Exposed surfaces will be cleaned by hand using hoe and trowel, and at this stage any surviving ridge and furrow soils will be removed. This horizon will be archaeological recorded and investigated as appropriate. Additional geophysical and soil chemistry sampling programmes (see below) may be conducted at this point if the initial work suggests it is necessary.

An investigation programme looking at the nature and composition of the plough soils throughout their depth for spatial and chronological changes was undertaken during the evaluation. No significant changes were found, therefore investigation will not be pursued.

Excavation will be undertaken using stratigraphic principles and be extensive in nature. Large features such as ditches may not be excavated in their entirety, but sampled to between 20 and 50% (or more if appropriate), such that a valid sample is recovered for characterisation. All terminals and intersections of linear features will be examined, and adequate excavation, allowing for retrieval of appropriate environmental samples and dating evidence will be ensured. If large areas of homogenious material are found, excavation in spits may be undertaken. Discrete small features such as post-holes, pits, and graves will be fully excavated. Areas of intact horizontal stratigraphy will also be totally excavated in order to take full advantage of the available spatial legibility.

At the northern and eastern boundaries of the site the 1999 site consideration will be given to ensuring adequate overlap with successive seasons work.

The nature of the site (clay) means that optimum excavation conditions will need to maintained if features are to be located and excavated. Therefore agricultural sprayers will be used to ensure the site is kept damp. The site will be covered with heavy grade tarpaulin overnight, as will any areas not actively being excavated during the day.

Aims: 1- 16

The base level of recording on site will be the current recording system used by the CAS, and outlined in the CAS Recording Manual, (Buxton, 1999 (forthcoming)). The environmental and survey modules of this manual are still at draft stage and these will be evaluated during the excavation. Any amendments and developments to the recording methodologies will be fully compatible with the established archive arising from the evaluation and HLF funded Whitby Abbey Headland Project.

Stratigraphic relationships between contexts will be recorded although where appropriate these relationships will be supplemented by the physical relationships, fill of, filled by, cuts, and cut by.

All on site recording (other than the base Metric Survey work) will be paper based. Only when a successor to the current CAS "Delilah" system has been found, will any comptuerisation of data into a site database be carried out. This should allow the direct linking of context data to digitally generated plans.

An extensive programme of photography, including B+W, colour slide, and digital, will be undertaken, linking with that already established for the HLF funded work. This will ensure that all features, structures, and significant layers are photographed, together with more general shots for publicity and lectures etc. As well as ground based methods the use of 'aerial', ranging from above 1000ft via fixed wing aircraft down to around 20feet via hydraulic mast, will be explored to provide additional views of the excavation for recording, presentational, and possible outreach purposes. The ex-RCHME Aerial Photography section may be able to aid this work.

The existing archive of overlapping stereo-photography, taken in 1994 from a level of 1600ft, has already been photogrammetrically processed by the EH Survey Team to provide the base 1:200 scale topographic survey of the whole Headland site. Ideally this archive should be further developed, during the course of this excavation, by the acquisition of new aerial based stereo-photography of the headland site. This will provide up to date imagery on any new topographic features, such as the southern car-park and the Banqueting House development, and will help place the excavation into its wider context on the Whitby Headland. However the precise timing of this will need to be agreed to provide the greatest extent of new information in one sortie.

The application of low cost 'virtual' imaging techniques will be investigated in association with the Photogrammetric Unit. This will principally provide panoramic images that may be used for presentation and outreach purposes both during and after the excavation is complete.

The basic drawn record of the excavation will consist of plans, drawn at a scale of 1:20, and sections, drawn at a scale of 1:10. The nature of the site, features cut through natural clay with little horizontal stratigraphy, suggests that plans will generally be multi-context of discrete spatial areas, although certain areas particularly if horizontal stratigraphy is complex, may require single context planning. Any features excavated will have at least one representative section. These will all be drawn on permatrace, using the established CAS and drawing conventions, and any specific alterations for Whitby.

