The Project
The Project Archaeological Team comprises professional archaeologists, academic specialists and Historic England. The team are aiming to undertake a programme of research and fieldwork to investigate the archaeology of this important site. The Project will help us understand how the site developed and how it relates to the surrounding landscape.
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The Project will connect with schools and local communities to inform national research into the Iron Age. The Project will present an opportunity for all interested parties to work collaboratively with the team, to participate in community development and to develop and understand the story of their locality. The Project will enhance community value, and create new interpretations of the site.
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In early 2022, the Project Design is being finalised and we hope to undertake a wide-range of activities including excavations, artefact analyses, exhibitions, heritage talks for all ages over the coming months and years.
The Project is partnered with Historic England and an academic team to provide the expertise to investigate, assess and publish the findings.
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The land is owned and farmed by Graham and Jill Nicol who have kindly provided the project team with access for the investigations. It is important to note that while access to the scheduled monument is only permitted through prior agreement with the landowners, a public footpath enters the site through the original gateways and traverses across the site allowing visitors to easily view the whole of hillfort interior.
Aims of the Project
Research
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Researching Burledge is potentially the most exciting and rewarding part of the Project.
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Questions
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How old is the monument?
How long was it in use and when did it fall out of use?
Who constructed the monument and how did they build it?
Where did they get the materials?
What type of monument is it?
Are there similar monuments elsewhere?
What makes the monument distinctive?
What was the purpose of the monument?
What do we know about the people who used it?
What can we learn about the monument by studying its physical layout and attributes?
Did the monument change at any time over the course of its history and if so, do we know why?
Is there anything about the monument that experts or scholars have been unable to explain?
Publishing
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When the research, recording and interpretation is complete, we will publish the findings to increase public awareness of the monument and promote it.
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Archiving
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Archiving is an essential process whereby you store all the documentation produced by your research. It is a permanent record that is accessible to the public. An archive is important as it keeps all your work together in one place where it can be consulted at a future date. The project team will plan carefully for setting up the archive so that it will be preserved.
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Interpretation
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Interpretation is simply how we tell the story of a particular site, place or time. It is about communicating the meaning of a place. Interpretation at its most basic can be a tour guide to tell the story of a site or a well-designed interpretation panel. Current directions are leaning towards mobile phone applications that provide digital information for visitors including augmented reality.
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Acknowledgments
Landowners
Graham and Jill Nicol
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Historic England
Nick Croxson
Mel Barge
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Academic and Curatorial
Professor Niall Sharples, University Of Cardiff
Emeritus Professor Gary Lock,University of Oxford
Dr Richard Madgwick, University of Cardiff
Phil Andrews, Wessex Archaeology