Message from the Chair of the Board of Trustees

[fg]Kerry Brown[/fg]Unsurprisingly, going from our name, the main business of the Kent Archaeology Society is archaeology – teaching and sharing with others about it, undertaking it, and trying to disseminate things we learn from it. One of the changes in the last 18 months, as we have emerged from COVID-19, has been the return to supporting digs. From April onwards, the KAS was able to support two projects. The first and most extensive is the continuing work at Lees Court Estate. News about that is elsewhere in the magazine. This complex, rich, layered site has already delivered evidence of activity reaching the Neolithic Age.

It has also provided an excellent opportunity for volunteers, KAS members and the public to engage. The figures showed that over 1,000 came during the period the dig was on. The work at Trottiscliffe was briefer but also allowed for engagement and a deeper understanding of an ancient, long-inhabited landscape.

During August, the KAS supported the re- excavations and re-examination of the St Augustine site in Canterbury, asking questions about the very earliest years of the reestablishment of Christianity in England in the late 6th and early 7th century.

This has been done in partnership with English Heritage, and we hope to provide some answers to this fascinating but perplexing period.

The Society has also showcased some of the finds from recent excavations in a small exhibition at Maidstone Museum. This will continue till early next year. I encourage those who have not to go along to see the Bronze Age gold torques and bracelets that we have on display, along with some material from the recently acquired Ozengell collection. We are currently discussing with Maidstone Museum, as a result of the Memorandum of Understanding signed with them late in 2022, involvement in the new archaeology wing being planned. Hopefully, we will have more news about this in the next magazine.

In addition to all of this, the Society has new editors for Archaeologia Cantiana after the sterling work of Terry Lawson over the last decades and a new curator, Andrew Ward. We are continuing our work on upgrading our website and digitalising our collection. It is also good to see that our social media flourishes on Facebook, Instagram and elsewhere.

I look forward to bringing news of more plans for our development over the coming months, but I want to express at least, for now, the thanks of the Trustees of the Society and myself for your support for our work and its growth and development.

Best wishes,

Kerry Brown

Chair, Board of Trustees