Selected elements of the drawn record will be digitised on site using Auto-Cad v14 and integrated into the base site survey. The remainder of the drawn archive will be scanned as part of the archive completion stage.

Aims: 1-7, 8, 10, 11, 16

At present, although the drawn archive is often digitized and/or scanned during post-excavation, it is relatively rare for direct digital data capture to be used at the site planning stage. It is proposed that during the 1999 excavation season the system of direct capture of digital plan data, using tools such as a Reflectorless Electronic Distance Measure in a Total Station Theodolite (REDM) and TheoLT, is used in addition to the more traditional methods of planning. This will allow the staff to become familiar with the new methodology, software, and equipment, and enable evaluation of these new tools as a recording tool whilst still ensuring information is adequately recorded. Features will be recorded on site, and both the raw survey data and the resulting CAD drawings will be copied daily onto the site office computer for a security back-up. Use of traditional methodologies will also allow appropriate basic archaeological training (see below) to take place.

'TheoLT' is a piece of software that was initially developed by the EH Measured Survey Team to provide a solution for its architectural survey using modern REDM instruments and the limited functionality of AutoCAD LT. By providing an interface between the TST and the computer, it allows 3D data to be drawn directly into CAD. Thus, survey data can immediately be seen as a CAD based drawing whilst it is being recorded, allowing full editing whilst in the field. TheoLT also allows control of the survey instrument, providing a point-and-click user-friendly system for an otherwise complex instrument. With the basic 3D data captured on a pen-computer in the field, any fine detailing can be inserted into the drawings by "hand" through the use of standard CAD features. It has recently been further developed to allow use beyond the AutoCAD LT platform and released on a commercial basis in the UK through a licensed distributor, Barclay Technical Graphics Ltd.

CAS Excavations at Battle Abbey in 1993 and 1994 saw the development of 3-D stratigraphic recording via Total Station Theodolite. Although it was cumbersome due to the technology then available, the CAD models of features proved invaluable when resolving questions both during the course of excavation and in post-excavation. New developments, such as Reflectorless EDMs and real-time CAD interfaces such as TheoLT, should make the recording process easier, faster, and more practical for use as a site planning tool.

The experiment at Battle Abbey raised a number of technical issues that will be explored at Whitby. These issues will need to be resolved if TST-planning is to become a practical site recording tool rather than a research experiment. The first major issue is the methodology by which complex features can be recorded with the minimum of time invested. Complexity of shape, rather than size, proved to be the determining factor in data capture. The CAD models of features at Battle Abbey were recorded in separate files by context number, and a similar "single context" system is to be employed at Whitby. The Whitby project will assess whether TheoLT, on-site CAD, and Reflectorless capability can significantly reduce the time input requirement.

The second issue to address is the handling of large volumes of data in a site-based environment. Previous attempts have relied on raw data being down-loaded onto a PC in the site office for modelling as CAD drawings. This removes the data from use on-site until and unless it can be printed out on paper. The use of TheoLT and AutoCAD LT on a ruggedised pen-computer in the field should allow both the storage and use of the entire surveyed archive at any time that it may be needed in the trench where it can be directly compared to the real features.

The third issue raised at Battle was user-friendliness, as an ideal system should be useable with minimal training. Some assessment of TheoLT in an excavation environment has taken place at Birdoswald, but in that case it was used with a non-ruggedised laptop computer and an instrument without Reflectorless capabilities. The Whitby project will assess the ease with which the new system can be employed, and the ease with which staff can be trained in its use. To accomplish this in a measured manner a training programme will be established, in association with the Measured Survey team of EH, for site staff giving them a period of dedicated instruction in a one-on-one environment. The CAS survey officer will devise a syllabus and reference notes for this training, and the site surveyor will be responsible for its implementation.

The results of this work will be written up and disseminated to the profession upon completion.

