Exploring the impact of participative place-based community archaeology in rural Europe: Community archaeology in rural environments meeting societal challenges

ABSTRACT This paper reviews the aims, context, approach and early outcomes of a new transnational participative archaeology project focussed on rural village communities. ‘Community Archaeology in Rural Environments Meeting Societal Challenges’ (CARE-MSoC) includes three European countries where participative community archaeology is new- the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Poland. CARE-MSoC aims to explore the feasibility, value and impact of excavation by rural residents within their home communities by using a method which can be deployed anywhere and which in the UK has been shown to advance knowledge of the past while also delivering a wide range of social and heritage benefits: multiple test pit excavation within inhabited villages. Data presented here from the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Poland show the activity to be popular and effective here in benefitting people while also attracting, sustaining and growing local interest in heritage participation in all three countries.