Excavations & Finds

Archaeology is not just about excavation: there are many techniques we can use to understand the historic environment before we even touch a trowel: analysis of standing buildings, aerial survey, landscape investigation and geophysical survey.

Once these techniques have told us as much as they can, English Heritage's archaeologists are responsible for carrying out the next step: excavation. Our work ranges from nationwide studies of research themes to the detailed study of individual finds. We make all our findings available to others through a range of publications. We also provide archaeological expertise and advice to our colleagues within English Heritage, to other archaeologists, and to the wider public.

Once excavated, the artefacts and ecofacts we discover can be subjected to further research in the laboratory through a whole range of scientific techniques, including scientific dating (radiocarbon and tree-ring dating).

To find out about our recent research projects, see Latest Projects.
You can find summaries of all our work in the Publications & Reports section.