22nd September 2014:

OA invited the public to come and see the excavation of a Bronze Age barrow at Emmets Post in Devon. A team from OA, supported by volunteers, has been investigating the site since 1st September. The barrow lies at the very edge of a china clay pit, and so English Heritage granted Scheduled Monument Consent for its excavation, taking advantage of this rare opportunity to investigate how the barrow was constructed, used and reused.

After a cold and windy start, the sun came out and so did the crowds. In spite of its relatively remote location almost 1,000 feet up on the southern edge of Dartmoor, more than 150 people, young and old, visited the site during the day. The team from OA and Steve Reed of Devon County Council led tours of the site and answered visitors' questions throughout the day.

All in all, it was an extremely successful day ("fascinating", "very interesting", and "brill" were just some of the visitors' verdicts) and certainly demonstrated the huge interest in the archaeology of Dartmoor that exists in the area. The excavation will continue until 26th September.