Churchyard recording at St Mary the Virgin, Norton | 2021 Ongoing
During 2021, TAS volunteers began a recording programme of the monuments at St Mary the Virgin, Norton. This is a historic church, with its beginnings in pre-Norman times and it has remained an important focal point ever since for the local community.
The TAS programme concentrates on the existing above-ground monuments. So far, following national guidelines, more than 100 monuments have been photographed, measured, described, and inscriptions recorded. Additionally, parish christening, marriage and burial records have been used (among other sources) to research brief biographies.
Belief in the North-East | Ongoing
Belief in the North-East is a new community archaeology project being delivered by the Department of Archaeology at Durham University and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The project aims to work with local people of all ages to explore the rich archaeology of the belief, religion and ritual of North-East England. Ranging from prehistoric rock art to 19th century graveyards, we hope to shed new light on the complex religious beliefs of the past populations of Teesside, County Durham, Tyne and Wear and Northumberland.
Activities involve on-line lectures and expects to engage with future indoor and fieldwork as Covid restrictions allow. You can follow the project and events on Facebook.
ICE & FIRE Eston Hills Rescue Archaeology Project | 2017-18
The Eston Hills dominate today’s industrial landscape of the Tees estuary and the rugged coastline of north-east England. The community moors, wetlands and woodlands are a wildlife haven that also bear testament to human endeavour since the end of the last Ice Age – 12,000 years ago. This is also a fragile landscape at risk from illegal off-roaders and arson.
ICE & FIRE is a community project, funded by Heritage Lottery, which aims to explore, record and celebrate the evidence for over ten thousand years of human life, death, ingenuity and persistence. This rescue archaeology venture is one of a number in Cleveland, south of the Tees.
First World War in the Tees Valley | 2016-18
This Heritage Lottery funded project aimed to engage volunteers in the identification, research and recording of First World War structures within the built environment of the Tees Valley. This area incorporates Hartlepool, Stockton, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland. The project was successful in identifying over 260 First World War sites in the Tees Valley area.
North-East Regional Research Framework for the Historic Environment: Revision Project | Ongoing
In 2006 Shared Visions: The North-East Regional Research Framework for the Historic Environment was published. It set out a vision for the future of research into the archaeology and historic environment of North-East England (Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, County Durham, Teesside and East Cleveland). It aspired to review the existing state of knowledge of the historic environment and archaeology of the region and present a series of research priorities that would help shape research and fieldwork in the world of commercial and plannning driven archaeology, academic scholarship and community engagement.
In 2016 Historic England agreed to fund Durham University to commence a revision of the original publication – taking on board the many advances and developments in the field over the last decade and offering a new vision for the future of the region’s past. This revision project will involve many of the organisations and individuals that helped create the original publication and will also reach out to engage new participants with an increased emphasis on reaching community heritage groups. The final result will be hosted on a new website allowing the findings to be easily accessed and facilitating its updating in the future.
Teesside Archaeological Society 