Welcome to the Team, John!

We welcome the most recent addition to our lovely Access to Archaeology volunteer team, John (handbag not included!).

Here he is,  getting stuck in and learning about how we incorporate the different reports we receive into the Historic Environment Record.

Volunteering in the HER by Joanna Davies

Hello there. I volunteered for Access to Archaeology as part of my four week placement at GGAT for my degree in Archaeology and Ancient History at Cardiff University. This was the second time I was on placement at GGAT; good job they let me back! Two of the weeks were spent in HER working with Leonora in the room with the best view ever. I had done HER last year but this year knew the system (roughly) so was able to enter more data. I feel like I have contributed to the database and learnt so much about the workings of an archaeology trust. Reading the reports as I went along I saw the good, the bad and the bizarre of report writing, but each report showed the amount of work that goes into just one project.

Technology and me don’t tend to get on but I managed to conquer all before me and Leonora was always there if I didn’t know what to do or when I feared I had broken something important, luckily it was only the chair (which I fixed, honestly!). Sometimes you get bogged down with reports, as I did with Tir Gofal, but finishing a list is a good feeling. It’s not just typing on computers; there’s drawing polygons on computers and the joy of all joys, scanning. Be warned spirally binder machine is pure evil but I managed to tame it. I was often summoned by my fellow volunteers to confront the machine and I won!

Seriously though overall the experience was fantastic and I would recommend Access to Archaeology to anyone interested in archaeology or just curious. It’s well worth volunteering. It’s a rewarding experience and the people are lovely (especially Leonora). Get volunteering soon or all the Cardiff Uni students will have invaded again J

Joanna Davies, A2A Volunteer and Cardiff University Student

Volunteering in the HER by Liberty Vaz Townsend

I volunteered for 3 weeks in July and August 2014 at GGAT as part of my Cardiff University BSc Archaeology degree with two other students. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming. On my first day the HER looked daunting, but explanation and help from Leonora when we got down to work made it a lot easier and by the end of the two weeks I had no questions. I got to do the whole process from inputting reports into the HER, using GIS via Map Info, working in the Archive and scanning the reports. The former was very interesting, the latter-well to put it this way I will be having nightmares about the spirally binding machine-.

I came across some very interesting sites while working, and my enthusiasm for castles was encouraged by Leonora who gave me some amazing castles, one of which I ended up visiting on my way home! The disappearing church has to be a highlight-I roped in the other students and after half an hour of research it had been located in three different places, and actually not in our area. I am also very proud of the fact I can now type 'Archaeological' without making a typo!

I would love to come back and volunteer again this year and I would recommend GGAT to my coursemates at Cardiff.

Liberty Vaz Townsend, Cardiff University Archaeology Student & A2A Volunteer

Volunteering in the HER by Matthew Savagar

I volunteered at Access to Archaeology as part of my placement at GGAT for my degree in archaeology and medieval history at Cardiff University, I spent two weeks of my time here down in the HER cave with Leonora and two other volunteers and had no idea what to expect when I arrived, the whole experience was brilliant and though I chafed at being in an office all day, Leonora made the whole two weeks incredibly fun. In understanding HER, Access to Archaeology was incredibly enlightening to how archaeology works in the real world, in the way reports are written and the planning process and how commercial archaeology functions on a day-to-day basis.

There were many great moments shared between us as well, the horrors of pipelines, my obsession with polygons, arguments with the spiraly binder machine and of course; the mystery of the vanishing church. For anyone intimidated by the IT side of things, don’t be, once its explained and you get into it, it’s very simple and a great way to improve your skills and knowledge in that department, all in all, I’d recommend the programme to anyone interested in it, or just looking for something to volunteer in, I myself am very tempted to volunteer again later in the year.

Matthew Savagar, Cardiff University student, A2A volunteer, lover of polygons, hater of pipelines and arch-nemesis of the spirally binder machine.

Volunteering in the HER by Marad Griffiths

Hi, My name is Marad Griffiths and this is my second year of Access to Archaeology in Glamorgan Gwent Archaeological Trust spanning from June to July.  I have been working here as part of my work placement programme with Cardiff University and I am studying BA Archaeology. My interest in Archaeology stemmed from studying History at A-level and hearing (during my placement) that people were able to access information via Archwilio on the works carried out appeared exciting. Access to archaeology entails tasks that include entering data into the HER database and maintaining the data for e.g. checking that there are no duplicates of the work that is carried out by archaeologists as part of investigations. The HER has an important role in that many works in the trust can be carried out based on this information. I chose to work here as the place is really friendly and the people are hardworking. I like the sort of work that the trust does. As part of the University placement I was introduced to the workers and familiarised myself with the different departments. Leonora was extremely friendly and this made it a comfortable experience to engage myself with the work. The Access to Archaeology work is invaluable and gives me an insight into an archiving environment. Access to Archaeology was part of the work that was assigned to my schedule in the first year.

