University of Chester - A dig at communal excavations

The lasting value of "community archaeology" - digs carried out by members of the public - has been questioned by an academic. Research by Howard Williams, senior lecturer in the department of history and archaeology at the University of Chester, has raised doubt about the effectiveness and sustainability of such projects. The work was conducted with Faye Simpson, visiting research associate at Chester and a member of the archaeology team on the TV show Time Team. Dr Williams said that community archaeology projects were often unsustainable once professionals enlisted to help set up the projects moved on.