Field Archaeologists work on excavations – they dig, record and monitor evidence for the past. But not all archaeologists dig holes. There are many different areas of archaeology in which people work and roughly 5000 people work as archaeologists in the UK today. Click through the images below to get an idea of the different jobs people have:

dig, 648 Photos

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Burial (2120) Context (2104) Context (2034) Burial (2106) Ruth & Will sampling deposit (2137) Tomas & Anies at work on their chalk-lined burial The Prescot Street site looking East East end of Zone 4 East along Prescot Street towards the BT Radianz building The construction is well under way in what was our Zone 1 Tiny machines and giant props The North West corner of the old Zone 1 - it's VERY deep! Across Zone 4 facing West Zone 4, looking South West Looking directly West across site Planning Zone 4 Across Zone 4 looking North East Context (2044) Context (1930) Context [1967] Context [1971] Context [1972] Context [1956] Context [1954] Context [1953] Context [1555] - a mysterious brick-lined feature Detail of [1952] a mysterious brick-lined feature Context (1308) Context [1973] Taking samples Context (2000) Context [1444] Urn in [2008] Context [2013] - a pit Zone 4 facing North Context (2000) another mysterious feature Context (2029) - a truncated inhumation Context [2008] Across the construction site looking North West View across site looking North West Gherkin, piling rig and archaeologist. The far North East end of site Zone 4, facing Prescot Street Zone 4 Far East end of site Far East end of site in Zone 4 of the excavation Gary's goat Gary's lead goat Context (1930) Post-medieval drainage feature in Zone 4 Across site looking north west North East corner of Zone 4 Pitland in Zone 4 Looking South West across Zone 4 South east end of site in Zone 4 Zone 4 South East Looking south across Zone 2 [1250] base of a soak-away [1265] Roman pit Working shot looking south east across site [1258] Domed brick lined soak-away Site looking east along southern limit of excavation [1252] Yet another soak-away Across site, looking east Working shot looking south east Looking south across Zone 2 A spot of light (expertly supervised) machining... Gary was hypnotised by the big yellow machine... [1222] Pit with votive offering Anies actually does work sometimes too. Chaz holding the prism for David H Pooley shovelling technique #1 #2 #3. Ionut remains unimpressed. [1222] being dug by Liz Greg and Adrian [1222] and Liz [1222] and Liz Site shot looking south south-west Claire, from our Chester office, getting a piece of Prescot action View across site looking south Top part of an amphora, from Greg's big pit Greg doesn't look too pleased about his amphora [1169] Site looking north west Zone 2 north end David planning a nasty splodge Gary Adrian and Greg helping the metal detectorist Gary in the stone lined pit Stone lined pit again Stone lined pit Context 958 Site shot east north-east Anies excavating a stone lined pit Construction cut 1139 Construction cut 1139 Our David - archaeologist, artist and my new flatmate. Site shot looking north north-west Adrian and Ashley in context 1142 Liz hoeing Greg cleaning context 958 Iancu in context 1139 Across Zone 2 looking south Adrian Fergal and Liz working on a soak-away Ruth working on her horncore-lined soakaway (1098) 18th century horncore-lined soakaway (1098) 18th century horncore-lined soakaway (1098) looking west Liz and site facing west across what was Zone 1 The latest horn core pit Ruth recording the latest horn core pit Ashley Working shot Site looking north north east Gary trying to catch up on his paperwork...about time too Anies trying to work out an edge David pauses..reflects. Liz sampling an unurned cremation Greg taking a 1 metre box sample through cultivation soil Ruth working on another horn core pit Site shot looking east across Zone 2 Fergal's soakaway (1095) Cremation burial (1051) being excavated by Paula Paula's cremation (1051) ready for its geo-photo Close up of Paula's cremation (1051) Lukasz