Citizenship Education: Archaeology in the Local Community.
These notes
are for those primary and secondary school teachers interested in
exploring Archaeology's role in protecting and caring for the historical
environment; and who would like to learn about the issues and concerns
which surround the whole practice of 'digging up the past' at the
turn of the 21st century.
During
the school year 2000–2001, Canterbury Archaeological Trust
worked with English Heritage Education Service on a pilot project
in Canterbury primary schools. The project was designed to help
meet the needs of Citizenship Education in the National Curriculum
and its focus was the issues surrounding the redevelopment scheme
at the Whitefriars, Canterbury. At the close of the project there
was a public exhibition of children's achievements.
Through Citizenship
Education, children are encouraged to develop their awareness
of :
- Social and
moral responsibility in and beyond the classroom
- The life
and concerns of the local community
- The institutions,
issues, problems and practices of our democracy (elements of 'political
literacy')
(Education
for citizenship and the teaching of democracy in schools: Final
report of the Advisory Group on Citizenship; QCA, 1998)
All three of
these areas come into play when we look at the practice of Archaeology
which 'rescues' sites threatened by modern building development.
This is a 'real life' example of Citizenship in action in the local
community and can give children an opportunity to learn about and
question a number of collective values and attitudes which affect
their environment; those which currently underpin the whole practice
of 'digging up the past' at the turn of the 21st century.
But ... Values can be
slippery things
Values can be
somewhat relative and we need to be aware of this. They may change
from one generation to the next, or be affected by major economic
changes. In their time, the Victorians were responsible for pulling
down many of Canterbury's historic buildings in a drive to redevelop
the city.
The Norman Castle
keep was under threat at one stage when the local authorities saw
it as a useful source of building material ... but after demolishing
part of it, the job was abandoned due to costs and effort involved.
There is also
a memorable story that in 1850, the city corporation actually considered
a proposal to demolish medieval West Gate so that a 'visiting menagerie'
could enter the city! Apparently the proposal was supported by half
the council but was finally defeated by the mayor's casting vote.
Promoting
the role of Archaeology in caring for the local environment:
A case of Citizenship in action.
Here is one
lad's observation from the comic book Survive at School by Peter
Eldin:
"History is useless because what has happened has happened and there
ain't nothing you or anyone else can do about it"
It is probably
a safe assumption that there will always be differing opinion on
the value of digging up the past, whether it be excavating an archaeological
site or studying historical works. Some people will give it little
thought...
A more positive
view!
Many people however, are intrigued by the behaviour and experiences
of our ancestors and believe that our lives are enriched by an awareness
of the many diverse events and achievements which have brought us
to where we are today. The enormous public interest in Archaeology
and History programmes on TV (Time Team, Meet the Ancestors and
so on) surely bears witness to this.
Beyond this
considerable general interest, there is substantial support from
local and national bodies and many private individuals who collectively
place great value on what remains of our historic environment; and
who are committed to the extent of taking on the financial and administrative
responsibility of caring for it. Since 1976, Canterbury Archaeological
Trust has been playing its part by 'rescuing' archaeological sites
which would otherwise be swept away by destructive building development.
There is limited value in excavation unless people are given the
opportunity to learn from it and so at the heart of the Trust's
constitution is the aim to 'promote the advancement of public education
in the subject of Archaeology'. The work for schools through the
Archaeology in Education Service
is one way of helping to achieve this.
Antiquary
to Archaeologist: How attitudes and values have evolved raising
Archaeology to the status it enjoys at the turn of the 21st century
Antiquary
to Archaeologist
The 'Archaeology' of the 17th and 18th centuries was not the discipline
that we know today. An interest in evidence for the past held by
antiquaries and travellers of the 'Grand Tour' resulted in remains
being dug up and collected, most frequently with the sole aim of
possession. There was little consideration of the significance of
the discoveries in a wider context. Gradually the concept of the
museum evolved where precious and rare objects were displayed to
a wider audience. Then in the late 19th century, Archaeology entered
a new era.
General Augustus
Lane-Fox Pitt-Rivers (1827-1900) was a military man with an enthusiastic
interest in the past. Unlike his predecessors however, he carried
out systematic explorations and recording techniques which can be
seen as the foundation for 20th century archaeological practice.
Pitt-Rivers had a particular interest in Dorset, his home county
and, again unlike former excavators, he endeavoured to piece together
the everyday history of his ancestors by giving equal attention
to the common discoveries and the rare. In this way a more balanced
picture of the past might be reconstructed.
Archaeology
in Canterbury
We know
that some discoveries were made in Canterbury before the 20th century;
in particular by James Pilbrow, City Engineer, when the sewerage
system was laid beneath the city streets in the late 19th century.
Pilbrow was interested enough to record his findings by sketching
and notes.
A tradition
of purposeful archaelogical investigation within the historic core
of the city began in 1944 when the Canterbury Excavations Committee
was formed to excavate the cellars of bombed buildings and other
areas of the city laid waste by World War II bomb damage. Although
the excavations were often relatively small scale, the Committee
and others managed to create a basic chronological sequence for
the development of the city from its earliest times. Canterbury
Archaeological Trust has been building on this framework ever since.
