Archaeologists run for hat-trick of awards
Leicester archaeologists are in the running for a hat-trick of awards, having been nominated in the ‘Research Project of the Year’ category for the prestigious Current Archaeology Awards for the second time in recent years.
Previous winners include the Greyfriars Project & the discovery of Richard III in 2013, and Dr Richard Buckley, Lead Archaeologist on the Greyfriars Project, receiving the ‘Archaeologist of the Year’ award last year.
This year the focus is on The Burrough Hill Project, a five year research and student training excavation run by the School of Archaeology and Ancient History and University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS).
Burrough Hill, near Melton Mowbray is one of the best preserved Iron Age hillforts in the East Midlands and a popular visitor attraction but was poorly understood before the project began.
The excavations produced a wealth of new information relating to the occupation of Burrough Hill, reflecting the domestic life of the people who lived there, their contacts and trade links and rare insights into their religious beliefs.
The project gave the chance for over 500 undergraduate and distance learning students and volunteers to receive training in archaeological excavation and recording. A successful Outreach programme of Open Days and school visits also enabled over 2500 visitors and 1250 school children to share in the discoveries as they were happening.
The results of the competition are decided on a public vote which has now opened and can be accessed from the Current Archaeology Awards webpage.
Voting will be open until 8 February 2016, and the winners will be announced at the Current Archaeology Live! 2016 conference, held at the University of London's Senate House at the end of February.