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Cate Davies

Turret 3a Nominated ‘Rescue Project of the Year’

By News No Comments

We’re over the moon that our discovery of the previously unknown Turret 3a on Hadrian’s Wall has been nominated for Rescue Project of the Year at the 2024 Current Archaeology Awards!

Turret 3a is one of the largest turrets uncovered and the only known confirmed turret east of Newcastle. Excitingly, our investigation demonstrated that the potential for significant archaeological remains relating to Hadrian’s Wall can survive in the more built-up areas of urban Tyneside, with the discovery of the wall ditch and six berm obstacle pits as well as the remains of Turret 3a.

Voting is open until 5th February with the winner announced at the Current Archaeology Live 2024 conference at UCL’s Institute of Education on 24th February.

Your support would be hugely appreciated; click here to vote!

CWR Volunteering in 2024

By Central Winchester Regeneration, News, Outreach No Comments

We’re extending the opportunity for volunteers to participate in the processing of finds from our ongoing excavations at the Central Winchester Regeneration site into the New Year.

From 10th January until 22nd February, on Wednesdays and Thursdays, volunteers will be welcome at PCA’s Winchester office to wash the artefacts; we still have plenty coming out of the ground!

Once booking has been made, you will receive an email to the address used in the booking, which will include detailed instructions on location, timings, etc.  

BOOK YOUR PLACE HERE

We’ve had a lot of lovely feedback from those who’ve attended so far, most recently from Tina who sent this photo and said:

Just wanted to say thank you for an enjoyable and educational couple of days finds processing.

I cleaned a lovely piece of Samian ware which seems remarkably similar to a piece in the Winchester City museum which I went round before going home.

CWR Portable Medieval Whetstone

By Central Winchester Regeneration, News, Recent Finds No Comments

For #FindsFriday, a well-worn whetstone, or honestone, from our Central Winchester Regeneration site. Dating back to the medieval period, this whetstone would have been used to quickly sharpen knives for cooking and crafting. The addition of a hole allowed the stone to be easily attached to clothing, ensuring portability and quick access. This artefact was unearthed from material behind the revetment of a medieval ‘brook’ in Trench 2.

Southwark Heritage Trail

By News, Outreach No Comments

Join us for an immersive heritage walk through the archaeological sites and historical landmarks of Southwark on Saturday 2nd December at 11am.

Explore the rich history of the area around our site at Avonmouth House, where Roman roads, mausoleums, temples and Tudor remains intertwine with post-medieval cattle burials, medieval inns and prisons!

The walk will begin at Avonmouth House, Avonmouth Road SE1 6NX at 11am and is expected to last 2-3 hours.

Newark Project Officers and Supervisors

By Jobs No Comments

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 30 years, working on some of the largest and most complex sites in Britain. As 2023 draws to a close, we are undertaking some very exciting projects in the Newark area and beyond.

We are looking to recruit Supervisors and Project Officers, for our Newark office.
 
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, after which, given satisfactory performance, they will be offered a further contract, work permitting.

About the job:
Location: Newark
Working week: Monday to Friday 37.5 hours per week, usually 8am – 4 pm

Salary range:

  • Project Officer– starting at £33,021.62
  • Supervisors – starting at £28,661.81

 
General Requirements for all of 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

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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Full clean UK driving license and willingness to drive company vehicles (if applying for a Supervisor)

Our employee benefits:

  • Friendly and supportive work environment
  • 28 days of annual leave (including bank holidays and 3 days for Christmas, if employed over the Christmas period), rising on service length
  • £15 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
  • Childcare vouchers, Christmas vouchers
  • H&S training relevant for your role will be provided and paid in full (CSCS, 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 Caroline Edwards, HR Manager: CEdwards@pre-construct.com Please state on your application which role you are applying for and describe your suitability by referring to the requirements listed above. If successful you will be asked to attend an interview at our Newark 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.

Closing date: 15/12/2023

Cambridge Archaeological Society Autumn Conference

By Conferences, News No Comments

The CAS Autumn Conference will take place on Saturday and Mark Hinman would like to invite you to his final event as conference secretary – non members are welcome!

WHEN: 18th November 2023 @ 10:30 am – 4:45 pm
WHERE: Law Faculty, Sidgwick Site, Lecture Theatre LG17, The David Williams Building, 10 West Rd,
Cambridge CB3 9DZ

Please click here to view the programme, break times and entry fees and to see a map for the venue.

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Among an array of interesting topics, Tom Woolhouse will be giving a talk on PCA’s excavations at Lucy Cavendish College in Cambridge. Our work here, on the edge of the Roman walled town, confirmed the projected alignment of Akeman Street (pictured above), which led from Cambridge (Duroliponte) to the Roman ‘small town’ at Arrington Bridge on Ermine Street.

Refreshments and displays by local archaeology and history groups and a book stall, will be in the atrium to the lecture theatres.

If you need to use a lift to access the lower ground floor please ask at reception for someone to operate the lift for you. It requires a card to be inserted and takes a little time.