A network of permanent survey stations has already been established across the Headland. The coordinates and levels for each point have all been computed on the OSGB National Grid, using the UKTM grid and the AIRY ellipsoid. These primary points will also be supplemented by additional permanent markers, also referenced back to the existing grid using a TST, to provide fixed survey points within the immediate area of the excavation. These stations will be used to locate all features, sections, and finds three-dimensionally within the OS grid using a TST, and to establish an OS based site grid over the area excavation. When working with this projection, it is important to remember that to convert distances, measured directly in the field, precisely onto this grid they must first be reduced to horizontal distances (slope distance x Sine of the vertical angle) then reduced to projection distances by multiplying by the local scale factor (lsf) which for Whitby has been computed as 0.99970152. If this is not carried out, errors of around 30mm may be introduced by any survey taken across the length of the excavation and hence into the digital archive. However, at a distance of 20 metres between instrument and target this translates to only 6mm of error, which is close to the accuracy tolerance of the TST. Given that the human error factor in TST survey is also usually more than 6mm, there is little point to scaling captured data. However, to minimise errors across the site, each trench should have a separate TST station in the form of a ground marker capable of surviving the excavation, and these should have appropriately scaled coordinates.

A topographic survey, generated at a scale of 1:200, already exists in a digital form, covering the whole Headland site. This survey by the Photogrammetric Unit of EH, was principally generated through photogrammetrically processing the 1994 aerial stereo-photography, using photo control points related to the site grid. As well as depicting all the major topographic features in the area it includes levels and contours, generated at a 0.25m spacing. Even though these levels will have been recorded to the tops of the vegetation visible in the photography, the height of this would appear to have been minimal back in 1994. Therefore the accuracy of this data should be sufficient to depict the topography of the area prior to excavation starting and should therefore be used as the base survey for the project, into which all 'new' observed data should be added.

Any major alterations to the landscape encountered during excavation should be recorded in 3D using TST observations tied to the existing site grid. These additional observations should allow levels to be recorded to an accuracy of at least +10mm and, if recorded at a suitable density, help generate a 3D profile of the excavation as it proceeds. If sufficient past landscape features can be identified and surveyed, they might enable the reconstruction of site topography at various periods.

An orthophotographic survey has also been generated, using digital photogrammetric techniques. This image based survey provides an immediate visual record of the Headland area but as it is both geo-referenced and has had the effect of height displacement removed, can provide accurate 2D scaling. It too is in a digital format and so can be combined with other survey data within AutoCAD 14 and enlarged to show just the excavation area, if required. However as it is based on 1994 photography some of the features have obviously altered, for example the building of the new car-park and entrance to the south of the Abbey. This type of survey would therefore benefit from new aerial stereo-photography being acquired and processed to bring the image up to date.

Aims: 1.5, 2.2, 3.3, 6.3, 8

The recording of deposit volume to quantify the finds assemblage in terms of items/weight to a standard volume has obvious value in allowing a more precise comparison of artifact density between deposits and comparable sites. It is therefore, proposed to record the volume of contexts during the excavation using direct count of standard receptacles (buckets and wheel barrows (five buckets equal to one wheelbarrow, volumes to be checked on site)). Indirect methods of volume estimation, eg the calculation of volume from recorded dimensions, will be trailed in the interim period between the 1999 and 2000 excavations, and the benefits of recording deposit volume and the methods employed will be evaluated, before a strategy is proposed for the subsequent seasons excavations. The results from this trial will be written up and disseminated to the profession upon completion.

Aim: 8

The geophysical surveys carried out by GeoQuest between 1992 and 1997 (GeoQuest 1992; 1993; 1994 and 1997) have largely failed to detect the abundant archaeological features, which lie no more than 600mm below the surface in the Abbey Lands Farm area, and suggest routine methods of geophysical survey are unlikely to yield further information. Further geophysical work was undertaken by the AML in April 1999, but as predicted, little was revealed, certainly not the detail which is known to exist below ground.

The majority of the excavation areas for years 1999-2003 have now been covered by detailed multiplex resistivity survey (1m mobile probe spacing: 1m x 0.5m sample interval; 0.5m mobile probe spacing: 0.5m x 0.5m sample interval). This only located superficial features (ridge and furrow) and recent features.

