History you’ll dig will be unearthing the past - The Evesham Observer

History you’ll dig will be unearthing the past

Evesham Editorial 8th May, 2022   0

BADSEY residents and those from across Evesham are being invited to delve into the past with community archaeology dig in the village.

The event will take place on the weekend of May 21 and 22 and is part of a series of digs that the Worcestershire community can get involved in, with no previous experience of archaeology needed.

Twenty one-metre-squared ‘test pits’ will be excavated across the village of Badsey, in order to answer questions about the village’s origins and development over time.

Each test pit will have its own dig team of two to four people and participants are encouraged to take part for the whole weekend, so they can see their test pit go from start to finish.




Guidance will be provided by archaeologists from Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service (WAAS), along with equipment.

Nina O’Hare, community archaeologist at Worcestershire County Council said: “This is a great opportunity for anyone interested in archaeology to have a go and unearth answers about the past.


“It’s not a mock excavation but real research – relatively little is known about medieval settlements in rural Worcestershire as many villages are still lived in, making large excavations impossible.

“Through small ‘test pits’ in gardens, we’re able to find clues left over the centuries and piece together the village’s story.”

Nearly 100 people took part in an archaeological dig in Wichenford last month with finds including two 18th century counterfeit coins, a clay pipe containing a maker’s mark and lots of pottery from the medieval period onwards.

Badsey is the fourth settlement to be investigated by the Small Pits, Big Ideas project, which will run until spring 2023 and culminate in an exhibition showcasing the results.

Anyone interested should get in touch with WAAS at [email protected] or call 01905 844090.

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