Welcome to the Prehistoric Northern Powerhouse
Did you know that what’s now known as Cumbria, the Pennines, and Lancashire was the hub of movement and activity and a central location within a vast network of prehistoric sites; from the monumental Stonehenge in the south, to the sea-swept houses perched in the sand dunes of Orkney, and the teetering dolmens and swirling rock art of Ireland.
As a proudly northern social enterprise, DigVentures has taken up the mission to fly the flag for this often-overlooked region of the country. The people who live and work here will know that as well as lakes, mountains, Wordsworth, and industry, this region is abundant in spectacular Neolithic stone circles, Bronze Age cairns, and standing stones that still help us feel connected to our historic landscape.
Yet, archaeological research often shows a gap in knowledge for this area of the country. When we were called in to investigate the discovery of Bronze Age artefacts in the Morecambe Bay area in 2016, we were shocked to find a blank spot on the map for similar artefacts compared to the rest of England. When we took up investigations at Long Meg stone circle in the Eden Valley in 2022, we were astounded that such a significant monument receives a fraction of the interest funding of it’s more famous sisters in the south. We think that we have our own ‘Prehistoric Northern Powerhouse’ right here on our doorsteps, and we’re determined to reorient the national focus to this so clearly overlooked part of our shared human history.
Along the way, we at DigVentures believe in the power of everyday people to shape the knowledge that we create about our pasts. That’s why when we mobilized a community of people for the Barrowed Time project in 2016, we were keen for them to lead the charge investigating this previously unknown Bronze Age monument. Nearly £150,000 was raised for the project, through a combination of grant funding and crowdfunded contributions. An amazing 208 individuals from eight different countries had their imagination captured by the call to action and dug deep into their pockets to make sure this vital piece of research was carried out to the highest standards. While just under half of these crowdfunders joined us on site to get their hands dirty and make discoveries of their own, the majority of the crowd participated from home, enjoying daily site updates and live videos with a cup of tea in hand. We think this demonstrates the huge appetite, not only of local communities, but also global ones, to come together to make this kind of work happen.
This community participation to help unearth our prehistoric Northern powerhouse presents an opportunity to showcase the amazing human history beneath our feet.
Caption: Aerial view of the Barrowed Time community excavation, looking south-west over Morecambe Bay. (DigVentures)
Author: Jodie Hannis is a Programme Officer at DigVentures, looking after North projects and creative programming. Archaeologist by day, fell adventurer by night, either way you’ll find her in the mud in the most spectacular places Cumbria has to offer.
Find out more about DigVentures at: https://digventures.com/