Detailed fluxgate gradiometre survey was severely impeded by intrusive magnetic interference and located no significant archaeological anomalies.

Optional further work may be undertaken to test new geophysical survey techniques in areas of poor detection. This may include the repetition of fluxgate gradiometre survey after topsoil removal, or GPR survey of selected areas within Areas 1-4, but the pilot study results will be assessed before a final conclusion can be drawn as to the potential for further geophysical work.

Aims: 1.4, 1.5, 2.2, 2.4, 3, 4, 5, 6.2, 11, 16

The approach of the environmental strategy for the proposed excavation will be based on the use of established methodologies and sampling procedures, developed during the excavations under the auspices of Whitby Headland Project. All environmental work will be carried out in line with the principles and techniques outlined in the CAS Recording Manual (Buxton, 1999 (forthcoming)) and under the guidance of the project environmental officer who will visit at least twice during the excavation, and be consulted if unexpected discoveries are made (e.g. features with very much better preservation).

What is expected on the basis of previous work at Whitby and evaluation of this area is shallow burials, often truncated and poorly preserved, and a number of ditches, pits, and post-holes. Soils are likely to be clayey and close to neutral; previous sampling has generally not been very productive.

At the end of the 1999 excavation season the methodologies employed will be evaluated and modified as appropriate for subsequent seasons.

Given previous sampling results, the aim of the sampling will be generally to check that productive deposits are not missed, and to ensure that they are sampled correctly is encountered. Samples will be taken from well stratified contexts, determined on-site on a case to case basis. Features such as pits, hearths, and post-holes will be half sectioned and sampled from the unexcavated half of the feature after recording.

A Siraf sieve will be set up on-site before excavation starts, with 250 micron flot mesh and 1mm residue mesh. Each bulk sample will consist of a minimum of 40 litres of soil (four blue buckets). If the volume of a feature is smaller than 40 litres, 100% of the feature will be sampled. Initially 10 litres of soil (one bucket) will be processed. The flot and residue finds will be assessed by the site environmental assessor. If the subsample is unproductive (i.e. no identifiable seeds, identifiable bones or shells, and less than 5 fragments of charcoal) the remaining 30 litres will be discarded. Otherwise the remainder of the sample will be processed, and total sample finds assessed. If the total sample produces more than 5 identifiable bones or shells or seeds, or more than 50 fragments of charcoal, the site environmental archaeologist will be consulted about possible further sampling.

The methods adopted will enhance the retrieval of ecofacts without bias against the recovery of artefactual remains. All samples will consist of whole earth; no ecofacts or artifacts will be removed unless the sample processing is likely to have a detrimental effect on the find itself. In some cases small finds will require three-dimensional recording before a soil sample is collected. If fragile finds are removed from a soil sample, these will be labelled with both the context and sample number. If a sample is suspected of containing a number of fragile artifacts, it will be examined manually before being processed.

Aims: 3.5, 4, 6.2, 8

The evaluation of the gardens within Parlour Yard, Abbey House (Busby and Wilmott 1998) was used to assess the potential of the archaeological deposits for pollen analysis within the environs of Abbey House. This assessment suggests that pollen survival within the buried soil horizons on Abbey Headland is extremely poor (Huntley 1998). The EH palynologist will be consulted during the excavation if promising deposits are found and will visit to sample if appropriate.

Aims: 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.4, 9, 11, 16

The evaluation indicated that bone preservation within the cemetery to the east of Abbey Lands Farm is extremely poor (Wilmott 1996) so that dental remains and bone fragments are likely to be the only skeletal elements encountered in most graves. The poor preservation is likely to severely limit the information which can be obtained from the human remains.

Burials will be excavated after advice from the project Osteologist who will visit at least twice during the excavation, and be consulted if unexpected finds are made (e.g. graves with very much better preservation).