at work Ruth recording a scatter of cremated bone David sampling a possible cremation Site shot west south west Fergal & Iancu pausing to ponder the meaning of it all... Another soak-away. What fun. Context (1095) if you were interested. The site office ?20th Century post medieval walls - part of South Tenter Street The side of my head Inhumation (1083) with the head resting on a tile Inhumation (1083) (1083) Second big quarry pit (1064) Ashley working on (1083) Tom's poorly preserved Roman burial with only long bones present Gary's inhumation waiting to be geo-photographed Votive deposit (1083) with flagon and black burnished platter Liz's inhumation (1006) Lukasz's inhumation (1032) with pot at feet David's cremation (1087) see journal for further details Paula's cremation (1051) David's cremation (1087) A sample bucket full of sampled goodness Sample 36 ready for delivery to L - P : Environmental A sample bucket (1032) Łukasz's current project Gary excavating another skeleton (1039) Cremation? Skeleton (1032) Łukasz excavating Roman skeleton (1032) Ancillary vessel within cremation burial, probably an offering of some kind Ancillary vessel within cremation burial, probably an offering of some kind Site shot looking south west Reducing the ground level in Zone 2, looking west Looking north across Zone 2; Tom in a soak-away, Lukasz clearing modern drains View north; David digging a Roman linear feature Anies carefully supervising Fergal's shovelling techniques Paula digging a post-medieval brick-lined pit Evaluation trench 2 from 2006 - view north View north - post holes - possible Roman graves and evaluation trench View west - see the lovely site hut... Working shot across site Ashley removing backfill from 2006 evaluation trench 2 Zone 2 looking North West Zone 2 looking North Zone 2 looking North East Zone 2 North Zone 2 South Zone 2 looking East Zone 1 being backfilled Zone 2 looking North IMG_3578.JPG IMG_3578.JPG A big shiny digger Lucasz cleaning up Work starting in Zone 2 Zone 1 completed South end of site Site looking east View east across site View north across site Huge ?16th Century quarry pit The team What a lovely team we have Look at Lucasz isn't he small? Working Shot Quarry Pit Working Shot Working Shot Section Analysis East of Zone 1 Quarry Pit Cut into Quarry Pit Cleaning Quarry Pit South End of Quarry Pit Working Shot, Greg and Iancu Working Shot North End of Quarry Pit Working Shot of Paula Working Shot of Greg A very pointy sole from the big quarry pit Very pointy sole A shoe folded on itself Sole and part of the vamp Liz in the organic fill Working shot looking north Leather about to be removed from the pit Lukasz A sample of the leather from the organic fill Some of the leather, with lots of soles and vamps Excavating the big quarry pit Working shot zone 1 north end Working shot zone 1 north end Working shot Working shot looking north Working shot looking north CIMG2913.JPG Bottom of a well Palaeo- or periglacial channel section Roman Burial (870) Roman Burial (870) Roman Burial (868) Pit Anies has plans Ashley Pooley, the giant Greg and Paula Fergal and Sara Iancu Johanna Tom and the big black organic fill Liz sorting through the leather offcuts in an organic black fill at base of quarry pit Rich organic deposits Taking samples from the organic fill 642 Zone 1 looking North East L - P : Barrows Grave cut? Fergal recording barrel ring Fergal's rusty ring Edge of pit 799 Pit 797 after excavation ?Ditch? Zone 1 southern half Zone 1 northern half Brick Drain Brick Drain Working shot Anies and Liz remove a late drain Lorna holding a cremation urn Pitland looking South East Working shot looking South Roman levels after cleaning Pit Georgian Building Georgian Building Silt trap? Gravel Pit Linear feature 572 Floor of outhouse Floors Gravel Pit Burial 735 Outbuilding Floors Outhouse floor Linear feature 572 The big quarry Silt trap? Zone 1 northern half Zone 1 southern half Large square pit Burial 741 Burial 741 Burial 745 Barrel lined feature Burial 764 Using muscles he didn't know he had Tom in his pit Tom's post-medieval