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Big Dig Launch!
By Sarah B Dhanjal, on 2 July 2013
Sarah and Gabriel went to Martin Primary for the launch of the East Finchley Big Dig last week. The project aims to find out more about the past of East Finchley, through digging test pits in the gardens of residents. These keyholes into the archaeology of East Finchley will be mapped by time period to help create a broader understanding of the history of settlement in the area.
Roger from the East Finchley Community Trust introduced the project. Bill Bass of the Hendon and District Archaeology Society (HADAS) introduced himself and the society, who will be working with us on the project. Gabriel talked about the history of test pitting activities and his previous experiences of using the technique. He also explained how important each test pit is, regardless of what is (or isn’t) found in it! Even pits where nothing is found provide ‘negative evidence’, suggesting that settlement was not present, which further helps our understanding of the area. Five test pits are planned in this first year of East Finchley Big Dig, which we hope to work on with East Finchley Community Trust and HADAS in the future.
Sarah and Tina met with Kayte McSweeney from the Science Museum to share our experiences, news of our projects and ideas for collaboration. We’re hoping to work together more closely in the future.