Discover

WW1 Archaeology

The archaeology and military history of war in the trenches and back on the home front

10 Surprising Ways World War One Changed Our Everyday Lives Forever

Sometimes, things become so common in our everyday lives that we forget to question where they came from. When we looked around us, we were surprised by just how many things we found that…

From Playtime to Wartime: How Children Experienced WW1

It’s easy to forget that children all over the world are raised in periods of war. In our series on the archaeology of WW1, we’ve discussed the impact of war on men, women, landscapes…

Death, Disgust and the Dead Man’s Penny

Every archaeologist will know that objects can rarely be taken at face value. Here’s how an object that was intended to bestow honour upon its recipients was for many a source of offence and…

Christmas Cards from WW1

A certain supermarket’s Christmas advert (cough, Sainsbury’s, cough) which depicts the Christmas Truce of 1914 has had us all talking about representations of war, but there’s much more to Christmas on the front line…

Soldiers at Stonehenge

What on earth does a prehistoric monument have to do with WW1? Well, after digging through some archives, it turns out… quite a lot. Here’s the story of how one of Britain’s most iconic…

1914: What we really need to be thinking about 100 years later

Enough’s enough. Here’s what we really need to be thinking about 100 years after the start of World War One. Am I the only person who has had heard and seen more than enough…

How the Gurkhas Joined the British Army

Gurkhas have been part of the British Army for almost 200 years, with thousands serving during WW1. But who are they and how did they end up fighting for the British? The Gurkhas trace…

Light in Dark Places: The Role of the Padre in WW1

“My job as a padre – as the Army refers to its priests, chaplains and so on – is not to oil the wheels of war, but to help the humanity caught up in…

Prisoners of War in Yorkshire

When a small team of archaeologists went looking for prehistoric remains near Hickleton Hall in South Yorkshire, what they found took them totally by surprise: instead of an ancient site, they unearthed a previously…

Get the DigVentures Newsletter

Sign up to discover opportunities to get involved in archaeology - in your area, and beyond!

Easy opt-out at any time - Privacy Policy

Finishing School Gone Wrong! How To Be a Nazi Wife

The Nazi’s oppressive policies against anyone who didn’t fit their Aryan ideal are well known, but to what lengths did they go to uphold these standards within their culture? Women living under the Third…
Tyres © IWM (Q 28237)

20 Striking Photos of Women at Work in WW1

During World War One, more than a million women  went to work in factories, mines, laboratories and offices across the country. So what was it like? Conditions were often poor, the work arduous and…

The Industrialisation of War

Industry and warfare have always been connected; since the earliest battles it took specialised craftsmen to make weapons, and populations to feed armies. But it wasn’t until World War One that a belligerent power…

The Chemist’s War

Whether made at home from plastic water bottles or of hi-spec military grade, gas masks are today as symbolic an image of conflict as they were in WW1 when chemicals, used to irritate, immobilise…

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…

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…

Recently added video

Episode 5
Why We Dig : Episode 5

Episode 4
Why We Dig : Episode 4

Episode 3
Why We Dig : Episode 3

Episode 2
Why We Dig : Episode 2

Explore more from...

Archaeology News

Groundbreaking discoveries from archaeologists around the world

View more +

Site Diary

Fantastic finds from DigVentures own crowdfunded and crowdsourced excavations

View more +

How To

Archaeology-themed activities you can try at home, plus tips, tricks, and fieldwork hacks from the DigVentures team

View more +

Videos

Archaeology documentaries, talks and mini-series we've filmed - with help from our community

View more +

Virtual Museum

Explore our online collections and previous exhibitions... in 3D!

View more +

Publications

Final Reports, Project Designs, academic papers, and the official detail on everything we've found so far

View more +
Archaeology / In Your Hands
  • Heritage Lottery Fund
  • CIfA
© 2026 DigVentures Ltd. All rights reserved.
Close

What's On

See all the archaeology digs, talks, festivals and other events coming up at DigVentures

Courses

Learn more about digging up the past and have fun while you're doing it!

About Us

We're connecting people who love archaeology, with opportunities to do archaeology.

Our Projects

Find projects you can be part of or follow all the archaeological action with our Live Updates ›

Unearthing a Roman villa in North Wales

29 Aug - 10 Sep 2026

Round Hill Clumps

Unearthing an Iron Age village & Roman villa

13 Oct - 01 Nov 2026

Shop

Archaeology experiences and other perfect presents for people who love the past.

Discover

Why We Dig | Docuseries
Best Archaeology TV Series, Films, and Documentaries