The grave fill will be removed with a trowel until the inhumation burial is encountered. The soil in the bottom of the grave, together with the skeletal fragments, will be retrieved as three separate bulk samples: the soil from the head area forming the first, the torso/pelvis/arms and hands forming the second, and that from the legs and feet forming the third. These samples will then be wet sieved to recover the bone fragments and teeth. The samples will be passed through 4mm and 2mm meshes. The residue from the 4mm mesh will be hand sorted (by the on-site environmental assistant); that from the 2mm mesh will not be sorted but will be retained for scanning by the Osteologist in case there are identifiable fragments.

Aims: 1.4, 1.5, 2.2, 2.4, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 11, 16

It is known from the 1993-95 evaluation carried (Wilmott 1996) that the preservation of animal bone from the area adjacent to Abbey Lands Farm is, on the whole, extremely poor, although the evaluation did demonstrate that animal bone is well preserved in some contexts.

Animal bones will be recovered by normal hand recovery from all contexts and also in the course of bulk sampling. If deposits are encountered with more bone than is expected the site environmental archaeologist will be consulted in case large scale sieving is necessary and practicable.

Aims: 3.5, 4, 6.2, 8

The fills of major features (especially those of Anglian date) to the east of Abbey Lands Farm consist, largely of homogenous brown soils derived from the underlying bolder clay. This homogeneity makes visual analysis of the depositional sequence in these features very difficult. In such circumstances the understanding of the depositional sequence may be substantially enhanced by an understanding of the way remnant magnetism, total carbon, and phosphates values change through out the depositional sequence.

The site geoarchaeologist will be consulted during the excavation to see if geoarchaeological sampling may help to answer questions arising in the course of the excavation, and will visit towards the end of the excavation to take samples if appropriate. Standing sections of large features will be left for the geoarchaeologist to examine in case samples are needed.

Aims: 1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 3.3, 3.4, 4, 5, 6.1, 6.3, 7, 11, 16

A total finds retrieval and retention policy will be adopted for all hand-excavated areas of the excavation. All finds work will be carried out in line with the principles and techniques outlined in the CAS Recording Manual (Buxton, 1999 (forthcoming)) and under the guidance of the CAS project finds officer who will visit at least three times during the excavation, and be consulted if unexpected discoveries are made.

To determine the possible density and nature of metal artefacts within the lower ploughsoil it will be subjected to metal detecting prior to removal of ridge and furrow but after machine removal of active topsoil. All metal detected finds will be located two dimensionally within the OS grid, flagged, and will be given their appropriate context and small finds numbers, and grid reference.

The evaluation carried out between 1993-5 (Wilmott 1996) determined that sieving of the ploughsoil to retrieve finds was unproductive and did not produce significant results.

Ditch fills and other features believed to be Anglian in date, will be sieved (initially using a 10mm mesh to aid retrieval.

All portable material including quartz pebbles, but excluding modern material from the plough soil, will three dimensionally located within the OS grid and will be given the appropriate context and small finds number before individual bagging.

All appropriate finds will be washed, marked, and bagged by context except when 3D recorded. The sherds from individual contexts will be examined on site and recorded on the preliminary record form, and the context given a date range and a spot date. The nomenclature used for the fabrics and wares will be the common names in use in the area. Unidentified fabric will be given a brief description. The nomenclature used for forms will follow the Guide to the Classification of Medieval Ceramic Forms (MPRG 1998).

All slag and any hard or well-fired burnt clay will be washed if appropriate, weighed and bagged by context.

Bulk finds will be quantified, by context and objects and items defined as 'small finds' will be individually recorded. Storage will be in line with the principles and techniques outlined in the draft CAS Recording Manual (Buxton 1999 (forthcoming)).

Initial care of finds will be in line with the principals and techniques outlined in the draft CAS Recording Manual (Buxton 1999 (forthcoming). Ian Painter (York) and Jennifer Jones (Durham) will be available for any emergency on site conservation work or lifting. Conservation during the later stages of the project will be determined at assessment, and will depend on what is found, suitable expertise, the availability of equipment for dealing with the resulting material, and timetables.