pit Paula in her big pit Guy on site Lucasz and his big pit Anies Hassan Working shot looking east Gary Webster Sara Clancy Zone 1 south end Zone 1 north end Pitland Pitlandia Ready for its closeup Cleaning after the rain The big quarry Tackling the big quarry Zone 1 southern half Zone 1 northern half Tom Lucas Burial 741 under excavation Digging a burial Greg digging Greg digging 741 Disarticulated bones within the fill of burial 741 Disarticulated bones Empty grave (after excavation) Burial 741 Zone 1 northern half Zone 1 southern half Burial 741 without archaeological furniture Burial 741 Linear feature cut by drain More Georgian drains Paula next to burial 735 Gary and his latest big pit Inside sherd Exotic Import? Chaz Face The big quarry (looking south) Zone 1 looking South East Quarry pit cut by horn core pit Zone 1 southern half Zone 1 from the canteen Drains Zone 1 looking South West Linear feature Zone 1 looking North West Outhouse Action shot Boxing out a sample Completed quarry pit Over there Lifting a cremation Lifting a cremation Anies and the videography project Planning Looking East from the canteen Zone 1 looking North East Zone 1 looking North Site meeting Using a dumpy level Preparing to use the big yellow trowel The South Tenter Street end Chaz and Liz Looking north east Looking south east over the site Fergal Looking north Linear feature Fergal Fergal Fergal Fergal recording a building Anies and Chaz John and Gary Chaz and Anies John (Ionut) and Gary Lorna Richardson Chaz Morse Sara Clancy Guy Hunt Andy Dufton Ashley Pooley Greg Crees Elisabet Schager Pitland Looking South Looking South East Looking North Prescot Street Building Working shot Working shot Its a mattock, and yes, it's Gary Webster holding it. How we miss his hair The big quarry Pits Zone 1 looking South West Zone 1 working shot Some work in education and outreach Some analyse finds from excavations Some work for the police or army as forensic archaeologists Some work as researchers and lecturers Some specialise in underwater archaeology Some work for the local council or national agencies such as English Heritage Some manage archaeological sites Some archaeologists work in museums Some are field archaeologists like Greg. Site view south east Site view south east Site view north east Bless. Say Crees! Quarry pit Newly discovered house foundations The mighty pittage at the NW side Quarry pit Mysterious linear feature Floor close up Uncovering floors Narrow soakaway Working shot with Netlon Netlon Northern edge Brick Lined Soakaway 08042008683 Half Moon Passage / Alie Street Half Moon Passage / Alie Street Rear of Half Moon Passage View over the quarry Emptied pits Evaluation Trench Cleaning Cleaning Looking North East Ashley with Linear Looking South West Quarry edge & Soakaway Working Shot Working Shot South West Corner Zone 1 General View North West Corner Paula and Jan Looking north east across zone 1 Paula hitting it with a mattock Sara and pit Liz exhibiting her hoeing techniques Lucasz Picture 002 Images 17th April 2008 007 Images 17th April 2008 006 Images 17th April 2008 005 Images 17th April 2008 004 Images 17th April 2008 003 Images 17th April 2008 002 Images 17th April 2008 001 Clancy's Pit Prescot Street Cellars Tenter Street Walls Ashley drawing a section Zone 1 Horn Core Pit Zone 1 Clancy's Pit Tenter Street Buildings Tenter Street Wall Fergal in his soakaway Fergal He loves it really Sara Paula Images 15th April 2008 001 Chaz and Paula View from canteen Ashley and Lucasz Paula in her soak-away Greg and his hi vi trousers Chaz and Fergal Ashley and Lucasz Looking north across zone 1 Fergal and Chaz CIMG2689 Looking south across Zone 1 Gary's horncore pit Gary's horncore pits Georgian drainage system Culvert Culvert Inside the culvert Gary hard at work Fergal Detail of pit Rubbish pit? And another soak-away/well Another soak-away/well Sara in her Soak-away Horn-core pit #2 Drainage pit? Sara's Soak-away Sara CIMG2672 CIMG2671 CIMG2670 CIMG2669 CIMG2668 Silt trap? Manhole? Soak-away Even more pits Sara & Ashley at work A very large pit Pits Working shot