Two Affiliated Societies Win Awards

Two Affiliated Societies Win Awards

It was with great pleasure that we heard in April that two of Kent's full-time archaeological units had won awards. The Country Life award, which had previously been made to local authorities, was this year enlarged to cover professional units. Some 10 entries from all over the country were received. The winners of the Country Life award were the Oxford Archaeological Unit, for their work on Iron Age and Roman Sites in the Upper Thames Valley. Certificates of merit were also given to four runners-up, which included two from Kent.

Brian Philp writes from Dover with the following:-

"In April, it was announced that the Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit had won its 5th National Award, a certificate of Merit given by Country Life magazine as part of the British Archaeological Awards for 1981. The Unit's entry was in the professional section and outlined K.A.R.U.'s work during 10 years on 50 sites in Dover. It included details of technical and academic achievement, involvement with the public, training schools, conservation, preservation, and also publication, to mention just a few of the Unit's services for Kent County.
The Painted House scheme and the Battle to save Dover's Classis Britannica Forts also figured in the entry as did the recently published research volume Excavations of the Classis Britannica Forts at Dover, already the standard work on the Classis Britannica in Britain.
The award was for 'An Outstanding Contribution to British Archaeology' and the citation said that the Kent Unit was a large combined team of amateur and full-time archaeologists, under strong professional leadership. Mr. Philp, director of the unit, said he was delighted with the award and it stood as a tribute to the many splendid Kent people and local groups who helped with the vital work at Dover. He hoped the impressive printed certificate might be displayed in the K.A.S. library at Maidstone."

The K.A.S. has consistently supported Brian Philp's work at Dover, with individual K.A.S. members taking part in the excavations and with financial assistance in the form of grants. Indeed, since the first grant, when work first started at Dover in 1970, up to 1980 many thousands of pounds of the Society's money has been given to this worthwhile project. At a recent meeting of the Society's Council, a grant of a further £1,400 was approved to assist the work being carried out at Dover in advance of a major redevelopment program starting in June 1982.

The other Certificate of Merit was awarded to Kevin Blockley and Marion Day, directors of the Marlowe Project in Canterbury being carried out by the Canterbury Archaeological Trust. From April 1978 to April 1982, work uncovered a complex 3-meter deep stratified sequence of deposits containing Belgic, Roman, Saxon, and Medieval structures. This was achieved over a short time span on a limited budget. Technical merit was maintained by a skilled and often small team who either worked for low pay or as unpaid volunteers. Kevin and Marion have now moved to Avon where they are starting a Community Enterprise excavation project, funded by the Manpower Services Scheme and employing 40 long-term unemployed people.

We feature elsewhere in this issue other work of the Canterbury Archaeological Trust.