RHFAG: This Year's Activities - 2016

Every year, at RHFAG, we do practical archaeological work but the balance of what we do varies from year to year. An outline of what is planned for 2016 is set out below but the annual programme is always provisional and can be subject to modification and expansion. The detail of the work to be done is decided at our monthly general meetings. 

RHFAG currently has two projects in operation, Noak Hill and Canewdon.

At Noak Hill, the third series of excavations has finished, with the last trench having been backfilled in November, 2011, the seventh consecutive year of digging. This marked the end of the excavation and recording phase of the investigation begun in 2005. 

In 2016, we are back on site at Noak Hill at various different times but particularly in the summer when we will be approaching the end of the all-important post-excavation work. The processing of bulk finds and pottery and the construction of trench Harris Matrices have been completed and this year it is aimed to complete a single Harris Matrix for the whole site. Further work and research will follow this leading to the drafting of an in-house publication. This work will extend through 2016 and 2017.

2016 also marks the fourth year in the latest phase of the Canewdon Project. In 2014, two new test pits were dug and an article written for Canewdon's "Broomstick" magazine. The examination and processing of finds from all the garden test pits so far dug is complete with the identification of problematic pottery sherds having been carried out by a professional specialist. Last year, writing up of the second series of Canewdon test pit reports began and this will continue in 2016 when it is anticipated several more reports will be completed. Each time a report is completed, it is given to the householders in whose garden the test pit was dug. When all the test pit reports have been completed, a summary report of all 35 will be published.

As with 2015, there may be trips out to various sites.

2016 is also the 1,000th anniversary of the Battle of Assandun and there are likely to be events in Canewdon and Ashingdon associated with this.

For details of what it is like excavating with us, please see Being a RHFAG Member on the Membership page.

For information: In most years, we have an excavation period in the summer but as this is linked to the duration of specific projects, it may not be the case in every year. In the absence of an excavation, we would normally have a similar period of practical activities or post-excavation work.