Kibworth Dig Frequently Asked Questions
Whether you have a garden in Kibworth or Smeeton Westerby you want to dig or if you are interested in digging in someone else’s garden you will find all you need to know here.
Can anyone undertake the dig?
Yes, any family or individuals can undertake the dig by following the easy to follow instructions contained in the Field Handbook. It's more fun to do it as a group - your children, other family, friends, neighbours, colleagues from work – anyone really. A group of three or four people per site is a good number. Recording results in the Record Book is easy and straightforward.
It is highly recommended that you attend the 1 hour Instruction Talk at 10 am at Kibworth Grammar School Hall on Saturday 25th July. Carenza and her team will clearly explain how to measure out, lift the turf, dig, sieve and record your finds. There are also important but basic Health and Safety aspects to draw to everyone’s attention.
Do I need a garden to participate?
Not necessarily. If you have a garden that you think is suitable, please register it with us. The test pit can be sited anywhere in your garden you chose – on a lawn, in the driveway, in a flower bed or even under the patio!
If you don’t have a suitable garden we still want to hear from you. We have many particularly interesting historical gardens where the owners are unable to dig themselves but are prepared to allow others to dig.
What tools do I need?
a spade (to lift the turf if the proposed site is under lawn)
a trowel
a garden sieve
some tarpaulin or plastic sheeting to contain the dug out soil.
a tape measure
string
4 fixing pins or nails to mark out the test area are also required
We will be able to provide some sieves, trowels and plastic sheeting for those who don’t have their own.
How big is the test site?
The test pit is only 1 metre square and 1 metre deep and the soil is removed in 10 cm layers and placed on the tarpaulin or plastic sheeting.
If I chose to dig under my lawn, will it damage it permanently?
Not at all. If the turf is lifted and stored carefully, it can be replaced without any permanent damage. The limited amount of spoil created is deposited on the tarpaulin or plastic sheeting preventing any damage to the lawn.
At the end of the dig, the hole is back filled and if the turf is replaced neatly, the site will be invisible in a few weeks.
How long will it take?
One or two days depending on how quickly you work. Generally it’s a weekend’s activity if taken slowly. Many people finish their excavation by Sunday lunchtime but if you have leisurely lunches, you can stretch it out to tea-time on Sunday. Get the whole family involved and no-one has to work too hard!
What happens if I don’t finish over the weekend?
Nothing, you can finish later at your leisure or stop where you are. Obviously for complete results, we would like you to get to a metre in depth but it’s not essential. It’s more important to ensure that the results are carefully recorded for the level you get to than getting to 1 metre down.
What do I do with my finds?
The finds are washed and recorded by you. If they are especially interesting we will analyse them and return it to you, if requested.
What happens if I uncover something that I think could be significant?
You stop digging immediately and call us! We will send an expert to your test site to advise you and possibly a camera crew to record the rare find.
Do I have to be filmed?
Not necessarily. Obviously we would like to film the community of Kibworth digging but if you don’t want to be seen on camera, that is fine. Please tell us at the Instruction Session if you don’t want to be filmed otherwise we will assume that you don’t mind.
What are you hoping to discover?
If we have 20 pits in each of the villages Harcourt, Beauchamp, Smeeton Westerby we will be able to discover important information about the historical development of your villages showing periods of growth and decline over the ages. We might even find out when the villages began - did Kibworth have a Roman predecessor? When might Cybba have lived (after whom Kibworth is named). When did the Viking farm at Westerby start? And how long ago were the Anglo-Saxon blacksmiths first start plying their trade in Smeeton?
This community archaeological survey, along with other research we are undertaking for this series, will help us to complete the most detailed look at the history of one place in England over 1500 years but we can only do it with YOUR help. It will firmly establish your villages on the historical map of England!
All the results from the test pits will be collated, analysed and carefully recorded by Access Cambridge Archaeology at the University of Cambridge but before then on Sunday afternoon when everyone’s finished there’ll be a short get-together providing the chance for everyone to find out what everyone else has found, and to discover what Michael and Carenza think it might all mean.
How do I register?
Please call Stephen Butt on 07 982 845 112 and tell him where you intend to dig. We would like to plot where all the test pits are being dug so we can be sure that we are covering the most historic areas of the villages and of course be able to get to you quickly when you find something significant!
You can also register by email. Please send an email to: england@mayavisionint.com with your name, address and a contact phone number.
When will I see the series on television?
We will be completing the series in July 2010. The BBC will probably transmit it in the Autumn 2010.
Are you doing any other Community events for the programme?
Yes, we have other plans that will be revealed as we progress through the production. Please keep an eye out the local media and our website for up to date information.
I have a question that's not been covered by the above answers!
Please email your question to us and we will answer you directly.
england@mayavisionint.com
Or if you want to learn more about archaeology, archaeologists, what they find and what it tells us, just click here: Can You Dig It?