The magic of archaeology

Good evening. Last year a group of amateur archaeologists uncovered a mysterious 12-sided object while digging in a field in Lincolnshire. The "dodecahedron" is one of the more puzzling artefacts left behind by our Roman ancestors as nobody has been able to ascertain its purpose. The find made headlines and featured on a recent episode of Digging for Britain, the TV show that has been credited with reigniting our enthusiasm for archaeology.
Broadcaster Mary-Ann Ochota caught the bug while volunteering on a dig as a teenager and it has become a lifelong passion. In her feature on the joy of archaeology, she describes the thrill of finding a Roman hairpin made of cow bone on a dig in Northamptonshire a few years ago: “I was the first person to hold it for 1,800 years – the last person to have their hands on it was probably the one who dropped it.”
The tantalising possibility of unearthing something that has not seen the light of day for 2,000 years or more is attracting increasing numbers of us to sign up for working holidays or as volunteers on a dig. Archaeology festivals, family events and open days are making these sites more accessible than ever, and no specialist knowledge or experience is required. Your chances of uncovering the next Saxon hoard or Roman mosaic may be slim, but as Mary-Ann writes, just taking the time to connect with our ancestors in the landscapes they would have known so well can be therapeutic and magical in equal measure.