• What is Wessex Archaeology?
• What does Wessex Archaeology do?
• Where does Wessex Archaeology work?
• Is Wessex Archaeology a company or a charity?
• How is Wessex Archaeology funded?
• Who does Wessex Archaeology employ?
• What has Wessex Archaeology found?
• How can I become an archaeologist?
• Do you take volunteers?
• How can I find out more about archaeology?

What is Wessex Archaeology? [top]

Wessex Archaeology is one of the largest archaeological practices in the country, employing 170 archaeologists and working across the country.

We work with councils, developers and heritage organisations to ensure that archaeological remains are recorded and preserved before work begins on new development schemes.

Wessex Archaeology, which was set up in 1979 and is based just outside the medieval city of Salisbury, is also a charity, devoted to educating the public about archaeology through lectures, events and public relations. Our surplus is put back into our charitable work or to improving our service to clients

What does Wessex Archaeology do? [top]

Archaeology in Britain has been revolutionised in the last decade by a change in planning regulations that can require developers to have land archaeologically assessed and excavated before construction begins.

Our projects can range from one archaeologist surveying and recording a disused 19th century inn before it is converted into a restaurant to 25 staff excavating a Roman town in advance of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link.

Wessex Archaeology works in areas such as housing developments, extraction, utilities, road schemes, railway and airport projects – anywhere that has the potential for significant archaeological remains.

Archaeology need not be simply digging in a trench. Wessex Archaeology also carries out building surveys, underwater archaeology, coastal studies, human remains analysis, heritage management, illustration and 3D computer modelling, finds and environmental work and publication.

Not all of our projects are as a result of planning regulations. Wessex is carrying out strategic work for English Heritage by writing a template for assessing sea wrecks, for instance.

Where does Wessex Archaeology work? [top]

We work throughout the country and not just in the Wessex region, though most of our income comes from projects in the south-east of England and London. We are working, for instance, at the T5 terminal at Heathrow and on the Birmingham North Relief Road.

Our work is offshore, too. We have carried out heritage management projects in Guernsey and underwater archaeological projects at several locations off the UK. We also work overseas, including Cyprus and Gibraltar.

Is Wessex Archaeology a company or a charity? [top]

Wessex Archaeology is both a limited company and a registered charity. This reflects our commercial work which funds our remit to educate the public about our work and archaeology in general.

Our company and charitable object is “to promote the education of the public in the subjects of arts, culture, heritage & science through the pursuit of archaeology”.

We employ a full-time Outreach Manager whose role is to promote archaeology to the outside world by giving talks and workshops and organising events.

 

How is Wessex Archaeology funded? [top]

Wessex Archaeology is entirely funded from its commercial work. We do not receive any direct state funding, either from central or local government.

 

Who does Wessex Archaeology employ? [top]

Wessex Archaeology employs more than 170 staff on permanent and fixed-term contracts. Most of these are archaeologists either working in the field or at our offices in Salisbury and London. All of our staff are experienced and trained professionals, most with degrees in archaeology. Some are national experts in their field.

Wessex also employs specialist staff in design, publications, photography, public relations, finance, administration, IT and education.

What has Wessex Archaeology found? [top]

Wessex Archaeology’s staff have made many important discoveries over the last 25 years, many of which are now in museums. Among the most recent important finds was the Amesbury Archer, the Bronze Age man whose skeleton and grave goods are among the richest ever found from this time. Other recent important excavations include a Roman mosaic dating to about 350AD at the former County Hospital site in Dorchester in Dorset. At our two-year excavation at Springhead in Kent in advance of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, we found 80,000 pieces of pottery, coins, brooches and pins, for example.

The finds are taken from the site to Wessex Archaeology’s headquarters, where they are recorded, washed, analysed and stored. All are sent to museums for display. A report is prepared for our clients on what we have found and we frequently prepare a paper on the archaeology to be sent to an academic journal.

How can I become an archaeologist? [top]

Many people want to be archaeologists and it can be very rewarding career. Archaeologists have many specialisms including excavation, buildings, underwater, computing, illustration, artefacts and environmental analysis to name but a few.

Try these links for further information. Our website has a vacancies section, which gives the sort of job requirements needed. Try the links below for more information:

http://www.britarch.ac.uk/cba/factsht4.shtml lists courses

Links:

• http://www.britarch.ac.uk/training/
  (Council for British Archaeology)
• http://www.archaeology.co.uk/begin/jobs.htm
  (Current Archaeology)
• http://www.torc.org.uk/
  (Training Online Resource Centre for Archaeology)
• http://www.archaeologists.net/
  (Institute of Field Archaeology)

Do you take volunteers? [top]

We occasionally take volunteers, usually in our post-excavation section and not generally on fieldwork. This work involves helping to wash, record and store the remains we find on site which have been brought back to our head office just outside Salisbury.

However, we do run a training course in excavation, survey and finds during the summer.  See a report of the training dig from summer 2004. For more details, contact our education manager: m.bunyard@wessexarch.co.uk