This approach is central to regional research agendas, like those set out in the East of England and South West Archaeological Research Frameworks, which emphasise the importance of ceramic studies in understanding settlement patterns, trade networks, and social transformations. Large assemblages also allow for statistical analysis and comparison across sites, strengthening regional chronologies and contributing to broader narratives of historical development.
Our long-running excavations in Milton Keynes offer compelling evidence for the value of an assemblage-based approach. Prehistoric pottery specialist Lawrence (pictured here with finds supervisor Emily and project officer Jenn) is now nearing the end of an epic cataloguing effort from an unusual site spanning 12 hectares. This site was established in the mid-1st century BC and spans the late Iron Age with all activity ceasing by around AD70. With over 72,000 pottery sherds, weighing approximately 1.1 metric tonnes, this is starting to look like a very significant assemblage with a fascinating story to tell – watch this space!
Pre-Construct Archaeology is one of UK’s largest archaeological companies, with seven regional offices across the country. We have been delivering professional heritage services for more than 30 years, working on some of the largest and most complex sites in Britain. As we continue through 2025, we are undertaking some very exciting projects. We are looking to recruit staff at the following levels: Trainee, Archaeologist, Assistant Supervisor, Supervisor, Project Officer and Senior Project Officers.
PCA offers a competitive salary and a range of attractive benefits, including a pay banding structure that allows for career progression. All successful candidates will undergo a probationary 3-month period (6 months for trainees) after which, given satisfactory performance, they will be offered a further contract, work permitting.
About the job:
Location: Cambridge, Norwich and Warwick
Working week: Monday to Friday 37.5 hours per week, usually 8am – 4 pm
Salary range:
Senior Project Officer –starting at £38,456.92
Project Officer – starting at £35,886.25
Supervisors – starting at £31,148.57
Assistant Supervisors – starting at £29,377.99
Archaeologists – starting at £26,899.35
Trainees – £24,739.64 per annum
.
General Requirements for all the following positions:
Degree in Archaeology or related subject (e.g. History, Classics, Geology etc.)
Ability and willingness to work on site in all kinds of weather
Excellent oral and written English, basic maths skills are essential
Willingness to learn new skills
Good teamwork
Excellent punctuality and timekeeping
Attention to detail
Commitment to PCA’s health and safety policies at all times
Eligible to live and work in the UK
Senior Project Officers
Responsibilities (as described for Project Officers, plus the following):
Undertaking oversight and control of project officers and supervisors and ensure they undertake their designated roles and responsibilities.
Directing archaeological fieldwork projects ensuring efficient delivery whilst being mindful of project objectives, programme and budget.
Manage field staff, including non-excavators in a safe and expeditious manner.
Liaise with clients/agents/monitors etc. on site.
Taking up of higher-level responsibilities, as defined by the senior management team
Project Officers
Responsibilities (as described for Supervisors, plus the following):
Assisting in the management of projects
Supervision of a variety of sites, including large scale and infrastructure projects
Preparing written account of undertaken field work, including publications, journal articles etc.
Report checking, preparing WSIs, DBAs and RAMS
Regular liaison with clients and contractors
Health and safety responsibilities
Minimum requirements: (as described for Supervisors, plus the following)
Degree in Archaeology or related subject
Full clean UK driving license and willingness to drive company vehicles is essential
Experience in GPS survey
At least five years of field work experience in the UK, including minimum two years of working in a supervisory role
Proven written account of undertaken projects (grey literature reports, desk-based assessments, publications etc.)
