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`Mapping Medieval Chester' (MMC) investigated the relationship between identity and place in this multi-lingual, multi-cultural frontier city. The research interested local museums, the County Council, residents and visitors to the city, and the wider public via online resources. A formal partnership with a museum and collaboration with the council led to an AHRC Knowledge Transfer Fellowship (£173,000) to fund new impact activities, including a major exhibition and new digital resources. A permanent art installation involving community input was created with £63,000 match funding from local sources. Hence MMC research has informed heritage policy, created new art from research, engendered new understanding of cultural artefacts and spaces, and contributed to public discourse and economic regeneration.
Stephen Driscoll's archaeological research has driven conservation and regeneration campaigns in the Glasgow area of Govan, raising public awareness of Govan's important cultural heritage resources and its status as one of the earliest sites of Christian worship in Northern Britain. His work has been instrumental in achieving Scheduled Ancient Monument status for Govan Old Churchyard, has influenced urban regeneration efforts — in particular the formal establishment of the Govan Conservation Area by Glasgow City Council — and has helped to establish a sustainable future for Govan Old Church as a museum housing significant early medieval sculpture.
An archaeological research project that led to the discovery of a buried and forgotten 17th-century town of international importance adjacent to Dunluce Castle on the north coast of Ireland has led to the development of school and community based archaeological initiatives in Northern Ireland and Scotland, changes in school curricula in NI, and significant investment in heritage preservation and tourism by the NI government and the Heritage Lottery Fund. Specifically, the HLF has provided £300k of funding to develop a £5m bid for development of the site, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) have invested £208k for new interpretation and improved facilities, and the NIEA has spent £200k to buy the adjacent land beside the castle which contain the buried town and associated structures and to facilitate the expansion of a major research project led by the University of Ulster. Additionally, to date 27 schools and 18 different community groups have participated in an archaeological excavation program based at Dunluce; as a consequence 4 of the latter have received AHRC funding to continue their community based archaeological work.
Utilising the results of large-scale research programmes by Barry Cunliffe and his Oxford team, the museum facilities connected to both Brading villa and Danebury hillfort bring to life the Iron Age and Roman periods for the general public. In addition, they promote substantial learning into key periods in prehistory, and during Britain's incorporation into the Roman empire, which are often neglected.
Cunliffe's work has had fundamental impact through first the establishment and then the shaping of two museum facilities: the Museum of the Iron Age in Andover and a Visitor Centre at Brading. The work at Danebury is of long-standing origin, and began in 1968, but has been given significant new impetus since 2011 by a substantial HLF grant, which has created new educational materials, guided site visits and online resources. The excavations at Brading took place between 2008 and 2010 and were fundamental to the development of the new Visitor's Centre. Both facilities use recent finds and visual representation to give a more enriched sense of community life in these localities over a millennium and a half, starting at around 1000BC.
The research has had educational impact on visitors to these two museum facilities, including large numbers of school children, the general public, and archaeology and museum professionals, and on individual volunteers who have worked on the sites. By attracting visitors to the sites and museums, the research has also improved the experience of local tourists.
In September 2012, the announcement that human remains discovered under a Leicester car park could be those of King Richard III (d. 1485) generated worldwide interest which grew to a frenzy when identification was confirmed in February 2013. This case-study illustrates the role played by the UoA in realising and maximising the impacts that arose from this remarkable discovery, namely: 1. direct economic benefits; 2. boosting local identities and sense of place; 3. changes in local and regional heritage and tourism; 4. stimulating public debate about the past, the ethics of dealing with a dead king, and the value of archaeology to contemporary society; 5. impact on schools and curricula; 6. impact on the perception of Richard III (e.g. in the theatrical profession and amongst disability campaigners); 7. stimulating partnerships across political and geographical boundaries.
Through a series of excavations, members of the School of Archaeology have enabled large numbers of the general public to become directly involved in investigating the histories of their localities, overturning the perception that archaeological research is inaccessible. This case study demonstrates a sustained, long-term commitment to working closely with, and involving local communities in a series of projects:
i. Hillforts of the Ridgeway (1995 -2000)
ii. Iron Age and Roman Marcham (2000-2011)
iii. Discovering Dorchester-on-Thames (2003 - present)
iv. The Archaeology of East Oxford (Archeox) (2009 - present)
Through these, our research has had an impact on an extensive network of members of the public whose direct involvement with our fieldwork has altered and enhanced their perception and understanding of the history and landscape of their region.
This case study builds upon co-director Professor Howard Williams' expertise in archaeologies of memory and mortuary archaeology through the archaeological fieldwork of Project Eliseg (hereafter PE). This project has transformed academic and popular understandings of a unique and striking ancient monument by: (i) creating a network of strategically designed outreach activities engaging the public with archaeological fieldwork at early medieval stone monuments, (ii) disseminating the research to a range of audiences via traditional and new media, and (iii) instigated strategies for the heritage management and conservation of an internationally important heritage site.
The University of Bradford's internationally renowned research in North Atlantic archaeology at Old Scatness, Shetland has provided a sustainable legacy for the region, enhancing awareness of Shetland's past. This innovative heritage project is a partnership between the University and the Shetland Amenity Trust and has been critical to new developments in heritage presentation on the islands. The heritage project at Old Scatness pioneered a blend of site preservation and reconstructed buildings combined with an interpretive approach that provides visitors with a stimulating and interactive experience. The consideration of what was a hitherto unknown archaeological area as a World Heritage Site demonstrates the international significance of the research and its impact.
Impact was achieved through two projects led by Dr Hardy. In December 2005 the Unit helped to establish the Folkestone People's History Centre (FPHC) to research the town's historical heritage. The enthusiastic engagement of individuals and groups in the Centre resulted in a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) supported project, `A Town Unearthed: Folkestone Before 1500' (ATU), running from December 2009-March 2013, which took over the work of the FPHC. Impact has centred on preserving, creating and interpreting cultural capital; engaging and developing local associations; creating new audiences; influencing policies towards heritage, and challenging assumptions about the history of Folkestone. The main beneficiaries have been adult learners; schools; local authorities, associations and groups; as well as national and international audiences.
Research for the UNESCO trans-national World Heritage nomination of the Silk Roads led to a radical new policy framework for undertaking serial nominations (thematic groups of sites across state boundaries). The `Silk Roads Thematic Study' transformed the attitudes of governments and heritage agencies in the region and had a major impact on conservation, management, interpretation and heritage tourism. This study was supported by a long-term site-specific project undertaken at the ancient city of Merv in Turkmenistan. By developing education strategies with local teachers and transforming national approaches to heritage (through conservation training, management planning, and interpretation) the `Ancient Merv Project' is now an exemplar of best practice throughout the Silk Roads World Heritage Project.