Men from HMP Erlestoke, a category C prison, have been taking part in a full scale archaeological excavation with experts from Wessex Archaeology as part of the Digging for Erlestoke project. 

Now, the men share their experiences of taking part in the project, giving firsthand accounts of how the project has impacted their lives and what they have learned along the way in a short film. The film also shares some of the findings from the dig, including a collection of Mesolithic flints as well as Romano-British pottery, fragments of Medieval pottery, 18th Century glass and a piece of clay pipe.     

 

Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Digging for Erlestoke has been designed to give the men taking part, and wider prison community, access to archaeology.   

Since 2023, men from HMP Erlestoke have been participating in all the different phases of a professional archaeological dig, from the initial research into site history and learning how to do risk assessments, through to excavation, finds procession, illustration and interpretation.   

Part of the project is sharing the findings of the dig with the community, and as part of that a new exhibition about the project will open at Wiltshire Museum on 2nd October, running until 4th November.  

The exhibition celebrates the journey, outputs and impact of the project, showcasing the role archaeology can play in improving the wellbeing of people in unconventional settings. The exhibition will include documentary evidence of the research process, artefacts uncovered during the recent dig, artistic interpretation of the discoveries and first-hand accounts and interpretations of what it was like to take part in the project, believed to be the first of its kind. 

The men have also contributed significantly to the final written report, which will be completed soon, and their discoveries will be a valuable addition to the Mesolithic archaeological record of Wiltshire.  

For more information about visiting the exhibition please visit the Wiltshire Museum website. Entry fees to the museum apply.