Providing opportunities for all communities around and within the Chase & Chalke area to learn about and engage with the archaeology beneath their feet
Champions of the Past was a major archaeological project that aimed to raise awareness and inspire new volunteers by identifying and exploring new archaeological sites and features, put in place better management and help improve the condition of many sites in the area.
Project aims
- To engage with communities and individuals around and within the Chase & Chalke area to raise awareness and inspire many new volunteers who will be trained in new skills across survey, research and conservation.
- To identify, investigate and ground truth more than 200 new archaeological sites and features across the area.
- Use LiDAR to gather new archaeological information about the heritage of Cranborne Chase and Chalke Valley area.
- To leave a legacy where the remarkable archaeology of the area will be better understood, recorded, protected and managed with involvement and pride by local communities.
The Cranborne Chase LiDAR portal
Our ‘citizen scientists’ helped to discover, understand and preserve the natural and cultural heritage of the Chase & Chalke landscape, by exploring the LiDAR mapping and identifying new and exciting historical sites.
The Portal contains a series of training modules with step-by-step instructions of how to recognise and interpret archaeological features on LiDAR images to help us digitally record unmapped archaeology. The Portal hosts historic maps, aerial photographs and information on known archaeological records and gives everyone the opportunity to explore the archaeological sites of this amazing landscape.
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What is LiDAR?
LiDAR stands for light detection and ranging
The technique uses laser scanners mounted to light aircraft to send thousands of pulses to the ground to record and measure the height of the ground surface with very high resolution and accuracy.
Even the smallest of height differences on the surface of the landscape are recorded, resulting in an incredibly detailed map of the ground surface.
On-site surveys and ground-truthing opportunities
Once new sites had been identified on the LiDAR Portal our volunteers carried out systematic, on-site surveys to find and record these new features on the ground.
Volunteers were trained in ‘ground-truthing’ survey techniques and worked together with local archaeological societies, local museums and our experts to record hundreds of newly identified sites. This included visiting the site and completing a pre-prepared survey, taking photographs, and even making sketches of the site and recording observations.
Geophysical survey and excavation
Where possible, more targeted archaeological investigation of key sites were carried out.
Working with farmers and landowners, training was provided to volunteers in earthwork surveys, geophysical surveys and field walking in order to explore several sites of interest in more depth, potentially leading to small-scale excavations in key areas.
Archaeology at risk
Many monuments and known sites in our area are at risk of damage through neglect and farming practices. Working with farmers and landowners we carried out practical conservation work to sites to improve their condition and help protect them for the future. Our volunteers carried out tasks such as light clearance of scrub and fencing off neglected monuments while working with communities and landowners to develop better knowledge, appreciation and pride in the special features of their landscape.
Become a Scheduled Monument volunteer
There are still opportunities to get involved in the archaeology of Cranborne Chase. Help us identify, record, interpret and understand the unique archaeological heritage of the area.
The project is run by Rebecca Bennett from Pushing the Sensors, overseen by the National Landscape team.