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Tunnel Warfare: World War One’s Secret Underground Landscape

  The turfed up landscapes, harrowing scenes of battle, fortified strongholds, mines and barbed wire are well known features of World War One. But the extent of war digs deeper than that…. much deeper!…

BARB-ARIC! A Brief History of Barbed Wire

Few things are more emblematic of WW1 and the barbarism of modern warfare than the black and white images of soldiers crowded into narrow trenches, overlooked by a fence of barbed wire. By 1918…

Posters and Propaganda in World War One

Plastered on every available surface, from factory walls to Nelson’s column, propaganda posters were more than a simple and effective way of conveying messages; they were a powerful tool deployed by the British government…

Lost Art of WW1

Forgotten artworks of World War One are stark reminders of a generation of the men whose creativity flourished in the face of new forms of brutality. The events of 1914 saw a dramatic change in the…

Mick Aston’s Advice to Would-be Archaeologists

We’ve been reflecting on Mick Aston’s legacy as an outstanding archaeologist, outspoken educator, and overall cool cat. DigVentures was started with a huge amount of inspiration from the ‘Aston Approach’ to learning, doing, and…
Leiston Abbey Photogrammetry

Photogrammetry for Archaeologists

Is there anything stinkier than the stinky smell of wet stinking permatrace? Otherwise known as drafting film, the strong, durable and waterproof qualities of ‘permatrace’ make it an absolutely essential piece of an archaeologist’s…

Soldier Souvenirs of the Great War

Us British folk love a good holiday souvenir, and though World Wars One and Two were certainly no minibreak, the drive to collect keepsakes and tokens seems to have been just as strong. More…

Remembering D-Day

On 6th June 1944, thousands of Allied troops descended upon the beaches of Normandy, marking the start of ‘D-Day’ – a major offensive against the Hitler’s “Fortress Europe”. But what happened and what was…
#WorldWarWednesday – Marvelous Medical Advances

#WorldWarWednesday – Marvelous Medical Advances

In rare cases, the horrors of war can  bring about surprisingly positive results, such as DV  guest columnist Sarah Ashbridge’s topic for this week’s #WorldWarWednesday: Marvelous Medical Advances World War One was the first…

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#WorldWarWomen

So far in #WWWednesday, we’ve looked at soldiers and extraordinary individuals during the war. But how did the war affect the general public? WWI changed the lifestyle of the British woman from a life…

Shell Shocking – a blast from the past for #WWWednesday

  Welcome to #WWWednesday! Conflict archaeologist and DV guest columnist Sarah Ashbridge takes a closer look at what caused the infamous ‘thousand yard stare’… Consider this: approximately 9 million men lost their lives during…

Man’s Best Friend in World War One

By 1918 up to 20,000 dogs were employed by the British Army, working alongside the soldiers of World War One.  Military dogs became so important that in 1917 the War Dog School of Instruction…

Last Orders at the Bar

Welcome to #WWWednesday! Conflict archaeologists and DV guest columnist Sarah Ashbridge takes a closer look at the role of alcohol in the trenches of WWI. It’s a rum lot! It is safe to say…
Plug Street – the Ballad of the Unknown Soldier

Plug Street – the Ballad of the Unknown Soldier

Following last week’s #WWWednesday feature describing the latest scientific methods for identifying fallen WW1 soldiers, forensic archaeologist Sarah Ashbridge explains how these new techniques have been used at Plug Street in Flanders. Our story…
The DNA of World War One

The DNA of World War One

With the wealth of war letters and literature now readily available online, it is easier than ever to reconstruct the detailed lives of our heroic ancestors. But with an estimated 100,000 soldiers still unidentified…
Back in Britain – Changing Lives at Home in #WWI

Back in Britain – Changing Lives at Home in #WWI

Welcome to this week’s #WWWednesday! This week, we are sharing our most recent #WWI obsession the ‘Back in Britain’ tumblr site run by DCMS. Part of the Government’s prgramme to mark the First World…
The Great War DigVentures

Daddy, what did YOU do in the Great War Anniversary?

With the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War One approaching, the DigVentures ‘Op’s Room’ has been abuzz with plans to help community groups commemorate and investigate the archaeological legacy of the Great…
DigVentures WW1

The Great War – Black and White or Shades of Grey?

My enduring memory of growing up in the Seventies was that everything that happened prior to 1945 happened in Black and White. It must have. I’d seen the primary evidence in all its monochrome…

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