Marsh Award for Youth Archaeology Project of the Year
This Award is run in Partnership with the Council for Archaeology and recognises a project that has made an outstanding contribution to archaeology and youth engagement, ensuring that the participation of young people was central to the delivery of the work.
These projects have contributed to developing and sustaining the participation of young people and to the broadening understanding of the historic environment.
Stiances Archaeological Project 2022
The Stiances Archaeological Project provides pupils at Newick Primary School with a unique opportunity to become directly involved with an archaeological project within their local area. The school runs an archaeological week during which some 250 children and a range of local people experience a range of archaeological activities. The week culminates in a public open day which in the past has attracted more than 200 people. The landowner agreed to the instigation of an archaeological project in Newick, a site first identified as being of archaeological interest in the 1970s and initial investigation started in 2010. Surveys and works revealed an assortment of post-medieval finds including pottery, clay pipes, brick and tiles. Other activities undertaken included site reconnaissance, examination of historic maps, and identifying finds. Over the week the pupils had the opportunity to participate in all of these activities and the results of their finds are provided on the public open day. The older pupils contribute to the successful running of the project by acting as mentors to the younger children and a ‘buddy’ system means that they can pass on their knowledge and experience while supporting them.
