Residents’ chance to step into the past at Heslington East
Posted on 12 May 2008
The archaeological investigations are taking place before work starts on the University’s campus expansion this summer.
The University’s Department of Archaeology is to hold a series of free public events about the site, including:
- 14 May: A public talk for local residents on the archaeology of the Heslington East site. The free talk will be given by Cath Neal, Heslington East Fieldwork Officer, at 7pm in Heslington Church.
- 22 and 23 May: Tours of the excavation site for local primary school children. Pupils from Badger Hill and Lord Deramore’s schools will have a chance to experience the Roman and medieval archaeology of the site first-hand in a series of specially designed tours.
- 22 May: A free public lecture entitled ‘Looking to the future and uncovering the past’. Steve Roskams of the University’s Department of Archaeology will speak alongside Cath Neal at 6pm in the University’s P/L001 lecture theatre. All are welcome.
- 24 May: Finds from the excavations will be on display from 2-4pm at Heslington Church as part of its 150 Years Celebration fair. Experts will be on hand to answer questions and discuss the history of the Heslington East site.
- 26 May: Guided tours of the dig by archaeology experts will be conducted every hour from 11am to 4pm and are open to all. Free tickets are available from publiclectures@york.ac.uk or by telephoning 01904 432622.
Cath Neal, Fieldwork Officer for the Heslington East archaeological project, said: "It’s crucial that the local community is involved in archaeological projects - both to inform local residents about what’s happening on their doorstep, and to benefit the project itself.
"This kind of involvement frequently produces more vibrant and relevant results. That’s why we’re committed to developing local community involvement over the course of the project and providing a wide range of opportunities for people to get involved."
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- More information about campus development at www.york.ac.uk/campusdevelopment/.
- More information about the University of York’s Department of Archaeology at www.york.ac.uk/depts/arch//.