The Big Dig: Dates Announced!

2015 is here, meaning we are getting ever closer to The Big Dig getting underway in Calderstones Park. A buzz of excitement built before Christmas thanks to the ever popular and mysterious Calder Stones, with many local enthusiasts enjoying a special tour and talk of the Stones by lamp light in the park with special guest, archaeologist and prehistory expert Dr George Nash.

With enthusiasm for discovery well and truly sparked, we can now announce when The Big Dig itself will be taking place. Get the dates in your diary!

The Big Dig will be happening from Monday 27^th April to Friday 8^th May 2015. Anyone and everyone is welcome to take part in the project – the very first time that Calderstones will be open and accessible to the public for historical excavation. The park has never been built on, meaning that we could find anything under our feet, perhaps even evidence of the first humans who lived in the area – relics from the earliest Scousers!

Before the two weeks of digging begin there’s plenty of preparation coming up to get involved in and clued up on the excavation processes. On 19^th January we held our Monday Mapping session at the Mansion House, with archaeologists from the Museum of Liverpool on hand to share their expertise and telling us about the Museum’s Interactive Map of Merseyside. It was a great turn out and wonderful to see so many people interested in getting mapping.

No need to fret if you missed out as there’ll be lots of other great events coming in the run-up to the Big Dig, with the first happening very soon around the corner.

The Museum of Liverpool will be holding four free tours of their prehistoric collection on Thursday 29^th January, including the chance to get up close and hands-on with some replicas of the Calder Stones themselves. Tours will be held at 11am, 12pm, 2pm and 3pm.

If you’ve always been intrigued by archaeology, come and get an insight into a day in the life of an Archaeologist at Ready to get Digging on Thursday 19^th February at Calderstones Mansion House from 2-4pm. Learn all about the tricks of the trade, including how to prepare for an excavation and how to choose where to dig.

Also at the Mansion House, join Ron Cowell – Curator of Prehistory at Museum of Liverpool – to delve deeper into the lives of the earliest people in Liverpool. Ron will be giving a talk about the Calder Stones and Merseyside during the Stone Age on Thursday 5^th March at 7pm.

Lots to get involved with! All the events are free entry, and you can register online at http://www.thereader.org.uk/events and http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/mol/events