Community to help dig up Stone Age remains at Whitehawk Hill

Indiana Jones wannabes can dust off their trowels in an archaeological expedition aimed at delving deeper into 5,500-year-old remains in Brighton.

Thanks to a £99,300 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, local residents are being encouraged to work with professional and skilled volunteers in finding out more about Whitehawk Hill.

The aim is to focus on the collection of objects excavated from the Neolithic site in the 1920s and 1930s.

Experts believe the land, near Brighton racecourse, used to be used for ritual ceremonies 500 years before Stonehenge was created.

It is also thought to be one of Britain’s first farming communities.

Stuart McLeod, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund South East, said: “Whitehawk Hill holds hidden clues as to the way our ancestors lived and how the community around here developed into what it is today.

“By delving into this history, volunteers will not only expand their knowledge and learn lots of new skills, but it will also provide a unique record of the area for others to learn, enjoy and be inspired by.”

The Whitehawk Camp partnership is made up of the Centre for Applied Archaeology, University College London, Brighton and Hove City Council’s Royal Pavilion and Museums and Brighton and Hove Archaeological Society.

Over the next 12 months, a series of events will take place which will focus on the biodiversity of Whitehawk Hill and the site’s relationship with the wider Downland landscape

Volunteers will also be recruited to catalogue and examine archaeological finds, undertake geophysical survey, excavate archaeological remains and carry out conservation work to the monument.

Dr Dominic Perring, director of the UCL Centre for Applied Archaeology, said: “This is what archaeology should be about: a chance for everyone to participate in the adventure of discovery on a really important site.

“There are some fantastic events planned, and we look forward to learning a lot more about what happened at Brighton in the early New Stone Age.”

Councillor Geoffrey Bowden, chairman of the council’s economic development and culture committee, said: “Whitehawk Camp, older than Stonehenge, is on our doorstep and we are delighted that, with our partners, we have been successful in securing funds to increase understanding and highlight the importance of this historical site.

“This promises to be a real community effort and there will be opportunities for people to get involved in workshops at Brighton Museum and Art Gallery to study objects excavated from the site in the 20s and 30s, a community excavation at the site, and a range of other activities.”

For more details visit www.ucl.ac.uk/caa/whitehawk-hlf.