The iconic Bronze Age site of Flag Fen is coming back to life.From 23rd July – 12th August, DigVentures (www.digventures.com)are working with Vivacity to create an incredible opportunity for the public toparticipate in live archaeology.
Flag Fen, near Peterborough, is internationally acknowledgedas one of the most important Bronze Age sites in the world. Due toextensive drainage and development of thesurrounding area, the archaeology is in jeopardy. This summer’s excavationseason proposes to capture Flag Fen’s rich legacy and launch the site into anexciting future.
The dig itself is a news-worthyarchaeological story: the summer dig will be Europe’sfirst ever crowd-funded and crowd-sourced archaeological excavation. Thefunding window will launch on the 29th of February at www.sponsume.com,and by the time the window closes at the end of April we need to have raised£25,000 to support this summer’s project.
According to Lisa Westcott Wilkins,Managing Director of DigVentures, ‘We will build a community with archaeologyat its heart, and give people the chance to come and dig with us. Anyone whowants to try archaeology will be able to go to Sponsume and purchase a fieldschool benefit. Our goal is to bring the public to the site in greater numbersthan ever before as part of our archaeological field school, and also asvisitors to the fascinating site itself.’
Adds Raksha Dave, seniorarchaeologist with Time Team and Project Manager at Dig Ventures, ‘The fieldschool will be really exciting this year, but if you can’t join us for the dig,you can be a part of the project through our website, which will include apps,blogs, on site streaming, interviews with the archaeologists, and live lecturesfrom archaeological superstars.’
Having re-opened Flag Fen to the public in 2011, SarahStannage commented that: ’Flag Fen is ancient, mysterious and magical, and itis a real privilege to help people gain greater access to this amazing site.This is truly a unique archaeological study where people from near and far canbe directly involved in unearthing stories that have been buried for over 3,000years’.
This project hasthree priorities: the need to understand and manage the archaeology before itis destroyed by human intervention and climate change; live excavation as ameans to re-energize the site as a visitor attraction and research centre; andthe new micro-patronage funding model, which could potentially be game-changingfor archaeology in the UK.
· FlagFen was discovered in 1982 by archaeologist Francis Pryor MBE. It is made ofover 60,000 Bronze Age timbers, forming a causeway and ceremonial platform.During the Bronze Age (1365–967 BC), climate change caused flooding andfarmland was lost. The causeway at Flag Fen would have provided the localpopulation with a link to dry land. Many objects have been found on the site,which are now displayed in the Flag Fen museum.· DigVenturesis a social enterprise committed to raising seed capital for sustainablearchaeological research and conservation projects worldwide.
· FlagFen is now managed by Vivacity, an independent, not-for-profit organisationwith charitable status that manages many of Peterborough’s most popular culture andleisure facilities on behalf of Peterborough City Council (www.vivacity-peterborough.com/museums-and-heritage/flag-fen).
· TimeTeam will be filming a documentary special during the summer dig at Flag Fen,tying it together with the recent astonishing finds at Must Farm, and looking towards the future and how both sites will change what we know aboutthis time period in the UK and internationally.