The first year included adding events to the database and it prepared me to become more familiar with the programme for the second year. It was easier the second time round and it built my confidence in adjusting to the programme. A lot of research skills are required for the completion of the tasks and it helped me to become more resourceful with handling data. At the beginning of the first time I encountered the programme, Leonora and Charina kindly handed out information on the process of entering data and this really helped to get to grips with the programme in an easy and understandable way. Leonora directed me, which was helpful in grasping the workings of the database and it takes practice. The staff members are extremely pleasant and welcoming. When beginning the second year of Archaeology it wasn’t as difficult to start the work and my understanding of the trust helped me to recognize its value. I have jotted a few things down on paper to remind myself of how to enter the specific data, which has been useful. As long as you work hard in learning the skills it will be beneficial to you if you want to work in the environment. I have progressed tremendously on my understanding of data. I asked a few questions to things I did not understand in order to become aware of the reports, which was important. I am able to keep a pace and gain a rhythm whilst entering data. Familiarising with the set up of the office is important. The more I familiarised myself with the reports the more interesting they became. I am grateful I have had experience of the HER department.    

 Marad Griffiths, A2A Volunteer

Full steam ahead!

It is a couple of months into the third year of the Access to Archaeology project and our lovely volunteers are making steady progress; we are enjoying seeing familiar faces as well as meeting new ones. If you are interested in joining in or would like to know more, please get in touch! We are running a second recruitment phase in the autumn, and would love to hear from you to reserve a place for you in advance.

Leonora, Acting Historic Environment Record Manager

Thank you to our Volunteers!

A big thank you to everyone who took part in Year Two of the Access to Archaeology Project, which was a great success. We have very much enjoyed working with you, and appreciate all of your hard work (which you can see on www.archwilio.org.uk).

We are pleased to say that Cadw have provided extra funding for us to continue into Year Three of the project, and that many of you have asked to continue to work with us or have applied in advance. We are also delighted to say that as the project has been so popular, we are currently all booked up and will run recruitment in the Autumn. If you are interested and would like to get involved, please get in touch to secure a place (before they’re gone!).  

Leonora, Acting Historic Environment Record Manager

Volunteering in the HER by Christian Bamford

I started my placement as a volunteer in the HER department in September of 2013. I volunteered because I had been out of work for over a year, and needed something up to date for my CV. The staff members of the HER dept, Leonora and Charina guided me through the computer software, which looked complex at the beginning. The colour coded instructions that Leonora typed up for me at the beginning of my placement, proved to be invaluable in learning how best to type up report descriptions.

My placement was originally supposed to run up until the end of October, but I voluntarily extended my placement though November, December and to the end of January. As someone who knew next to nothing about archaeology, I would still recommend becoming a volunteer.

Christian Bamford, A2A volunteer

Merry Christmas!

We are now two-thirds of the way through our Access to Archaeology programme for 2013-2014, and we’ve had another great response - more than doubling last year’s A2A volunteer numbers. Our volunteers have been trained in the role of the HER and the planning process, and learnt how to search the records, identify existing sites and add new data to the system. They have also learnt to identify the different types of reports that exist and how to choose the relevant information to add to the record, and they have been trained in GIS software and digitisation. More than 90 reports have been digitised so far within this project, and they have been uploaded and are available to view on Archwilio now.

We’d like to thank our volunteers for all of their hard work, and I hope that they are enjoying the project as much as I am. Happy Holidays!

Leonora, Acting Historic Environment Record Manager

Volunteering in the HER by Richard Thomas

I started as a HER volunteer in October (2013) after a placement became available at the last minute. I decided to take part in the project because I wanted to get some work experience outside what I’ve been doing since I graduated in 2007.  

The project's flexible times were ideal for me, as I had already agreed to work as a volunteer at Swansea Egypt Centre and had other commitments which meant I could only take part on certain days.  Another factor was my passion for history. Helping to create records to help members of the public to have better access to the past was appealing to me. 

Despite my enthusiasm for the project I did feel nervous coming in for my first day, though.  Having only done a limited number of History modules for my degree in American Studies from Swansea University, and having no previous archaeological experience, I was concerned I wouldn’t last very long on the project. Thankfully, I needn’t have worried. Leonora, who is the project manager, is an excellent teacher, and if they awarded Olympic medals for patience and understanding she would win the gold every time, easy.  At no time did I ever feel like there was a question I couldn’t ask Leonora about, even if I had asked her the same question twice before already!

While the software went over my head initially, with the help of the easy to follow instructions Leonora typed up to help new volunteers, it wasn’t long before I knew what I was doing well enough to get on with using the HER alone without much help or oversight.

Now that I’m at ease with adding sites to the core, the most difficult part I’m told, I fully intend to finish the dates I have committed to and hope to come back next year if time permits or even perhaps participate in other GGAT projects.

Richard Thomas, A2A Volunteer