The successful candidates need to present a high level of self-motivation and discipline
Commitment to PCA’s health and safety policies at all times
Supervisors Responsibilities:
Excavation and recording of archaeological features and deposits to a high quality
Supervision of small teams
Machine watching
Site survey
On site liaison with clients and contractors
Preparing written account of undertaken field work (grey literature reports)
Minimum requirements:
Ability to meet deadlines while maintaining excellent quality of work, mindfulness of project budget
Full clean UK driving license and willingness to drive company vehicles is essential
Computer literacy (MS Office package, databases, knowledge of graphic programs such as Auto Cad, QGIS, Illustrator etc. will be advantageous)
Minimum two years of fieldwork experience in the UK
Experience in report writing is desirable but not essential
Experience in GPS surveying is desirable but not essential
Assistant Supervisors Responsibilities:
Excavation and recording of archaeological features and deposits to a high quality
Supervision of small teams
Machine watching
Site survey
On site liaison with clients and contractors
Preparing written account of undertaken field work (grey literature reports)
Minimum requirements:
Ability to meet deadlines while maintaining excellent quality of work, mindfulness of project budget
Computer literacy (MS Office package, databases, knowledge of graphic programs such as Auto Cad, QGIS, Illustrator etc. will be advantageous)
Minimum two years of fieldwork experience in the UK
Full clean UK driving license is essential
Experience in report writing is desirable but not essential
Experience in GPS surveying is desirable but not essential
Archaeologists Responsibilities:
Excavation of archaeological features and deposits
Collection and labelling of artefacts
Writing context sheets for archaeological features and deposits, drawing plans and sections to scale, on site photography and basic survey using a GPS unit
Collection and processing of environmental samples
Post-excavation office work (occasionally required) including washing, marking and labelling finds, archiving site records
Minimum requirements:
3 months of commercial fieldwork experience from the UK
Full clean UK driving license is essential
Trainees Responsibilities (you will receive training in the following) – 6 months:
Excavation of archaeological features and deposits
Collection and labelling of artefacts
Writing context sheets for archaeological features and deposits, drawing plans and sections to scale, on site photography and basic survey using a GPS unit
Collection and processing of environmental samples
Post-ex office work (occasionally required) including washing, marking and labelling finds and archiving site records
Minimum requirements:
Full clean UK driving license is highly desirable
Our employee benefits:
Friendly and supportive work environment
28 days of annual leave (including bank holidays and an extra 3 days for Christmas, if employed over the Christmas period), rising on service length
£22.50 per night subsistence when working away from home and high-quality accommodation provided
High quality PPE and site welfare provision– the safety of our staff always comes first
Mental Health First Aiders
Cycle to work scheme
Flexible working
Christmas vouchers
H&S training relevant for your role will be provided and paid in full (SSSTS, First Aid, Asbestos Awareness, CAT and Genny etc.)
Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIFA) subscriptions paid in full
Paid mileage if using own vehicle (subject to eligibility)
Annual appraisal and pay progression opportunities
Company pension scheme
How to apply: Please email your CV and covering letter to Ruta Jatkonyte, HR Assistant: RJatkonyte@pre-construct.com
Please state on your application which role you are applying for and which office you are applying to, and describe your suitability by referring to the requirements listed above. If successful you will be asked to attend an interview at our offices.
PCA is committed to a comprehensive equal opportunities policy in which individuals are selected and treated on the basis of their relevant merits and abilities without regard to race, religion or belief, colour, sex, age, national origin, disability or sexual orientation. All applicants with the relevant qualifications and experience are welcome to apply for this opportunity. Please be advised that you must hold the right to work and live in the UK in order to apply for this job.
PCA follow all current guidelines regarding SOP and take the safety of our staff as paramount – advice is up to date with government guidance and site-specific RAMS are available.
Please be advised we are expecting a high volume of applications, and therefore cannot commit to responding to all emails. In accordance with our GDPR policy, we will not keep unsuccessful applicants’ details or CVs on our system, unless you expressly request that we do.
Today, August 1st, is the Feast of Saint Peter ad Vincula, the saint to whom the Tower of London’s chapel is dedicated, and the timing couldn’t be more fitting.
During our recent excavation, in collaboration with the independent charity Historic Royal Palaces, PCA uncovered the footings of Henry I’s 12th-century chapel, along with a contemporary stone drain. These remains haven’t been seen since the building was demolished under Henry III, more than 750 years ago.
There’s a strong possibility that this early chapel was inaugurated on the feast day itself, establishing its place in the Tower’s early sacred history.
We had a great time at the Essex Festival of Archaeology last week! Thanks to Place Services for putting together such a well-organised and welcoming event.
It was great to be part of something that clearly struck a chord with so many people. Over 1,100 visitors came through the doors, the talks were fully booked (with waiting lists!), and there was a real buzz around the stands all day.
The feedback was lovely, people appreciated the range of exhibitors, the quality of the displays, and the enthusiasm from everyone involved. We’re proud to have been part of it, and we’re already looking forward to the next one.
Want to see more from the Tower of London excavation?
Historic Royal Palaces have shared a fascinating two-part blog by Curator Alfred Hawkins, offering more detail on the discoveries made outside the Chapel of St Peter ad Vincula, including insights from the 2019 trial work and the recent excavation.
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