An archaeologist has hailed a publicly accessible archaeological dig at the Rose & Crown pub in St Albans as a "huge success." As part of the redevelopment of the historic pub, an excavation was opened to visitors between Friday and Monday, allowing the public to witness the unearthing of medieval and Roman artifacts, according to BBC News.
During the four-day event, which attracted approximately 2,400 visitors, volunteers from St Albans Museums discovered medieval and Roman artifacts such as pottery, tesserae, and painted wall plaster, including Roman artifacts not previously found in that area of St Albans.
Members of the public had the opportunity to see these artifacts up close. A handling table was set up at the dig for visitors to view materials freshly excavated from the site, bringing them closer to the process of archaeological discovery. Children were particularly engaged, learning about washing unearthed pottery fragments, which provided an educational and hands-on experience.
"It's just given people a chance to see it happening and to understand the planning process and then the excavation process—it's the museum's mission to share this with everybody, I think it's been a huge success," an archaeologist said, according to BBC News. He highlighted the importance of making archaeological work accessible to the public, noting that such excavations are often conducted on construction sites and away from public view.
"Planning archaeology is not usually seen in this way, it's not hidden, it's just usually on construction sites," he shared. "People don't really see it going on, but it's happening all around us all the time because it's enshrined in our planning policy. So it's good that it's been seen and everybody enjoyed it," he added.
The preparation of this article relied on a news-analysis system.