About
1st August 2010, the beginning of the archaeological part of the A Town Unearthed Project started. We all got stuck in straight away, from painting huts, erecting fences, digging test trenches and finally getting to the villa dig itself. A number of people who joined in had experience of archaeological digs, however there were a bunch of us who arrived there expecting to be handed a fine paintbrush to meticulously clear the mummified bodies (too much exposure to 19th century Egyptian photographs I think). During the 138 days digging in 2011 lunch time chats turned to a new idea; we knew that there were a number of history societies and groups in the local area, but no specifically archaeological ones. Through various discussions we realised that there had been a number of digs done in the area by people from afar, not the locals, until this one. Over the months of excavations, discovery, and learning, the idea of a group who were interested in Folkestone and its surrounds gained momentum.
We held an inaugural meeting late in January 2012 to set up our group, with a draft constitution being proposed and approved. The official document is now available on this web site. Since then our members have been actively involved in the archaeological processes (from initial assessment through the digging, pot-washing, marking and analysis processes) of a number of sites both near and far. A number of our members have/are also undertaking degrees in Archaeology at the University of Kent, Christ Church University and UCL, as well as day courses and various conferences.
Join Us
Not only are we interested in finding out the past, and collating the historical references, but we are also passionate about educating people about the amazing, and ancient, heritage of the area. If you are interested in joining our group – either as an active member – or just for the purposes of keeping up to date with our endeavours or open days, then please contact us.
Chair:
Secretary:
