We also do fieldwalking, take part in surveys, write articles and reports, and sometimes give talks. The excavations we do are usually parts of projects.
Our two ongoing projects are Noak Hill and Canewdon. The Noak Hill Project aims to establish a chronology and produce a Harris Matrix for the whole Noak Hill site. The Canewdon Project is an archaeological and historical investigation of Canewdon village and parish involving documentary research, interviewing and test pitting.
With fieldwalking, we divide the area into a grid of small squares to give us a map of the finds and an idea of how far the particular feature extends.
Surveys carried out include a local cellar survey and the Survey of World War Two Defences in the District of Rochford for Essex County Council. With a military archaeologist, we studied records of defences built against invasion and tried to find them on the ground. The results went to local libraries and the Imperial War Museum.
We write reports on our investigations in written or online form such as on Leigh Beck, St Michael’s church, the Donkey Skeleton and the Tile Kiln.
Occasionally we have given talks on our work e.g. to the Essex Archaeological and Historical Congress or sometimes to schools. We no longer bring in speakers though it was Mick Aston speaking to us in the past which inspired the creation of the Canewdon project.