Information for Groups
At Mercian we provide groups seeking funding with a comprehensive community archaeology, heritage and education package for groups developing projects.
- We can help you to develop your project ideas,
- Help you with seeking funding,
- Advise you in archaeological practice, provide training and hands on supervision,
- You will always have our most experienced and highest level staff onsite who are directors of the company, never junior staff (which is often the case with commercial units),
- As we are all experienced staff, we have excellent knowledge of local pottery and finds and can help you identify artefacts as they come out of the ground,
- Our local knowledge enables us to put all work in a regional context,
- We supervise all archaeological (invasive) work and never just leave you to it,
- We also do not make you just stand and watch as other companies often do.
- Our expert local knowledge can help to bring your project to fruition,
- We are community archaeology company whose staff have many years experience of working with groups, and volunteers of all ages and backgrounds.
Please see our Testimonials page for feedback from other groups.
As a Community Interest Company we seek to offer free opportunities throughout the year.
By working alongside organisations such as the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Big Lottery and others we are also able to develop whole projects FREE to the public based around learning and bringing people and communities together with their heritage.
We are not a commercial unit set up to work in the planning system who are having a go at community archaeology on the side. Nor are we a one-
We are a Community Archaeology company offering knowledge and expertise tailored to the needs of different groups.
At Mercian we specialise in Community Archaeology; creating opportunities for the public to be involved in genuine archaeological research.
We believe that by working with the community and public, away from the tight time constraints and budgets, that often blight commercial archaeology, we can undertake research work of the highest quality. We can also take archaeology back to a basis in research and not simply one of being undertaken in response to requirements of planning and development control.
In other words community archaeology can lead the way in archaeological research…
And you can be a part of it!
We offer a whole suite of opportunities ranging from charged learning days and weeks, to FREE public events.
Links:
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Archaeological Services for your project
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- Open area excavations
- Test pitting projects
- Ploughsoil Test-
Pitting - Geophysical surveys; Ground Penetrating Radar, Magnetometer, Resistance
- Topographic surveys
- Level 1 Survey and LiDAR Groung-
truthing - Fieldwalking
- Photogrammetry, LiDAR processing, Astronomical surveys
- Historic mapping & Documentary Research
- Specialist Finds Analysis and Reporting
- Museum archive consultancy
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
- Heritage Interpretation
- Project design, implementation, management and consultancy (See Community Archaeology)
- Funding advice and hands on support (See Community Archaeology)
- Full project write up and reporting (see Publications page)
- Desk Based Assessments (DBA) (see Publications page)
- Read more about Mercian and the benefits of working with us on your projects here.
We have extensive experience of the archaeology of the region, and our staff have a wide range of different but complimentary skill sets.
This allows Mercian Archaeological Services CIC to successfully approach any form of community archaeological project including:
Below are listed details of some of the Services we offer.
Please contact us for further information and to discuss anything not on the list.
We also provide commercial Archaeological watching briefs and Desk Based Assessments as part of the Planning System at very competitive rates.
Please contact us at info@mercian-
All the services listed below when undertaken as part of your project are done by the community members you under our supervision-
The intention is never to leave people standing around watching!
Topographic Survey
Specialist Finds Analysis and Reporting
Excavation
Test-
Level 1 Walkover Survey & LiDAR Groundtruthing
Geophysical Survey
Historic Mapping & Documentary Research
Museum archive consultancy
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Photogrammetry, LiDAR processing, Astronomical surveys
Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)
Magnetometer Survey
Resistance Survey
Heritage Interpretation
At Mercian we have a large amount of experience in archaeological excavation including open area excavation and trial trenching methods.
All our staff are highly skilled archaeologists and communicators, and our excavations are designed around Community Archaeology, Public Involvement, Training, and Research.
Please have a look at our Projects page for examples, and also our Sherwood Forest Archaeology Project Page.
Mercian operate to the highest possible standards following and often surpassing Best Practice Guidance for Research Archaeology.
Please see the guidance of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists:
https://www.archaeologists.net/sites/default/files/CIfAS&GExcavation_1.pdf
Plough-
A fantastic option for combining community archaeology with high level research is Plough-
Mercian recommend plough-
At the Discover King John’s Palace project in 2015, 120+ people under supervision from Mercian were able to excavate over the course of 3 weeks using this method. The results have helped to demonstrate the extent and date of occupation at the medieval royal hunting complex of King John’s Palace in Sherwood Forest.
