Its not like the Time Team on our sites, we use people to remove the turf!
We welcome people of all ages; on recent digs that has been from age 3 to 83. However, children under 8 must be accompanied by an adult. If digging is not for you, then you can volunteer back at the base in the city centre. There's always something to do.
We can give talks on the archaeology of the city to local groups and archaeological tours of the old town area. Choose from 'Medieval Wine Vaults and Toilets' or an evening 'Historic Pub crawl', or mix and match! These tours cost £35 to cover staff time.
The Archaeology Unit grew out of a group of Southampton people who were concerned about their heritage being destroyed.
During one of our summer digs we looked at the south end of the High Street for the remains of medieval houses destroyed in 1940. We found them, and a medieval pit with 300 hand axes in it! In previous years we have also discovered the remains of an old water-powered saw mill and mill house in Mayfield Park, where the circular saw was used by its inventor, Walter Taylor. Other digs have taken place in Lordswood, where medieval boundary banks and ditches were investigated, and at the 18th century Seaweed Hut on Weston Shore.
Our longest running project was the survey of the Itchen foreshore. Local people helped discover and record pre-historic, Roman and later periods. The 19th and early 20th centuries wrecks were recorded, and a Roman jetty sampled for dendrochronological dating. It came out as spring 201AD.
Volunteers are always welcome. If you would like to get involved then please contact the Archaeology Unit team.
Southampton City Council