 

30 Years, 30 Sites: Rayleigh

By News No Comments

In our ongoing celebration of PCA’s rich 30-year legacy, we’re delighted to share the latest addition to our series of remarkable sites! When our open-area excavations began in the Crouch Valley, a Roman farmstead was anticipated. However, investigations revealed a farmstead which had been occupied from the Middle Iron Age to the late Roman period (c. 300/200 BC to at least AD 400), together with a Late Iron Age mortuary enclosure with eleven graves, cremations, three animal burials, and other intriguing ‘ritual’ deposits. The site yielded exceptional artefacts, including an extremely rare Iron Age chain, one of the finest examples of an Egyptian Onyx perfume container found in Roman Britain, and a finely crafted Roman glass cup.

Read more about this fascinating site here

Project Managers Cambridge

By Jobs No Comments

PCA is one of UK’s largest archaeological companies, with seven regional offices across the country. We have been delivering professional heritage services for 30 years. We are delighted to announce the opportunity to join our multi-disciplinary team, as we reach the end of 2023 with a range of exciting projects across East Anglia, undertaken from our offices in Pampisford (Cambridge) and Honningham (Norwich).

We will be looking to recruit Project Managers and Senior Project Managers to join the Cambridge team. PCA offers a competitive salary and a range of attractive employee benefits, including a pay banding structure that allows for career progression.

About the Job
Location: Cambridge Office, The Granary, Rectory Farm, Brewery Road, Pampisford, Cambridgeshire CB22 3EN
Working week: Monday to Friday 37.5 hours per week, usually 8am – 4 pm
Salary range: From £38,292.24 – £45,500 pa (depending on experience)

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The Role
PCA is looking for capable and self-driven individuals to manage all aspects and stages of archaeological fieldwork and post-excavation work. The suitable candidate will have significant experience in managing all kinds of archaeological work, ideally including large infrastructure projects. Previous experience in project management is essential, as is confidence with building and maintaining good relationships with clients. This role requires someone who has excellent awareness of budgeting, planning, implementing and overseeing archaeological projects from start to finish, taking into account all health and safety measures and budgetary requirements, as well as the ability to communicate clearly with their team.
 
Essential:

  • 10+ years of fieldwork and/or management experience including urban and large infrastructure projects (e.g. as Project Officer or Senior Supervisor)
  • Experience in managing and running all aspects of archaeological projects
  • Experience in producing, managing and maintaining project budgets and monitoring expenditure during projects
  • Ability to meet project deadlines in an efficient manner
  • Excellent timekeeping standards
  • Extensive knowledge of British archaeology, in particular in the East Anglia region
  • Excellent working knowledge of MS Office package, and ideally, GIS and/or CAD
  • Proven experience in producing and editing grey literature reports, articles, publications, WSIs, RAMs, DBAs etc.
  • Excellent knowledge of Health and Safety law and procedures
  • Knowledge of planning legislation and its implementation
  • Experience in overseeing a team and working with Project Officers, Supervisors and site staff
  • Self-drive and ability to motivate and train staff of all grades
  • A positive, can-do attitude and ability to multi-task
  • Commitment to innovation and implementation of new technologies for the purpose of archaeological fieldwork and post-excavation.
  • Excellent communication and negotiation skills, excellent oral and written English
  • Experience in client and contractor communications
  • Cifa membership at ACifa or MCifa (desirable) level

 
Employee benefits

  • Friendly and supportive work environment
  •  28 days of annual leave (including bank holidays) rising on service length
  • 3 PCA leave days for Christmas, if employed over the Christmas period
  • A minimum of £15 per night subsistence when working away from home (and high-quality accommodation provided)
  • High quality PPE
  • Mental Health First Aiders
  • Cycle to work scheme
  • Flexible working, TOIL
  • Childcare vouchers, Christmas vouchers
  • H&S training (SMSTS)
  • Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA) subscriptions paid in full
  • Paid mileage if using own vehicle for site visits etc.
  • Annual appraisal
  • Company pension scheme

 
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 COVID19 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.
 

To apply please email your CV and covering letter to Caroline Edwards, HR Manager: CEdwards@pre-construct.com. For an informal discussion about the role in strictest confidence please contact Regional Director Mark Hinman on 07887 530153.

If successful you will be asked to attend an interview at our office in Pampisford.
For more information please visit http://www.pre-construct.com

Closing Date: 08/12/2023

Milton Keynes Archaeology Day

By News, Outreach No Comments

Mark and Conor provided an update on the amazing archaeology revealed by PCA’s recent work at Milton Keynes to a full house of over 100 delegates at the Central Library on Saturday.

Mark and Conor received glowing praise from the organiser who said the event was:

‘a very successful day all round. An audience of 110 for the talks (the biggest crowd since we started the event in 2007) which were all well-presented and well received with plenty of questions. Many thanks Mark and Conor for attending (and helping with chairs!) and also Judy for providing an excellent script’

Clockwise from top left: Mark and Connor’s presentation; an early Bronze Age barrow monument; a late Iron Age cremation cemetery; excavation of an early Roman log ladder found in a watering hole at a Roman farmstead; aerial photo of a middle to late Iron Age settlement consisting of 80 roundhouses with evidence of continuous human occupation from c. 350BC until at least 1st or 2nd century.

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