Fieldwalking
At Mercian we offer a full topographic survey solution utilising as required a combination of Differential Geographical Positioning System (DGPS), Robotic EDM Total Station, Reflector & Reflector-
We generally undertake a combination of Objective and Subjective survey techniques to create 3-
Our surveys are however tailored to your individual needs, budget, and in response to survey logistics.
Mercian and our staff have undertaken topographic survey on sites ranging from castles, to former palaces, deserted villages, and even in the Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve.
The examples to the left show a 2D hachure plan (top right) and 3D terrain model (bottom left) of a castle site. A Robotic Total Station in action (top left) and a Total Station being demonstrated to a member of the public (bottom right).
In archaeological fieldwalking, a recently ploughed field is walked in either grids or on lines (transects) to give systematic coverage of the ground surface.
The locations of archaeological finds are recorded, and the artefacts are either identified and recorded in the field and left as they are (non-
The locations of the finds is then plotted in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software to help determine any distribution patterns in the data.
This technique is very useful for detecting archaeological hotspots, and for using alongside other
Mercian have a large body of experience in Archaeological Test-
Test Pits are 1 metre by 1m Metre square and are dug in the same way as any other excavation. Mercian always dig by context, but also combine this with digging by spit with in contexts to produce the highest quality of results. All Test-
Archaeological excavation is an invasive method, and we believe that all archaeology should be undertaken by a professional archaeologist or under the supervision of a professional archaeologist.
Mercian will not leave you to dig dozens of pits and then come along later to have a look at what has been found, we recommend against this method, and would recommend caution when this method is offered to groups by other companies. Test pits must be excavated in the correct way, and recorded to the correct level. When this is done test pits are a fantastic tool, especially in the studying of settlement development.
At Mercian we offer a full suite of Archaeological Geophysics techniques. These methods can help in interpreting buried features such as foundations, pits, ditches, kilns and more…
At Mercian we can provide a large range of specialist services beyond the day to day techniques usually seen in Archaeology. We have skills in a number of techniques including:
Photogrammetry. This is the science of making measurements from photographs, especially for recovering the exact positions of surface points.
It can be used to create highly detailed and accurate elevation drawings and reconstructions as seen in the image left top (the late 12th century painted arcade of St Mary’s Church Norton-
It can also be used to create accurate 3D computer models of excavations and standing remains of buildings (see King John’s Palace image bottom left).
Mercian are also skilled in Astronomical observation, horizon archaeology and the used of computer modelling to calculate historical alignments and orientations in buildings and other monuments.
Finds processing and analysis is a highly skilled specialism and takes years of dedicated study and experience to undertake properly.
All finds from excavation, fieldwalking or any other form of archaeological work should be quantified and recorded in line with archaeological best practice.
It is essential that this is done by an appropriately skilled professional.
Mercian are skilled in finds processing and analysis. David Budge, Mercian’s Director and finds Specialist undertakes analysis of artefacts recovered by Mercian.
David’s skills are held in high regard, and he also writes specialist finds reports on behalf of other archaeological units.
Please contact Mercian if you have any finds that you would like processing or identifying.
We also (where necessary) call on a large network of other specialists to ensure that the maximum knowledge is gained from all archaeological works.
Historical maps are an invaluable resource for understanding past landscapes. Their analysis should form the back-
Historic documents including parish records and archival material is also a hive of information on past activities.
Mercian are skilled in working at the local and national archives to undertake research, working with primary, secondary and published sources. We can work with published transcribed Latin sources, micro-
More info coming soon.
A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyse, manage, and present spatial or geographic data.
At Mercian we use GIS for many things including creating maps, analysing landscapes, understanding archaeological sites, creating 3D models, viewshed analysis, presenting survey data and more.
We are highly skilled in ArcGIS, MapInfo and QGIS software.
GIS is a great way to integrate data from projects and can be used to analyse that data as well as present it in the form of maps for publication.
The images to the left include GIS being used in building analysis, surveying, map work, and the displaying of geophysical survey data.
More info coming soon.
Level 1 Walkover survey is a form of preliminary archeological ground reconnaissance survey. It is particularly useful in areas of woodland, and is method of searching for and recording archaeological remains that were either previously unknown or unrecorded.
At Mercian for Level One Survey we record earthworks with GPS coordinates, photographic record, descriptions, measurements, comments, interpretation etc. These criteria can be added to to meet requirements.