The missing
pieces of the jigsaw
Between the late 1940's and the mid-1970's many small scale excavations
were undertaken. Nevertheless, many new buildings were constructed
without adequate prior archaeological investigation as at that time,
there was no mechanism in place to deal with the situation. As a
result, 20% of the walled area of the city has been lost forever
since new building works with deep foundations, basements etc. often
meant total destruction of the archaeological remains buried beneath
the ground. The analogy of an archaeological site with a jigsaw
puzzle is a good one. We find pieces of the original picture of
the past and reconstruct it where we can, but there will always
be gaps.
A professional
unit for Canterbury
In the later 20th century Britain experienced a 'boom' in archaeological
excavation, mainly as a result of local authority plans for extensive
urban redevelopment. In the mid-1970's many archaeological units
were established throughout the country under the auspices of the
Department of the Environment. Their brief was to undertake archaeological
excavation on sites in advance of redevelopment programmes.
The Canterbury
Archaeological Trust (created in 1976) was one of these units. Its
principal role remains unchanged; that is to ensure that sites threatened
by new building works are adequately investigated before any redevelopment
takes place. Our work is dictated by urban and rural building development
plans which may involve anything from constructing a shopping arcade
to putting an extension on a private dwelling.
During the
early years the Trust worked in the Canterbury district and particularly
in the city itself, which in the 1980's experienced redevelopment
on an unprecedented scale. Now the unit operates throughout the
county. It is committed to providing opportunities for residents
and visitors to learn about its role in the community and benefit
from its discoveries.
How was Canterbury
Archaeological Trust established?
The initiative came from a group of local people, already active
in the community, who were keen to ensure that no more archaeological
evidence from the city would be destroyed through redevelopment
programmes. They already knew that Canterbury had a rich heritage
buried beneath its streets and it was their opinion that a full-time
team was needed to deal with the potentially vast quantities of
material to be recovered.
These people
won the support of local government members and nationally respected
archaeologists and the result was that the Department of the Environment
provided for the post of a full-time paid archaeologist for the
city, the unit's first Director. The Trust has grown steadily and
now there are 35 core staff, supported by a small team of regular
volunteers.
Status and
accountability of Canterbury Archaeological Trust
The Trust is a non-profit making limited company and because it
is non-profit making it has charitable status.
Ultimately it
is answerable to the Canterbury Archaeological Trust Council for
its activities. The Council includes representatives from Canterbury
City Council, Kent County Council, Canterbury Cathedral Dean and
Chapter, Council for British Archaeology, University of Kent, Canterbury
Archaeological Society, British Museum, Royal Archaeological Institute,
British Archaeological Association, Kent Archaeological Society,
Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission (England), academics
in the fields of History and Archaeology and together with a legal
advisor and auditor.
Underlying the
Council are a number of committees responsible for seeing that the
on-going work of the unit runs as smoothly as possible.
Legislation
for the protection of archaeological sites: Areas of Archaeological
Importance
Because of its history of archaeological investigation and rich
acknowledged heritage, Canterbury was designated an Area
of Archaeological Importance by Statutory Instrument
in 1984 (under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act
of 1979). Canterbury was the first of five towns to receive this
protection (the others were Hereford, Exeter, York and Chester)
and Canterbury Archaeological Trust was designated the investigating
body, to be responsible for assessing and if necessary, excavating
any threatened sites.
How the AAI
legislation works
The legislation provides for access to development sites within
the boundary of the AAI (the historic core and parts of its suburbs)
for a period of upto 18 weeks. Implementation of the Act by the
planning department of Canterbury City Council (with the Trust as
advisors) resulted in archaeological work on a site being funded
by the developer of that site. The Act is still in force to protect
the historic core of Canterbury.
Increased
protection for archaeological sites under threat: Planning Policy
Guidance 16
The legislation described above of course only protects the five
named AAIs. There was a growing need to accommodate areas outside
of these and in order to address this, in 1990 the Department of
the Environment introduced Planning Policy Guidance Note 16. This
is applicable to all archaeological sites and monuments in the country
threatened by construction programmes.
How PPG 16
works
The purpose of PPG 16 is to ensure the protection, preservation
and conservation of our archaeological heritage. It is used by planning
authorities, archaeologists, developers and property owners alike
and is now firmly established in the local authority planning process.
Now, whenever
an archaeological site is threatened by building development, there
is a recognised procedure to follow. Negotiations will be set up
between the local planning authority, the developer of the threatened
site and a professional archaeological body. The archaeologists
will make an evaluation of the site and then put forward a proposal
regarding how best to deal with the remains they would expect to
be present in that area.
The preferred
option
To leave the material remains undisturbed in situ at the site. The
current opinion is that where possible, the remaining buried sites
should be left intact for the benefit of future generations. It
is also expected that there will be more sophisticated exploration
techniques available to archaeologists in future years which will
be less destructive than present methods (there are some already).
