Volunteers’ vital role

The study of medieval church graffiti goes back over a century, but it has only recently become a fast-growing field of academic research. Early work was hampered by the recording techniques available. Taking rubbings or making drawings of each individual inscription was both time-consuming and not very effective. However, digital photography means it is now possible to undertake surveys in a few hours, that would have once taken weeks or even months. Although there are a small number of professional archaeologists involved in the surveys, the vast majority of people undertaking the fieldwork are volunteers. These are people with no previous archaeological experience, drawn from all walks of life and across all age ranges. They undergo a brief period of initial training before taking part in full church surveys. To date, the volunteers have contributed more than a quarter of a million hours to the projects and made a large number of nationally significant discoveries. The Norfolk Medieval Graffiti Survey was supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. It has been recognised as an outstanding example of how ordinary individuals can make a real difference in recording and preserving Britain’s national heritage. In 2013, it won the Marsh Award for Community Archaeology and in 2014, the Community Archives and Heritage Group’s Award for Innovation.