Light Detection and Ranging known as LiDAR measures distance to a target by illuminating the target with pulsed laser light and measuring the reflected pulses with a sensor. In Archaeology this method is undertaken most frequently by aeroplane. It is of great use to archaeologists as it is possible to remove (to some extent) vegetation and create a digital terrain model (DTM) of the ground surface. In this form it enables archaeologist to look for archaeological features on a computer across whole landscapes. At Mercian we are experienced in processing and analysing LiDAR data sets for archaeological remains. We are also experienced in archaeological field survey or ground-
The Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve Archaeology Survey is a long-
As a streamlined Community Archaeology company, we are not burdened with the overheads associated with larger commercial companies. This has enables us to pass on cost savings to our customers and bring in added value by working with specialists.
Mercian are community archaeology company set up to undertake research work for and alongside the community. We are not a commercial archaeological company set up to work in the planning system who undertake community work alongside their main commitment to commercial work. As such our entire ethos and working practices are designed to provide community groups with the best service and value, tailored to the community archaeology field.
We bring an experienced team with a very strong community focus and a passion for sharing their knowledge and experience
A commitment to providing training and skills development and involving the community in all aspects and stages of the archaeological process
A strong research-
Extensive links with top national and regional experts and specialists, ensuring the right people are always on hand to provide the most accurate advice and interpretation of the archaeology
Firm commitment to prompt reporting of the results of the work to the client and local Historic Environment Record, along with a commitment to publishing all work, fully supported by specialist finds analysis
As a Community Archaeology company, rather than a commercial archaeology company, we specialise in providing training and learning opportunities to volunteers and villagers alike.
As a Community Interest Company our focus is on providing community opportunities and training, rather than being more focused on profit and commercial work.
As we are all experienced staff, we have excellent knowledge of local pottery and finds and can help you identify artefacts as they come out of the ground, providing a better and fuller experience for everyone involved.
We will always have our most experienced and knowledgeable staff on-
As a community archaeology company, we will always be on-
As a community archaeology company, we will never just dig while volunteers and villagers watch. This is your project, and you will be involved in all processes throughout the project.
It is essential to have the right team in place to deliver a community focused project designed around learning and involvement, but also to ensure the maximum level of information retrieval from the archaeological investigations and to ensure best value for money.
At Mercian we believe that to undertake the best possible community archaeology project a client would benefit most from employing a specialist community archaeology provider rather than a company who undertakes community archaeology as a small part of its other commercial and planning related archaeological projects. Most archaeology providers are commercial companies set up to deliver archaeological mitigation in the planning system. In contrast Mercian is a specialist community archaeology provider, and all the Mercian core staff provided to the project are specialist community archaeologists with many years’ experience in the local area.
In addition to our core staff of highly experienced field archaeologists, our extensive links with top national and regional specialists and experts mean you can be sure we always have prompt access to the right advice and expertise in order to make the right decisions and to help us to draw the correct conclusions, both in the field and during post excavation analysis and reporting, also avoiding potentially costly bad decisions such as using incorrect sampling strategies or sending unsuitable samples for scientific dating.
Sherwood Forest Outlaws and Villains
Mercian’s Andy Gaunt will take you through the history, landscape and people of Sherwood Forest in the Medieval period.
Learn about the Forest Law, Courts, Foresters and keepers, the medieval landscape, villages, towns, palaces and people of the forest…
Then hear about outlaws of the forest law, Sherwood Forests very own outlaws who fled royal authority for their crimes, and outlaws from across the East Midlands in this captivating talk that really brings the medieval landscape to life
Cost: £50
Please email info@mercian-
Please make cheques payable to:
Mercian Archaeological Services CIC
The Sherwood Forest Archaeology Project
Learn about Medieval Sherwood Forest it's and administration and the Forest law. Also the landscape of the forest, the woods and the heath famous as the haunt of outlaws, the Royal Palace in Kings Clipstone at its heart, and the romantic hunting landscape that surrounded it.
The talk will cover much of the latest archaeological research by Mercian Archaeological Services CIC in Sherwood Forest including King John's Palace, St Edwin's Chapel and Robin Hood's Village of Edwinstowe.
Cost: £50
Please email info@mercian-
Please make cheques payable to:
Mercian Archaeological Services CIC
Archaeology of Medieval Sherwood Forest and King John’s Palace.
Archaeology and the designed royal landscape of Medieval Clipstone and in Sherwood Forest.
Clipstone was the Royal Heart of Sherwood Forest in Medieval times.
In this talk Andy Gaunt discussed the recent archaeological excavations and research from King John’s Palace in Sherwood Forest and also discusses the ‘designed’ hunting landscape at the heart of the forest, which he has recently identified and published.
