Beginning this September – a new archaeological research project.
The Later Prehistoric Norfolk Project (LPNP) is a continuation of Global Perspectives on British Archaeology. It aims to place Norfolk’s prehistoric archaeology in an international context and at the same time explore the potential of archaeological projects to contribute to their participants’ health and well-being. We will be working with Japanese colleagues and discussing the similarities and differences in both the archaeological evidence between Japan and the UK, and in approaches to the past, including how a sense of perspective on the past is a strong factor in the creation of identities and a basis for mental health.
The focus of the first phase of the work are two key monuments – Arminghall Henge, dating from the later Neolithic, and Warham Camp ‘Hillfort’, dating to the Iron Age. Both have been previously excavated and we will be seeking to utilise that information and refine our understanding of the date, environmental setting and social context of these places, as they relate to their immediate locality and long-distance contacts. At the same time, we will be exploring other monuments, known through aerial photographic survey, that also date from prehistory, creating a framework of monument relationships in time and space.
A primary aim of the project is to involve a wide range of people who have not taken part in archaeological research before. Post-pandemic, it has become clear that many people have suffered from isolation and a lack of opportunities to engage with other people. We are working with partners with expertise in this area, the Restoration Trust, to facilitate engagement with the project. A strong strand for the project is also working with schools and school children to create opportunities for engagement with archaeological research and to build research skills outside of the class-room environment. Working with the Synergy Multi-Academy Trust we will be engaging with children across their range of schools from primary age to sixth-form.
We are also partnering with the Cambridge Archaeological Unit at Cambridge University, who will bring their skills, insight, and training experience to the project. The project links to other initiatives in the Centre for Archaeology and Heritage, such as Eurasia during the ‘Axial Age’ and Nara to Norwich, both exploring pan-Eurasian interactions and similarities.