Archaeological digs in south Essex set to become annual event (From Southend Standard)

Archaeological digs in south Essex set to become annual event

9:00am Sunday 10th March 2013 in Echo News

ARCHAEOLOGY digs to uncover the hidden past of south Essex could become a yearly venture.

Experts from Cambridge University - including former Time Team presenter Dr Carenza Lewis - will be teaming up with high-flying students from Southend High School for Boys to try and unearth medieval relics behind the settlement of Daws Heath.

They will be excavating between 10 and 15 pits in the “triangle area” around Daws Heath Road and Western Road on June 5 and 6 – the first archaeology digs to be carried out in Castle Point.

Now, plans are already in the pipeline to conduct the digs every year and not just in Castle Point, but in sites of historical interest across south Essex.

Gifted and talented students from three more schools - Southend High School for Girls, Shoeburyness High School and Cecil Jones College - have now been signed up to the Higher Education Field Academy Project, meaning a total of 40 youngsters will be have the opportunity to take part in the dig.

Lynn Peek, Advanced Skills Teacher who is helping manage the scheme on behalf of Southend High School for Boys, said: “Hopefully if it all goes well this summer we will be looking to run it every year and help build up a clear picture of settlements and how they developed in this area.”

Families are being invited to put forward their gardens as potential excavation sites to find out what artefacts could be hidden beneath the soil.

Any historical findings uncovered will be sent back to the university for analysis, with the information then passed on to the Hadleigh and Thundersley Community Archive.

Students taking part in the dig will also go on a visit of Cambridge University and speak to experts about what they found.

Bill Peel, assistant head teacher at Shoeburyness High School said: “The science department in our school is so very excited about this opportunity and are thrilled to be taking part. We had a lot of competition for places, so if it becomes a yearly endeavour we would only be too keen to take part and for it to continue.

“Over the last few years we have trebled the amount of students we are sending to university, and for the very first time this year will be sending a student to Oxford University. It is great to be recognised and be able to forge these important links with universities.”

For more information on the dig email hadleighhistory@gmail.com or visit www.arch.cam.ac.uk