The Big Dig: Preparations are underway

Hello and welcome to the blog for our archeological dig which is part of the wider 'Connect at Calderstones' project at The Reader Organisation.

Calderstones Park in South Liverpool has been a public park for over 100 years but has a history going back thousands. It is the home to the ancient Calder Stones which are covered in Neolithic carvings left by the earliest human settlers in Merseyside.

The potential for finding things of historic interest in the park is huge, but before spades hit the ground a lot of research has to take place.

This is where our volunteers researchers, Frances, Christine and Mike, come in who will be spending the next few months pulling together historic maps, plans and other documents to build up a pre-dig assessment of the area so we will have a clearer idea of where to put the trenches.

Here are Frances and Christine with Dr Liz Stewart from National Museums Liverpool perusing some dusty photos of the Calderstones from the 1950s.

What other treasures will they uncover?

As part of the Connect at Calderstones project with the Heritage Lottery Fund and National Museums Liverpool there will be a fine selection of Heritage activities and events at Calderstones Park in the coming months, with a selection of interesting literature for all to enjoy at each. The first of these events are coming up in the New Year, with details below:

Mapping Monday - Monday 19th January, 2-3pm
Archaeologists from the Museum of Liverpool are coming to Calderstones Park to share their map expertise and to offer you the chance to learn all about how they use their maps. This will also be a chance for you to find out how you can contribute to the Museum of Liverpool's Interactive Map of Merseyside.

Ready to get digging - Thursday 19th February, 2-4pm
This event offers the chance to get a further insight into a day in the life of an Archaeologist where you can learn all about the tricks of the trade including how Archaeologists prepare for an excavation, what equipment they need, how they choose where to dig, and how they sort out finds which have been excavated.

Both events are free to attend. For more information, see The Reader Organisation's website: https://www.thereader.org.uk/courses

For further information on the project or any of our heritage offerings contact Richard MacDonald on 0151 729 2200 or email richardmacdonald@thereader.org.uk