Aims: 12-15

The excavation presents a wide range of opportunities for public and professional participation in the project and an environment in which methodologies to facilitate this participation can be developed. It has long been recognised that continued public enjoyment of the built and buried heritage is critical in both securing the conservation of archaeological landscapes and sites, and increasing the support for the work of English Heritage, the visitor numbers to our properties, and the subsequent revenue this generates (English Heritage 1997). In this context the proposed excavations provide a valuable opportunity for the public presentation of important archaeological deposits, and the development of the Headland as a visitor attraction.

The provision of public information for the excavations will be fully integrated with the interpretative and presentational material developed as a result of the Whitby Abbey Headland Project for the headland. Interpretive material already provided for the HLF funded archaeological work has been produced by Past Forward of York (a company which specializes in historical interpretation).

Access to the excavation for the visiting public until the opening of the Southern Visitor Centre (planned for July 1999) will be via a mown pathway from the main Abbey area. Areas of boggy ground, will be roped off.

A temporary viewing deck (Figure 5) along the eastern boundary of the site (ensuring all legislative health and safety requirements are met) will be constructed to allow visitors a view of the work in progress from an area of safety. The viewing deck will be a scaffold/board construction and raised c.m. above the present ground level. The northern side of the excavation will be fenced along the edge of the farm track to allow viewing while keeping visitors off the site itself. The southern and western edges of the excavation will not be accessible to the public. The finds work and environmental processing will be undertaken in the farmyard, and a display provided for site visitors.

A series of interpretation panels (produced by Past Forward following an EH brief) will be situated at appropriate points around the excavation. These will explain the context and aims of the work, and the archaeological excavation and finds/environmental processes.

A series of regularly updated information leaflets (produced by CAS in a similar style to the interpretation panels) will be provide. These will explain the exposed remains themselves, and chart the progress of the excavation.

A supplementary finds information leaflet (produced by CAS in a similar style to the interpretation panels) will be provided. This will explain in more detail than the panels the process and importance of the finds and environmental.

The Whitby Internet WWW page will be updated to include the research excavations (to be undertaken by Past Forward following a brief provided by EH education and interpretation). Archaeology Division will investigate the possibility of using sections of video footage and diary updates in addition to the traditional point in time news items on the WWW (Archaeology Division server). It is anticipated there will be substantial interest in the research excavations from archaeologists and historians interested in the sixth to thirteenth centuries. It is therefore proposed that the Project Design (and associated revisions) are published, as they are approved, on the WWW (Archaeology Division server).

A specialist outreach supervisor will be appointed to undertake the presentation and education aspects of the work.

Regular guided tours of the excavations including the artifact and environmental processing area will be provided to increase public access beyond that which text and visual aids can achieve. Although excavation work will not take place during weekends the outreach supervisor will continue to provide this service. This provision of outreach cover at weekends has the added advantage of increasing site security during a vulnerable period. Additional evening guided tours, which will not involve access to the main site and thus be free to participants, will also be provided, and provision will be made for specialist groups to visit at mutually convenient times.

Young Archaeology days (arranged by the CBA) fall on the 24th/25th July. The main areas of the excavation are likely to have been completely excavated at this point in the timetable. It is therefore proposed that completed areas of the site are cordoned off, and the features/graves (cut through clay therefore likely to be baked hard in July) backfilled. Participants will then be able to "dig, record, draw and photograph" their own features under the supervision of trained archaeologists. The Northern Region Education Officer will co-ordinate the publicity with the CBA. Booking for the day will be co-ordinated by education booking at Bessie Surtees House.

Badges, with suitable Whitby/archaeology pictures and logos for children attending the Young Archaeology days and visiting the site will be produced as publicity material and given as a "reward" for completion of "site work".

