19 July 2010

Community excavation to uncover the past at City Farm

Heeley City Farm has teamed up with the University of Sheffield to offer members of the public the chance to uncover the past at a unique community excavation taking place this month (17 July-1 August 2010).

The event, which is part of the National Festival of British Archaeology, aims to shed new light on the Victorian houses that were on Heeley City Farm´s site until the 1970s, with the aim of discovering what life was like in Heeley 100 years ago.

The community archaeology project, which is now in its second year, will be overseen by archaeologists from the University, who will work hand in hand with the local community.

An important part of this year's project will be the creation of a community archive including people´s memories of Heeley City Farm and the houses that were on nearby Alexandra Road, Richards Road, Myrtle Road and Ann´s Road, in a bid to bring together past and present memories of the site for future records.

Dr Roger Doonan, from the University's Department of Archaeology, said: "You might think that there is not much to discover in Heeley but I can promise that we are in for an exciting time. This year we are going to ask a simple question-`What did people get up to 100 years ago in their back yards?´ We're expecting all sorts of answers from private moments at the bottom of the yard to evidence for hobbies and cottage industries. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I'd encourage everyone to come down and join in - no experience necessary."

Sally Rodgers, a graduate of the University of Sheffield and Community Heritage Officer at Heeley City Farm, said: "This is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to every aspect of an archaeological dig. We want people to get involved in everything from the initial survey of the whole farm site using geophysics and geochemistry, to excavation and finds processing."

Work on the project will be taking place at Heeley City Farm everyday between Saturday 17 July and Sunday 1 August 2010 between 10am and 4pm. Visitors are welcome to book a place or just come down and have a look. The team is also looking for any images or personal recollections of the area to add to the community archive. Anyone wishing to book a place or contribute should contact Sally Rodgers on 0114 303 9981 (extension 4) or 07932867750 (24 hours).