Southwell Burgage Archaeology Project

The Southwell Burgage Revealed Project took place in 2015 and 2016. During this time, the Southwell Community Archaeology Group (SCAG) commissioned York Archaeology.

The project explored the medieval origins of the Southwell Burgage, the historic area at the heart of the town, to better understand how it developed over time.

York Archaeology carried out a full resistivity and magnetometry survey across the Southwell Burgage site. These non-invasive survey methods identify archaeology below the ground without digging. A resistivity survey measures how easily electricity passes through the soil. This can reveal buried walls, ditches, and other features. A magnetometry survey detects small changes in the earth’s magnetic field. Archaeologists use these changes to locate buried structures, pits, and areas affected by fire.

Throughout this stage of the project, York Archaeology staff trained and supervised volunteers. Once the survey was complete, the team produced a full report and presented the findings to the group. Volunteers then helped decide where the excavation trenches should be placed based on the results.

Excavation and Volunteer Training

The excavation took place over two seasons and lasted eight weeks. During this time, the team opened three trenches of different sizes, five test pits (small trial excavations used to assess what lies beneath the ground), and one larger open excavation area in a part of the site identified as especially important.

Volunteers received hands-on training throughout the excavation. They learned how to:

  • excavate safely,
  • sieve spoil to recover small finds,
  • draw plans and section drawings,
  • photograph archaeological features,
  • use GPS equipment,
  • take levels to record depth and height,
  • reinstate trenches after excavation,
  • process finds from different time periods.

They were also taught how to write context descriptions, which are written records of individual archaeological layers or features, and how to create a basic stratigraphic matrix (often called a Harris Matrix), which is a diagram showing how different layers and features relate to each other over time.

Volunteers were encouraged to take part in whichever activities interested them most. Regular project updates also helped them share discoveries with visitors and members of the public. York Archaeology staff provided both formal and informal site tours, and finds were displayed for visitors to view.

Community Engagement and Project Legacy

Community engagement was an important part of the project. A local Young Archaeologists’ Club, the REACH group for young people with learning difficulties, and a local primary school all took part in onsite workshops organised by York Archaeology.

These sessions introduced participants to the basics of archaeological excavation and finds processing, giving them the opportunity to experience archaeology first-hand. One of the highlights of the project was hosting 97 primary school children in a single day.

York Archaeology also ran structured workshops for SCAG volunteers on finds identification, helping them learn how to recognise, record, and catalogue archaeological objects. This training enabled the group to build and manage their own finds database. At the end of the project, York Archaeology supported the group in organising a large community celebration event. This included stalls from local organisations, living history displays, finds and photographs from the excavations, falconry demonstrations, sword fighting displays, and food stalls.

The Southwell Burgage project was highly successful in creating a sustainable and active community archaeology group. SCAG still meets weekly, organising fieldwalking surveys, finds processing sessions, training workshops, and public talks. The skills developed during the excavations have also enabled the group to run their own archaeological projects for members and their Young Archaeologists’ Club, which the group established in March 2023.