An archaeological collaboration between The Auckland Project and Durham University has been awarded a prize by a leading academic publishing house for contributions to education and culture.

The Bishop Big Dig was part of a joint venture between The Auckland Project and Durham University called Exploring Cultural Capital through Local Communities, which has been awarded the Interdisciplinary Research Award by Emerald Publishing, a scholarly publisher of academic journals and books based in the UK.

The interdisciplinary project, part-funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, explored the social aspects of engaging with cultural heritage through archaeology and aimed to conduct meaningful research and gather knowledge of the Bishop Aukland area. Using a tried-and-tested method called ‘test-pitting’, teams dug one metre square holes and recorded what they found, supported by the local community who offered their land and gardens for research purposes.

John Castling, Archaeology Curator at The Auckland Project said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to be awarded the prize by Emerald Publishing and it means so much to our team to have their hard work recognised by such a reputable organisation.

“The results of the project have given us a wider understanding of the archaeology of the town of Bishop Auckland. It has also demonstrated the power of people engaging with archaeology and the benefits that this type of work can bring to their confidence, aspirations, sense of local identity and positive interactions with those from different social backgrounds.

“The Bishop Big Dig has not only given us crucial information about the town, but brought us even closer to our community that we relied upon to get the results – the award honours them.”

Emerald Publishing praised the joint venture for its engagement of multiple groups, including the Bishop Auckland school, King James I Academy, and commended its considerable potential for scaling up.

As well as a certificate and award to display, the prize also includes a case study of the project written by Emerald Publishing’s specialist editors, the opportunity to publish the research for everyone to access, and time with a creative designer to make the information accessible in other formats.

As part of its commitment to community and sharing knowledge, The Auckland Project hopes to use this successful approach to participatory archaeology as the foundation for The Auckland Project’s future archaeological work.

“Whilst it’s wonderful to have the results, it’s essential to share this with the community and highlight the archaeological significance of the site to as many people as possible. So, we plan to celebrate the achievements of The Bishop Big Dig later in the year and find exciting and interactive ways to share the fascinating discoveries that were unearthed with our visitors,” added John.