Leicester Archaeological Services

Leicester Archaeological Services
Name	Leicester Archaeological Services
Formation	1970s
Type	Archaeological unit
Location	Leicester, Leicestershire, England
Region served	East Midlands
Leader title	Director
Parent organisation	University of Leicester

Leicester Archaeological Services is a professional archaeological unit based in Leicester, Leicestershire, delivering fieldwork, post-excavation, and heritage consultancy across the East Midlands and beyond. It operates within the framework of university-affiliated commercial archaeology, undertaking excavations, surveys, and community archaeology projects for local authorities, developers, and museums. The unit interfaces with national bodies and regional stakeholders to contribute to archaeological research, curation, and public engagement.

History

Leicester Archaeological Services traces its origins to university-led initiatives at the University of Leicester and the archaeological legacies of the Leicester Museum & Art Gallery, the Leicestershire and Rutland Architectural and Archaeological Society, and the post-war rescue archaeology movement associated with figures like Martin Biddle and institutions such as the Institute of Archaeology (UCL). Its development parallels national frameworks including the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 and the establishment of planning guidance like Planning Policy Guidance 16 and later National Planning Policy Framework. The unit expanded through collaborations with regional bodies such as Leicestershire County Council, Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, Charnwood Borough Council, and national heritage organisations including Historic England and the Museum of London Archaeology. Major influences include broader trends exemplified by the Portable Antiquities Scheme, the rise of developer-funded archaeology in the 1990s, and methodological shifts promoted by projects like the Time Team television series and the academic programmes at the School of Archaeology and Ancient History, University of Leicester.

Services and Activities

Leicester Archaeological Services provides archaeological evaluation, watching briefs, excavation, geophysical survey, building recording, Finds Processing, and environmental sampling to clients including National Grid, Network Rail, Highways England, and local planning authorities such as Leicester City Council. It offers specialist advice on Scheduled Monument consents, mitigation strategies for developments like those by Hammerson plc and Barratt Developments, and prepares heritage statements for statutory consultees including Historic England and Natural England. The unit supports museum accession and conservation standards used by institutions like the British Museum, the National Trust, and the Ashmolean Museum, and contributes to archaeological databases such as the Arts Council England collections and the Centre for Archaeology (English Heritage) legacy records.

Major Projects and Excavations

Notable projects include urban excavations within the Leicester historic core adjacent to Leicester Cathedral, investigations near King Richard III discovery contexts, work on Roman and medieval remains comparable to excavations at Vindolanda and Silchester (Roman town), and mitigation excavations for infrastructure schemes such as the M1 motorway upgrades and rail interventions linked to East Midlands Railway and HS2 proposals. Fieldwork has engaged with industrial archaeology at sites associated with British Rail depots, post-medieval canal works like the Leicester Navigation, and landscape archaeology in the vicinity of Bradgate Park and Bosworth Field. Collaborative digs and research have connected with projects at Butt Road, Colchester, Fishbourne Roman Palace, and rural programmes paralleling work by Wessex Archaeology and Oxford Archaeology.

Methodology and Techniques

The unit employs techniques standardised by organisations such as the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists and uses geophysical methods popularised by projects like Magnetometry surveys at Stonehenge and aerial survey practices associated with the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England. Field methods include stratigraphic excavation influenced by principles articulated by Mortimer Wheeler and Valerie Maxfield, bulk sampling and palaeoenvironmental techniques taught in courses at the University of York and University of Sheffield, and artefact conservation approaches aligned with protocols at the Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA). Finds processing integrates ceramic analysis comparable to frameworks at the British Ceramic Research Association and specialist osteoarchaeology informed by standards used at the Museum of London and the Natural History Museum.

Staff and Organization

Staffing encompasses field archaeologists, finds specialists, environmental archaeologists, osteoarchaeologists, conservators, illustrators, and post-excavation managers trained through partnerships with academic centres including the University of Cambridge, the University of Birmingham, and the University of Nottingham. Governance has liaised with university departments such as the Department of Archaeology, University of Leicester and oversight bodies like the Arts and Humanities Research Council. Directors and senior staff have collaborated with external professionals from organisations such as English Heritage, Historic Scotland, and professional networks including the Society of Antiquaries of London and the British Academy.

Partnerships and Community Outreach

The unit works with heritage organisations including the Leicester Museums Service, Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, Community Archaeology Project initiatives, and education partners like De Montfort University and local schools. Public engagement has featured volunteer programmes, open days, lectures at venues such as New Walk Museum, and contributions to media projects echoing public archaeology outreach demonstrated by Time Team and BBC programmes. Partnerships extend to conservation agencies like the Environment Agency and local trusts such as the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust.

Publications and Reporting

Reports, grey literature, and monographs produced by the unit follow guidance from bodies such as the Historic Environment Record networks and reporting standards set by the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists. Outputs include client reports lodged with the Leicestershire Historic Environment Record, articles in regional outlets like the Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, and contributions to national journals that engage with research published by the Council for British Archaeology, Antiquity (journal), and university presses including Cambridge University Press and Oxford University Press. The unit disseminates findings through conferences sponsored by organisations such as the Society for Medieval Archaeology and the Roman Finds Group.

Category:Archaeological organisations in England Category:University of Leicester