Prestongrange Community Archaeological Project

Prestongrange Community Achaelogy Project

HOW THE COMMUNITY GETS INVLOVED

Philosophy behind using volunteers

The East Lothian Museums Service and the East Lothian Archaeology Service developed the concept of the PCAP at Prestongrange. Lottery Funding has been secured with a prerequisite of the project being to foster local community participation in order that volunteers and local groups may obtain a better understanding of the history and archaeological importance of the study area. Volunteers are helped take an active part in the investigation of their local industrial heritage, allowing new skills to be developed trough a hands-on approach.

man helping a woman in a raincoat use a theodolite

Tim Neighbour (CFA) helps Mhari use a reflectorless Total Station during survey work at the Tollbooth.

three volunteers wearing hard hats digging in a trench

Excavating at the Tollbooth. Volunteers were encouraged to give a brief description of progress to the rest of the group

Backgounds

There is a core group of 20 volunteers all with varying backgrounds and include a landscape gardener; financial advisor; a school teacher; architect; and unemployed railway worker and several people now retired. Most are local to the area or live within the Lothians.

volunteers working on cleaning large rocks that make up teh harbour

New skills were developed through a hands-on approach. Here the volunteers clean part of Morrison's Haven.

volunteers using electronic survey equipment to survey the harbour area, wearing hard hats

Volunteers producing a topographical survey of Morrison's Haven under the supervision of CFA.

Varied tasks

The teams have been split into a range of different task groups according to their specific interest. These include and Archaeology Group, Local History Group and a Website/Computing Group. All members are receiving on-the-spot training in archaeological excavation techniques, including scale recording, EDM surveying and site photography.

Volunteers are being taught how to identify potentially valuable information on historic maps and plans. Members of the history task-groups will investigate local archives with the aim to provide a better understanding of the types imported and exported goods to and from Morrisons Haven during the 17th-19th century’s.

Workshops and Lectures have been provided in the Prestongrange visitor centre. In 2004 the PCAP were given a lecture on pottery manufacture in East Lothian by Mr George Haggarty a local ceramics expert. In 2005 Dr Jill Turner will give a lecture on the History of Scottish Glassmaking.

man with beard giving a lecture to people in the museum room

Mr George Haggary giving a lecture on ceramic manufacturing in East Lothian .

Dates of Fieldwork

Fieldwork begins on the 16th of April and runs ever other fortnight thereafter until September11th 2004.

Opendays

The next PCAP openday will be on the 17th and 18th September 2005 and promises to be as well attended as last year when over 300 local visitors turned up for site tours and to view our exhibition mounted by the PCAP volunteers.

volunteers in hard hats and hi visibility jackets lined up on teh harbour wall.

Group Photograph of the PCAP team after the big clean up operation at Morrison’s Haven

visitors gathered around a member of the team learnign about the project on an open day

Visitors are given a site tour of Morrison's Haven durning the 2004 openday.

Enter PCAP Interactive here

from PCAP Interactive