13th November 2013:

Children from a south London primary school got the chance to see archaeologists in action last week at Oxford Archaeology’s excavation at the Woolwich Arsenal, where they found out about the exciting discoveries and handled some of the material recovered.

The school visit was organised by Berkeley Homes and the Greenwich Heritage Centre. At the centre, the children learnt about archaeology and the site before being led to a green zone at the edge of site, where Oxford Archaeology’s senior project manager, David Score, revealed more about the current fieldwork. The children were also shown an impressive selection of finds, including Roman coins, complete post-medieval pots, and Woolwich-stamped beer bottles.

Meanwhile, the archaeological team was excavating a massive ditch belonging to an Iron Age oppidum or defended settlement, a medieval house or hall, and later factory buildings that stood on top of the ditch until earlier the same week!

The work is ongoing, with remnants of another three medieval buildings, more factory buildings, and potentially the termini of two parallel defensive ditches to investigate. The field team is currently stripping to within five metres of the edge of the Thames, and expectations are high for further exciting archaeology.