Andrew Upton Posted 7 May , 2005 Share Posted 7 May , 2005 I am in my second year of my archaeology degree at Exeter University, and I need to choose a topic for my third year dissertation, and work on it during the summer holidays. I plan to do my dissertation on the archaeology of the First World War battlefields, as I feel this is an area that has largley been neglected by professional archaologists, and I want to try and emphasize just how important such sites are, and how controlled excavation does add to our knowledge of the period. To help me on this, I feel that working on an actual battlefield excavation would help me to gain a greater understanding of the issues involved. Does anybody on this forum know of any excavations, or people involved in excavations, relating to the Great War being conducted in the future that I might contact and see if a willing volunteer would be able to participate? Thanks in advance, Andrew Upton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 7 May , 2005 Share Posted 7 May , 2005 Search 'members' for Martin Brown ... he is involved with the 'No Man's Land' group .. I hope I'm right there! Try giving him a yell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 8 May , 2005 Author Share Posted 8 May , 2005 Search 'members' for Martin Brown ... he is involved with the 'No Man's Land' group .. I hope I'm right there! Try giving him a yell. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thanks for that - I think I tried conntacting him after I read the thread on Thipeval, but recieved no reply. I sent another message though, and fingers crossed I'll get a reply! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John W Posted 8 May , 2005 Share Posted 8 May , 2005 You could try Andrew Robertshaw at the National Army Museum, not sure of the email but look at their website and send it to the education department. JOhn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 8 May , 2005 Author Share Posted 8 May , 2005 I also sent Andrew Robertshaw an email some time ago as I spoke to him some time ago on a very similar issue - but again I haven't yet received a reply. Please do keep suggesting other names, as I really do want to work on a WW1 battlefield for my dissertation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
domsim Posted 9 May , 2005 Share Posted 9 May , 2005 Andrew You could try an approach to the Belgians directly as they are doing most of the fieldwork in the area at the moment, particularly the province of West Flanders. The Association of World War Archaeology has a website with contact details and you could try this as a starting point: Association of World War Archaeology Cheers Dominic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wedge Posted 9 May , 2005 Share Posted 9 May , 2005 I've emailed Martin and Andy to let them now about the attempts at contact. I know Andy gets shed loads of stuff, I'm not surprised if things sometimes go astray. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wedge Posted 9 May , 2005 Share Posted 9 May , 2005 Andrew, I've had a reply from Andy and it's pretty much what I thought, volume of work both NML and day-job related stopped him getting back to you. My apologies on behalf of NML for that. It might not surprise you to know we have a bit of a 'waiting list' from people wanting to offer their help to the group. We don't at present have any further projects planned until the Autumn, but if you could email me your archaeological c.v. and a covering letter we'll then have your details on record. Just click on my name to the left and then on Send Email. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkristof Posted 9 May , 2005 Share Posted 9 May , 2005 I sended a PM Andrew that can help you... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 9 May , 2005 Author Share Posted 9 May , 2005 Wow! Thank you to everyone who's emailed or pm'ed and suggested a varied selection of people and societies to get in contact with to help me take part in an excavation on a WW1 battlefield - I really feel that I might actually be able to do something I've wanted to do for a number of years now. Emails sent out left right and centre! And if Aurel Sercu is reading this, I can say that the brilliant Timewatch programme "The Forgotten Battlefield" which I saw when it was first on Tv provided much of the inspiration for my choice of University degree and dissertation topic. Edit: I've only just noticed, looking left, that I've become an "Old Sweat" -when did that happen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Simon Bull Posted 12 May , 2005 Share Posted 12 May , 2005 Do let us know how you get on Andrew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 14 May , 2005 Author Share Posted 14 May , 2005 Simon: I did reply to your last email, but it got bounced back to me for some reason. I'll let everyone know how I get on in due course. Thanks again to everyone who took the time and trouble to reply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 14 May , 2005 Share Posted 14 May , 2005 And if Aurel Sercu is reading this, I can say that the brilliant Timewatch programme "The Forgotten Battlefield" which I saw when it was first on Tv provided much of the inspiration for my choice of University degree and dissertation topic. Thanks, Andrew. Nice to read that we inspired you ! (With the Meet the Ancestors programme, not Timewatch ! Wishes for success and a lot of satisfaction in the job ! Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aconnolly Posted 15 May , 2005 Share Posted 15 May , 2005 Andrew If you wanted to look further afield, the recent "work" at ANZAC Cove, Gallipoli, has obviously exposed areas of that battlefield. Perhaps you could look at the role of archiologists when the "dig" has been rather "unplanned"( to be diplomatic!). Good luck & regards Andrew Connolly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borden Battery Posted 15 May , 2005 Share Posted 15 May , 2005 Here is a website of a group of amateur archaelogists who may then be able to direct you to a few professionals in this field of research. The Diggers [The Netherlands] The Diggers are a team of enthusiasts diggings for World War I relics. We often refer to ourselves as amateur-archaeologists, hoping that the 'real' professional archaeologists will not take offence at this, as our field is a lot more limited. For the past years we have been active especially on a Boezinge battlefield site (near Ypres (Ieper), in the west of Belgium). http://www.diggers.be/ Unlike other sites, this one also has the added risk of munitions to deal with. While I have never been in this part of Europe or on a modern battlefield "dig", it would be common sense to have prior arrangements with the sector group which responds to discovered ordinance matrials. Most likely the local farmers know the contact people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Brown Posted 16 May , 2005 Share Posted 16 May , 2005 Thanks for that - I think I tried conntacting him after I read the thread on Thipeval, but recieved no reply. I sent another message though, and fingers crossed I'll get a reply! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hello all Apologies for non reply, forgive me I can only plead the ammount of stuff I've been doing recently. Andrew, I'll pm you. If you don't get something contact me again direct. Here's a heads up that the annual Battlefield Archaeology Conference at the National Army Museum will be on 16th and 17th July this year. More details from the NAM. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 16 May , 2005 Author Share Posted 16 May , 2005 Borden Battery: I contacted The Diggers (and indeed Aurel Sercu) last year to try and do excavation with them then. However, the reply I received was that The Diggers only work on the weekends (not a problem now, but then I needed to do 24 days fieldwork, which would have taken 12 weeks to complete), and that as the Charter was issued to The Diggers and its members which allows them to excavate WW1 sites, I could not join them as I was not covered by the Charter. I assume this is still the case. Martin: Two emails sent - apologies if they're very similar to ones you may have already read. I can only say thank you again to everyone who's offered help, or pointed me in the direction of help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcderms Posted 17 May , 2005 Share Posted 17 May , 2005 There's a two day Battlefield Archeaology conference at the National Army Museum next month. I'd suggest this would be a good place to find some Diggers... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Brown Posted 26 May , 2005 Share Posted 26 May , 2005 All The conference will be 16th/17th July at the National Army Museum, Chelsea and will include papers on Great War themes, including Peters Barton & Doyle on their latest book. Further details from the Museum. Cheers Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 15 August , 2005 Author Share Posted 15 August , 2005 Just keeping this thread alive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcderms Posted 15 August , 2005 Share Posted 15 August , 2005 Did you go to the conference? Have you contacted the diggers? Is there any other specific help we can give? I don't thnk you're going to get an open invitation to a dig posted here... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Upton Posted 15 August , 2005 Author Share Posted 15 August , 2005 Did you go to the conference? Have you contacted the diggers? Is there any other specific help we can give? I don't thnk you're going to get an open invitation to a dig posted here... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I di go to the conference, and found it very useful indeed in relating documentary sources to actual battlefield archaeology. I chose not to contact the Diggers this time because of the problems I have already mentioned previously. And... I effectively did get an open invitation to a dig via this message posted here and the help of Martin Brown, but I have refrained from commenting on the excavation so far until the relevant work has been published in more detail. Needless to say, when the work comes out, it will make very interesting reading! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcderms Posted 15 August , 2005 Share Posted 15 August , 2005 I di go to the conference, and found it very useful indeed in relating documentary sources to actual battlefield archaeology. I chose not to contact the Diggers this time because of the problems I have already mentioned previously. And... I effectively did get an open invitation to a dig via this message posted here and the help of Martin Brown, but I have refrained from commenting on the excavation so far until the relevant work has been published in more detail. Needless to say, when the work comes out, it will make very interesting reading! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Glad to hear it's all going well. When will you be able to report on the dig itself? A topic very close to my heart! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Brown Posted 17 August , 2005 Share Posted 17 August , 2005 Hello Andrew and other pals The work at the Bustard was most interesting. It gave us a picture of a monument used over time from 1914/1915 origins through to 1917/18 use with live fire exercises, as well as use at some point as an artillery target. We also found that the trenches weren't as deep as one might want when operational, but the hardness of the chalk probably had something to do with that! We hope to do more on this project, including looking at a mine crater but more on that in due course. In the meantime I hope this short interim helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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