Lauren's A2A experience

My time at GGAT has allowed me to experience a sector of the profession I had no previous knowledge of. Understanding procedure surrounding planning permission, the relationship between companies and archaeologists and the situations in which different report types are needed is invaluable to aspiring archaeologists. Volunteering with such an established and wide reaching archaeological trust has given me knowledge and experience I could not have received from university funded digs alone. I feel as though I have gained an understanding of modern archaeology that goes deeper than just excavation.

Furthermore, I was really impressed with the project's commitment to public engagement with local archaeology and community. It was interesting for me, having spent a lot of my childhood in the area, to discover the archaeology of the region and assisting in making this information available to the public is something I became very passionate about.

I very much enjoyed developing my IT skills and improving my knowledge of the database workings in such a supportive and knowledgeable environment.  Some of my favourite challenges were those where I followed development of the sites through several reports and this gave me a major insight into the process of archaeological involvement in building projects.

This opportunity has strengthened my interest in archaeology and will aid my future career decisions. Overall, I’ve had a wonderful time at GGAT and would love to come back.