Ready to unearth some history? Oxford Archaeology South stands as one of Europe’s largest and most experienced independent archaeology and heritage practices. It operates from three permanent offices in Oxford, Lancaster and Cambridge.
Oxford Archaeology South began as a response to a development boom in Oxfordshire in the late 1960s. The Oxford City and County Museum struggled to handle the archaeological work alone. The museum created independent excavation committees for specific development threats starting in Oxford in 1967. These committees were registered charities. They hired short-term staff and volunteers.
Several committees soon operated. They shared governing members from central and local government, Oxford University and local archaeological societies. These committees competed for funds. People realized this duplication wasted resources. They decided to pool resources to provide a county-wide service for archaeological research. Thus, the Oxfordshire Archaeological Committee and its executive arm, the Oxfordshire Archaeological Unit, formed in 1973.
In the following years, the company adapted to changing conditions. It expanded outside the county and changed its name to the Oxford Archaeological Unit. It became a limited liability company. It adjusted to new funding and embraced new technologies. The company began trading as Oxford Archaeology in 2001.
Oxford Archaeology South’s registered head office is located in Osney Mead, Oxford. This address serves as the base for OA’s Oxford office. Other offices are in Lancaster and Cambridge. From 2007 to 2011, OA also had offices in Mauguio and Caen in France.
Numbers of employees vary due to the project-based nature of the work. In 2023, OA employed over 350 people. Oxford Archaeology is a Registered Organisation with the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists. It conducts commercial archaeological fieldwork before development. It also provides other heritage-related services. Oxford Archaeology primarily operates in the UK. It has also worked on contracts around the world. These include Sudan, Qatar, Central Asia, China and the Caribbean.
Notable excavations by Oxford Archaeology include prehistoric flint scatters and a Roman bloomery at the Bexhill-Hastings Link Road. They also excavated the medieval friary of Greyfriars at Westgate Oxford and a WWI mass grave of Australian soldiers at Fromelles.
Oxford Archaeology has published around 230 monographs, reports and booklets. These publications include series like Thames Valley Landscapes and Lancaster Imprints. They contribute to other major series including East Anglian Archaeology Reports. OA also produces popular publications written in a less technical style.
Oxford Archaeology uses digital survey techniques. One notable technique is photogrammetric mapping. This creates 3D models of archaeological evidence using photographs from unmanned aerial vehicles. Other techniques include differential RTK GPS, 3D laser scanning, Lidar and Total Station surveys.
During excavations at Westgate Oxford, 3D models were created through standard archaeological survey techniques and photogrammetry. Skeletons from a late Roman and Saxon cemetery in Cambridge were recorded using photogrammetry. UAVs mapped the Greenside lead mine in the Lake District. Oxford Archaeology also uses a hand-held laser scanner with an inertial measurement unit to record building interiors. Combining photogrammetry with laser scanning allows whole buildings to be recorded in 3D.
Oxford Archaeology is a registered charitable trust with educational aims. It runs outreach and community archaeology projects. All three offices engage in outreach and public engagement. Recent highlights include the volunteer dig at Maryport Roman settlement and the Jigsaw Cambridgeshire project. This project trains and supports local archaeology societies across Cambridgeshire.
Oxford Archaeology also developed the Knowledge Hub. This online resource disseminates digital material, including client reports and archives. It also provides internally developed software on the Launchpad site under the Open Archaeology project.