Cost: £50
Please email info@mercian-
Please make cheques payable to:
Mercian Archaeological Services CIC
Pottery training seminars
Mercian’s David Budge helps to train groups in pottery in the history of pottery production, pottery identification, recording, drawing, processing, quantification and sorting techniques.
This very informative workshop is an essential for any group undertaking archaeological work or research and can be ran as a one off workshop as or part of a series.
Cost: Please contact info@mercian-
Mercian are a company of archaeologists who specialise in the archaeology of the region, providing the excellent knowledge and skills to our customers.
Flint identification workshops
Mercian’s David Budge will take you through identifying worked flint from identification to recording and drawing techniques.
This very informative workshop is an essential for any group undertaking archaeological work or research and can be ran as a one off workshop as or part of a series.
Cost: Please contact info@mercian-
Finds identification Workshop
Mercian’s David Budge will share some of his expertise in training you to identify finds that you may have discovered from field work or that members may have found in their gardens.
This very informative workshop is an essential for any group undertaking archaeological work or research and can be ran as a one off workshop as or part of a series.
Cost: Please contact info@mercian-
Landscape Archaeology
Mercian’s Andy Gaunt will lead a workshop outlining the principals and theory of landscape archaeology, including the use of historic mapping, LiDAR, GIS, earthwork and geophysical survey, and walkover survey techniques.
The workshop can then involve a tour of the Sherwood Forest National Nature Reserve to show how to put the theory in to practice.
Cost: Please contact info@mercian-
From Ancient wood-
A journey through the Landscape History of Sherwood Forest, and the shaping of the ancient woodlands and heath lands of Birklands, Bilhaugh and the National Nature Reserve
Join Andy Gaunt as he teaches you about the ongoing archaeological surveys in Sherwood Forest, and how cutting-
Cost: £50
Please email info@mercian-
Please make cheques payable to:
Mercian Archaeological Services CIC
Saxons, Sunrise, and the Death of a Saint King.
King Edwin and the Battle of Hatfield
Learn about the Saxon age Battle of Hatfield, the death of the King of Northumbria -
Includes the results of new research into the church at Edwinstowe, and archaeological investigations and excavations in Cuckney.
Cost: £50
Please email info@mercian-
Please make cheques payable to:
Mercian Archaeological Services CIC
Mercian regularly give talks, lectures, presentations and training seminars to groups including historical and archaeological societies, schools, and adult education groups.
If you would like a presentation for your group then please get in touch at info@mercian-
We can offer any of the example talks below or tailor the event to suit your requirements.
workshops
Workshops
Medieval Parks & Archaeological Investigation
Mercian’s Andy Gaunt will privde this presentation where Landscape Archaeology, and historical research combine to reveal the history and formation of medieval deer parks and hunting landscape.
Cost: £50
Please email info@mercian-
Please make cheques payable to:
Mercian Archaeological Services CIC
Talks and Lectures
We can also give workshops on various archaeological techniques from filling in context sheets to drawing, and from surveying to report writing.
Please contact us for more information and for prices.
We are a streamlined Community Archaeology company:
This enables us to provide a personal and bespoke touch to all our projects.
Our streamlined nature means we not burdened with the massive overheads associated with larger commercial companies. This means we can pass on cost savings to you the customer, and bring in added value by working with specialists.
We work with specialists in environmental sampling, ceramics, glass, metal work, clay pipes, and many more…. We believe this is far better than doing everything ‘in-
We have a number of other highly experienced archaeologists who we can bring in to help us on larger scale projects-
Indeed unlike some commercial units we will not run your excavation at the same time as large commercial projects-
When we are in the field with you -
All our staff are highly trained and have expertise in the local area. We will never leave you with junior staff in the field.
Project deign and funding applications
We tailor each individual project to suit the need of the group or community we are working with-
Outcomes for Heritage:
Where we work with the preservation and consolidation of structures we always ensure that the heritage is better managed and in better condition as a result of the work we do. In all our projects we ensure that the heritage of a site or area is better interpreted whether through online dissemination, through reporting or through on-
Outcomes for People:
We aim to ensure that through onsite training, teaching and involvement in archaeology-
We also know from experience and the testimonies of volunteers that everyone has a very enjoyable experience on our projects.