So building designers are encouraged to use strategies which do
not threaten a site thought to be of significance. One solution
is to construct 'floating' foundations which leave the archaeological
layers undisturbed. Some of Canterbury's most recently constructed
buildings have used this means to protect the remains in situ.
The next
best alternative
In cases where there is no way of avoiding extensive subterranean
disturbance by new building works (eg. deep foundations for a multi-storey
structure), then the alternative is to excavate and record the archaeological
remains before they are destroyed by such works.
In such cases,
the developer and the archaeologists negotiate a programme of works
within an agreed budget and to a reasonable timetable which is acceptable
to the local planning authority. Each has its own desirable outcome
and it is in the interests of all to co-operate with each other.
- The archaeologists'
main concern will be to excavate and record any remains which
they consider to be important and which would otherwise be destroyed
by building works.
- The developer
will want to see that the archaeological remains are dealt with
in a professional way, as economically as possible.
- The planning
authority will want an outcome that it considers to be for the
common good of the local community, both economically and culturally.
Who pays
for the archaeological work in a redevelopment project?
An excavation project usually entails time spent on initial research
and evaluation, the actual excavation and on-site recording, finds
analysis and conservation and preparing a report of some nature
for publication. Someone has to bear these costs, a large chunk
of which will be the wages of the archaeologists involved.
More often than
not the developer bears the cost. Currently, the rationale is that
as it is the developer's new building works which will destroy the
archaeological remains, then the cost of ensuring that the evidence
is excavated and recorded first, should lie with the developer.
Some Questions and Answers concerning
the Archaeological issues in the Whitefriars redevelopment scheme
in Canterbury, Kent
Why
is Canterbury Archaeological Trust digging at the Whitefriars?
- Canterbury
is an Area of Archaeological
Importance and Whitefriars lies within this. Because of
prior investigations, documentary evidence etc., we know that
there is likely to be significant evidence of Canterbury's Iron
Age (Celtic), Roman, Anglo-Saxon and medieval periods buried beneath
the modern city. This would all add important pieces to the jigsaw
of Canterbury's past.
- The land
is being redeveloped by Land Securities plc for a new shopping/residential
centre. Unavoidably, the building works will include constructing
some basements and laying some deep foundations. These would destroy
the buried archaeological remains in these parts of the site.
The archaeologists have this one opportunity to recover the evidence
before this can happen.
- Successful
negotiations have taken place between the three main parties concerned
with the Whitefriars scheme (Canterbury City Council Development
and Planning, Land Securities plc and Canterbury Archaeological
Trust). It is in the interests of all to co-operate and have a
good working relationship. Between 2000 and 2004, there will be
six major digs in the Whitefriars area and a reasonable budget
has been agreed for work to be carried out.
Who
is paying for the archaeological work?
- Land Securities
plc (the developers of the Whitefriars site) are paying all research,
excavation, finds analysis, conservation and publication costs.
The rationale is that as the new building works would destroy
the archaeological remains, it is reasonable that the developers
help to ensure that adequate steps are taken to investigate the
site before this should happen.
Do
the archaeologists keep what they find?
- No! The Trust
does not own the archaeological finds from a site. The archaeologists
recover and record the discoveries they make and then publish
them in various ways. The finds (a term which encompasses naturally
occurring things like animal bones and artefacts ie. man made
objects) are owned jointly by the developer and land owner, Land
Securities plc and Canterbury City Council.
What
happens if you find something really unusual?
- In the majority
of cases, all the archaeological remains are removed from the
excavation area. In exceptional cases a discovery may be left
intact, in situ. An example would be the Roman mosaics found in
the 1940's in the Longmarket area. They were part of a Romano-British
house and were in a state of exceptional preservation for Canterbury.
The remains were given Scheduled Monument status by the Department
of the Environment. This means that they are protected from redevelopment
and will stay in situ at the site. Canterbury Roman Museum is
built around them so that they are on permanent public view.
- At Spring
2004, we have found something of national importance at the Whitefriars!
A Roman tower as part of the town wall's original defensive circuit.
Discussions took place between Canterbury Archaeological Trust,
Canterbury City Council, Land Securities plc and English Heritage
and a decision was made that the tower should be preserved in
situ (opposite the new Fenwick's store). The tower is currently
protected from the elements and the developers will be considering
options regarding how to incorporate it into the building programme
in this area.
What
happens if you find human skeletons?
- Documentary
sources tell us that there is a medieval cemetery within the Whitefriars
complex.
- In order
to excavate any humans remains, the Trust needs a Home Office
license. A license is only granted to an individual or organisation
with professional status, to ensure that the remains are dealt
with in a respectful manner.
- A great
deal can be learnt about the health and lifestyle of our ancestors
by examining their skeletons and any grave goods buried with them.
As professional people, we believe that we deal with human remains
with respect and that the knowledge gained is for the 'common
good'.
- When study
of the remains is finished, they will be re-buried and the location
documented.
- Burials
are not disturbed where there is a possibility of living descendants.
How
will I know what has been found at Whitefriars?
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