The Lottery financed Whitby Abbey Headland Project has generated substantial public interest in the headland, providing the basis for sustained media involvement in the proposed excavations. It is proposed that the research excavations be used as a source of publicity at both regional and national levels and that they are positively utilised as a visitor attraction to increase visitor numbers and there duration of stay.

The start of the excavation will be announced to both national and regional audiences. This will be followed by photocalls and interviews for such events as school visits and exciting finds and discoveries. The site team will keep Public Affairs aware of site activities and events which may be of media interest. The publicity campaign, covering all forms of media, will be designed and run by Public Affairs.

During the excavation BBC2s' series "Meet the Ancestors" may undertake filming in order that the site be featured in the forthcoming series to be screened in 2000.

Within the context of the HLF funded Whitby Abbey Headland Project the CAS, in conjunction with the Education and Interpretation section of English Heritage, have developed teaching resources and links with a number of local schools. The research excavations will provide an ideal opportunity to further develop links to schools and because of the publicly accessible nature of the site a larger number of schools will be encouraged to participate.

The activities and facilities will be advertised to all schools in the region together with all schools already booked to visit the Abbey site generally. Organisation, booking, and management of the visits will be undertaken by Yorkshire and Humberside Education Bookings at Bessie Surtees House.

A teacher (responsible on a day-to-day basis to the site director but working to the aims and objectives of the education service) will be appointed (initially for 8 days) to work with schools on site. This teacher will concentrate on working with schools visiting specifically to use the archaeological excavation as a cross-curricular resource. A ratio of staff/helpers to pupils of c1-10 will be required, and visits are expected to last approximately 2.5 hours. School parties will be divided into groups and expected to follow a carousel of activities including a site tour, and "hands on" work with "teaching collection" finds. The possibility of using fully excavated areas of the site for "re-excavation (after backfilling) and "recording" by school groups will also be investigated in preparation for Young Archaeologists Day (see above).

The outreach supervisor appointed to deal with presentation and education will provide guided tours of the excavation to school parties visiting the Abbey in general. These will be school friendly versions of the general public site tour together with, if time allows, a slimmed down version of the more intensive teacher led initiatives.

An "information for teachers" leaflet (written by the Yorkshire and Humberside Education Officer and CAS and produced in the same style as all teacher leaflets ie Boxgrove and West Heslerton will be provide. This leaflet will incorporate some of the "Notes for Teachers" leaflet produced for the HLF funded excavation which fulfil aspects of the National Curriculum as well as providing an insight into the techniques of archaeological excavation, and exploring the wider issues regarding the conservation and presentation of Whitby Abbey Headland.

Aim: 16

In recent years the lack of training opportunities for archaeologists at the start of their careers has become an increasingly recognised problem for the archaeological profession. Indeed Exploring our Past 1998 states one of its major goals is "Supporting the Development of Professional Infra-structure and Skills" (English Heritage 1998) . Many contracting units simply can not afford to employ new archaeology graduates or trainees who require extra supervision, and on a number of recent projects both archaeological units and their clients have insisted site assistants have a minimum of six months fieldwork experience.

The research excavations provided an opportunity to employ trainees, and give supervised training in a range of practical activities (excavation, finds and environmental sample processing, surveying, and site interpretation) built into structured placements. In order to allow a greater number of trainees to take part in the excavation they will be employed for five weeks, rather than for ten (see resources below). The trainee posts will be available to those wishing to pursue a career in archaeology.

In addition to on site training a series of talks by specialists (eg Simon Mays - Human Bone) and visits to other historic sites and excavations in progress will be arranged.

On site, the archive will be stored in a secure, clean environment, and all staff will be instructed in the CAS code of good practice for the creation and maintenance of excavation archives. During the completion of the site archive phase of the project, the archive will be stored in conditions which meet the criteria laid down in the Records Module of the CAS Procedures Manual. This in turn follows the guidance provided in the `Standards in Museum Care of Archaeological Collections', (MGC,1992). All finds and documentary archives will be packaged in conservation grade materials in accordance with United Kingdom Institute of Conservation and Institute of Field Archaeologists standards.

