Archaeology is most often thought of as the unearthing of the remains of a long-lost time or fragments of objects sitting in museum displays.
But a project in York is getting people digging to help them heal by putting them in touch with the past and connecting them with those who went before.
Archaeology on Prescription, which began in 2021, takes people including those with depression, anxiety or additional learning needs and puts them in the field as part of ‘social prescribing’.
The idea is that people with no background in archaeology can learn a new skill and improve their confidence while working together as a team and bonding along the way.
And they have reaped the rewards of unearthing finds varying from a gemstone from a Roman intaglio ring bearing an image of the god Mercury to a 1970s builder’s lunch.
Digs have been taking place at Willow House, a former care home built in the 1970s which is set to make way for an affordable housing development in around 2026.
The Walmgate site was chosen because it stands atop layers of history from the Romans to the Middle Ages and it was later home to Victorian workers’ houses.
Some discoveries have even brought accepted theories into question, including by providing evidence suggesting Roman activity was greater in the area than previously thought.
City of York Council gave the York Archaeological Trust permission to dig on the site and awarded the project a £85,000 UK Shared Prosperity Fund grant to help it continue.
The project, which is among the first of its kind in the world, previously received £120,000 from the Community Renewal Fund along with National Lottery Heritage Fund money.
Participants are referred to the project by GPs, York St John University’s Converge programme and charities such as The Hut and Blueberry Academy.
Jane Macklam and Jean Sellar-Edmunds, who both took part, spoke to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) about how it helped them.
‘More connected to York’
Jane Macklam was experiencing depression after splitting up with her partner after they relocated to York shortly before the coronavirus pandemic while also suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS).
The 53-year-old, from the Fulford area, joined the project’s pilot scheme in 2021 and has since been involved a dig on the ramparts of York’s city walls in 2023.
The dig was short-listed for the Council for British Archaeology’s Marsh Community Archaeology Awards this year.
Ms Macklam said: “I was living by myself in a city where I didn’t know anyone.
“But I’d had depression before and I’ve got enough experience with it to know that sitting at home and doing nothing isn’t the answer, I needed my days to have purpose and routine.
“I had no interest in archaeology or history before, but they fascinate me now.
“It was a bit like the first day of school to begin with, I’m not a morning person and it was quite nerve-wracking being around lots of people I didn’t know.
“But everyone was so welcoming, we had a rule that we didn’t talk about why we were there but as the months went on people started to open up.
“We took the turf off in the first week and by the second we were in the trench.
“There was something meditative about it, you’re so focused on what you’re doing.
“For the first few months we thought we’d found something but it would turn out to just be a stone, it became a running joke.
“But when you finally found something it felt amazing, it didn’t matter what it was.
“It was really interesting when you get to the point when you could see the things you’d dug up and understand what they were.
“The Roman pottery really amazed me, looking at some of it you’d think it was new the way it was made, some things and not just Roman things were made to a standard that gobsmacked me.
“I was there when someone found part of a Roman intaglio ring, the joy you felt when someone found something was wonderful.
“I did it for 18 months and now I feel much more connected to York.
“At one point while I was doing it I was sat having a cup of tea I remembered – this is me.
“I hadn’t realised how much I’d lost myself, the feeling from that moment’s stayed with me ever since.”
‘I’m hooked’
Jean Sellar-Edmunds, from Acomb, also joined the project in 2021 after dealing with depression and anxiety.
She also found Archaeology on Prescription through Converge.
The 61-year-old said: “At first I wasn’t really sure what I was going to be doing and I was worried it would be a boring classroom-type thing but they trusted us to get cracking and do it properly with trowels and all sorts.
“I was dealing with anxiety and depression before I got involved, while I was in a trench with a trowel I was so focused on what I was doing, even after the first session I felt a lot less anxious.
“It was a relaxed atmosphere and they were really good at adapting it so people felt comfortable, they’re determined to get as many people involved with it as possible.
“History and archaeology were entirely new to me but having come through the project I’m now hooked.
“One of the most fascinating parts was learning how to tell the difference between what we found, whether something was Roman or medieval.
“We were turning up a mixture of older and more modern objects at Willow House, we even sound some 1970s crisp packets that were probably left by builders while they were having their lunch.
“I found part of a medieval jug during one dig, I was able to find a picture in a book showing what it would have looked like as a whole object.
“It was amazing to think this would have been in someone’s house and they would have touched and used it.
“We also found a medieval roof tile with a dog’s paw print on it, I could imagine someone yelling at the dog as it ran across it.
“I’d encourage anyone else to do it if they get the chance, and you won’t be judged for what you’re going through.”
‘Archaeology is about people’
Ian Milsted, head of community engagement at York Archaelogical Trust, has been involved with the project since its inception in 2021.
He said the trust was working to continue the project into 2025 and beyond.
Mr Milsted said: “The idea for Archaelogy on Prescription has been floating around for a while.
“I’m an archaelogist and I love it, but we decided to offer this because when you’re in a group whose starting something from scratch and learning together it releases the chemicals in your brain that help you feel better.
“Archaelogy is about people and what they’ve left behind, by exploring that we can connect with them and with ourselves.
“One of the oldest things we’ve found is a Bronze Age flint arrow head which is between 4,000 and 4,500 years old and salt and shake crisp packet from the 1970s.
“They were different answers from different times to the same problem- what to do when you’re hungry.
“Willow House was chosen because it’s accessible and it’s a nice place to be as well as having the whole York story through all the layers of history beneath the ground.
“York is a hugely historical city, people like to be a part of it and one of the things we’ve heard from participants in the project is that it’s helped them to feel a part of something that’s bigger than themselves and meaningful.”
City of York Council’s economy and culture spokesperson Cllr Pete Kilbane said the results of the project had been transformative for those who had taken part.
The council executive member said: “The rich tapestry of York’s long history is something that belongs to all of us.
“It is truly inspiring to see how this project is empowering residents to take an active role in learning more about the people who’ve shaped the city over centuries.”