NEW websites have been launched to encourage local people to find out more about the history beneath their feet.
West Yorkshire Archeology Advisory Service has created two sites which have all the information needed for budding historians to get started on digging into the past.
Identifying Finds: a beginner’s guide to what to look for, provides a tips to help people date objects they find which may be of historical interest. The site includes information on how to date a wealth of items, including pottery and glass, brick, tiles and metal objects.
The second site, called Archeological Finds and the Classroom, enables schools to carry out their own archeological fieldwork and use their finds in the classroom.
These web pages provide information on a wealth of activities aimed at Key Stage 2 children, including classroom-based sessions and detailed instructions on how to conduct fieldwork.
Graham Hebblethwaite, chief officer of West Yorkshire Joint Services, which oversees the work of the Archeology Advisory Service, said: “Finding out about your own community helps build up a sense of identity and place.
“Taken together these two presentations will help schools and the public to discover the history beneath their feet.”
The beginners guide to archeology can be found at www.arch.wyts.org.uk/AdvSrv/Identifying/beginnersguide.htm. The website for educational resources for the classroom is www.archaeology .wyjs.org.uk/Classroom/introduction.htm.
The websites are only two of many educational resources available from WYAAS. To see a full list visit www.archaeology.wyjs.org.uk