Outcomes for Communities:
All of our projects are designed to involve as may people from as wider range as possible in heritage and learning opportunities. All our projects aim to be inclusive, and we have people from many different backgrounds and social needs regularly attending our projects from school children, adults with learning difficulties, children's groups, Young Archaeology Club members, adult education groups, U3A’s, heritage groups, community groups, WI’s, unemployed people, retired people, disabled people, and many many more…
The aim of our projects is to increase the understanding of our rich heritage and to bring people together to learn about this fantastic inheritance, and by so doing make the local area/ community a better place to live, work or visit.
We can help you to design and create a comprehensive heritage project covering as many of the outlines above as possible.
Project development:
The Heritage Lottery state that “Archaeology is a finite and non-
At Mercian we believe that community groups and volunteers can excavate and undertake archaeological excavations under the supervision of experienced Community Archaeologists, to the highest standards.
We would recommend any group undertaking archaeology to work with a Community Archaeology Company to ensure that the highest standards of excavation, recording, reporting and dissemination are met.
In the developing of any Heritage Lottery bid, Mercian Archaeological Services CIC adhere to the Standards and Guidance for Archaeology as created by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
This “Best Practice” can be difficult to understand, and is often given in different ways by different people, and so as well as providing a link to the Archaeological Best Practice for the HLF we have spoken to Ian Morrison who is Head of Historic Environment at the Heritage Lottery Fund to get an inside view on what exactly is meant for groups by Best Practice for the HLF.
As part of “Best Practice” each group is recommended to speak with the Local Historic Environment Service.
According to Ian Morrison, Head of Historic Environment at the Heritage Lottery Fund, this meeting is designed “to find out whether a site is scheduled or protected in some other way; to ensure the local authority archaeologist is aware of the work proposed and can provide advice and guidance if necessary; to ensure arrangements are put in place to update the Historic Environment Record with the results of the investigation; to ensure the group is aware of other investigations in the vicinity that might help them interpret the results of their own fieldwork etc.”
Does the HLF require a letter of support from the Historic Environment Service/ County Archaeologist supporting an archaeological project for a project to go ahead?
We ask our applicants to demonstrate in their grant application that they have discussed or attempted to discuss their project with the local authority historic environment service. We do not require letters of support… We assess each grant application on its own merits. If an applicant has demonstrated in their application that they have made all reasonable efforts to discuss their project with the local authority historic environment service, but have failed to secure support, we may still offer a grant if in our view the project demonstrates good value for money (in terms of delivering against our specified project outcomes) and will be in the best interests of heritage (i.e. where excavation is warranted and where sufficient arrangements are in place to properly record and publicise the affected archaeology). -
Excavation and fieldwork:
Mercian undertake all fieldwork to the relevant standards and guidance form the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists and English Heritage.
We are also highly experienced in running Community Archaeology fieldwork, training and supporting community groups and volunteers.
This makes us the ideal choice for your community archaeology project.
Report writing:
The HLF states that “There is no point in doing archaeological work, including excavation, unless you write up that information and make it widely available to others. Otherwise the information you recover about our past may be lost forever.”
At Mercian we will provide you with FULL technical Reports as also ensure all information is available to the public through other means including OASIS online database, and via our Projects pages, and our large social media following. We can also help with heritage trails, online and on the ground, and with display and interpretation panels.
We will also write a short report for the appropriate local archaeology journal, and a full written publication in the appropriate local or national journal if the findings are considered important enough.
All of Mercian’s work is submitted to the relevant Historic Environment Record.
Finds:
Mercian will take care of the formalities of dealing with finds.
We also use the opportunity of finds processing to involve volunteers and groups in learning and training opportunities due to our fantastic finds expertise.
Mercian always seek to work with the very best Finds specialists,and other scientific specialisms. So by working with Mercian you will also be accessing the very best skills available in the industry.
Protected Sites:
It is essential that you check whether or not a site you may wish to investigate is a Scheduled Monument.
Mercian can of course help you in this as part of the project development.
A scheduled monument is an historic building or site that is included in the Schedule of Monuments kept by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. The regime is set out in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.
Once a monument is scheduled any works to it, and flooding and tipping operations that might affect it, with few exceptions require scheduled monument consent from the Secretary of State, (not the local planning authority). English Heritage manages the process of scheduled monument consent on behalf of the Secretary of State.
For more information on Scheduled Sites see English Heritage Scheduled Monuments page.
It is therefore illegal to excavate on a Scheduled Site without Scheduled Monument Consent (SMC).
We recommend always speaking to English Heritage in this circumstance.
We hope the above information has been useful. For more information please contact us:
Working with Mercian
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