The site archive (paper, drawn, photo, and digital) will be prepared in accordance with the guidelines laid down in Management of Archaeological Projects' (English Heritage 1991). It will be checked and cross-referenced, where possible, before the end of the excavation on described above, and relevant indices, catalogues, and context matrices constructed. A site summary will be written after the completion of each phase of the excavation.

The site archive, once checked, will remain unaltered as a permanent record of the site data; all subsequent amendments and additions to the site archive will be made to the digital version of the site archive.

The primary site archive will be copied on to the appropriate digital format to provide both the security copy of the archive, in accordance with the CAS policy on security copying, and the basis of the Headland Project Archaeological Research Archive. The site record sheets will be entered on to a CAS database, which will form the basis of the research archive. The drawings will be digitised onto AutoCAD for integration with the Headland Project digital archive, sketches on site record sheets will be scanned, and photographs will be placed onto Photo CD's. All the digital data will be checked as part of the completion of the site archive for the above excavation.

This excavation archive will be totally integrated with the archives from previous and future CAS excavations and will be archived under CAS project 490. The archives potential for further archaeological analysis will be jointly assessed with the archives produced by the Whitby Abbey Headland Project.

The landowners, Scarborough Borough Council, have agreed in principle that all artefacts, site and post-excavation records from this excavation should be integrated with the archives produced under the auspices of the Whitby Abbey Headland Project, and the 1993-1995 evaluation cared out by the CAS to produce a single archaeological archive (CAS archive 490). It is currently proposed to deposit this archive in its entirety, in English Heritage's Archaeological Store at Helmsley, North Yorkshire after analysis of this archive has been completed.

This excavation will play a major role in developing the interpretation of Whitby headland, especially of the little understood Anglian period. It is proposed that the provision of public information for the excavations is integrated with the interpretative and presentational material developed as a result of the HLF funded Whitby Abbey Headland Project.

Archive completion and assessment (which will be of all archaeological work on the Headland since 1993), will take place between years three and six of the project, and will culminate in the preparation of an assessment report and UPD containing proposals for analysis leading to publication and dissemination.

It is anticipated a full written report, together with a more popular books, and/or information on the WWW will be produced. At present, it is not intended to release the project archive on the WWW, unless current work suggest that there is a real academic benefit in doing so, e.g. the West Heslerton project archive.

A full risk assessment will be undertaken prior to the start of each phase of excavation and it will conform to all the regulations applicable to the site. These risk assessments and any resultant specific procedures will be circulated and agreed with the relevant authorities. The risk assessment and on-site procedures will be reviewed in the light of any unexpected changes in circumstances; the project will comply with all relevant Health and Safety requirements identified in the risk assessment.

The CAS Health and Safety officer will visit the site at least once during the excavation and all site staff (and any volunteers) will be given a Health and Safety induction before being allowed to work on site. Similarly all public participants involved in site tours, education programmes, and the Young Archaeology days will be given a safety induction.

The local police have been contacted and advice on site security taken from their crime prevention officer. All valuable equipment, valuable finds, and site records will be stored in a lockable secure box to be fitted inside the office accommodation. The office accommodation will be fitted with window locks and secure door locks. The local police will fit an alarm system and CCTV cameras may be used. The possibility of mobile security patrols will be investigated.

The project monitor for the project is Dave Batchelor (Senior Archaeologist). The project manager is Kath Buxton (Archaeologist) who is responsible for project design development, management, and site directorship, and who will be responsible for day-to-day management of the work programme and liaison with other contractors and members of the project team.

Four site supervisors (Finds/environmental, Site/training, Education/outreach, and Planning/survey) will be appointed for each of the four fieldwork stages of the research project.

Two none English Heritage academic advisors have been appointed to the project. Regular monitoring meeting will be held throughout the course of the project. Specialists will be kept informed of all developments and will visit the site as necessary. All major specialist contributors will visit the site at least twice during the course of the excavation. Project management software will be used to monitor progress. See Appendix 1.