Over the past number of years there has been an increasing desire among
communities to engage directly with the archaeology, heritage and
traditions of their local area. The term 'community archaeology' is
generally understood as the communities of today engaging with the
people of the past through a variety of means: excavation, surveys,
studies and dissemination. Projects undertaken under the banner of
community archaeology are varied and can include field-walking, building
surveys, oral history projects, graveyard surveys, art projects, archive
research, geophysical, landscape and topographic surveys, conservation
and excavation. This work examines these projects nationwide with a
common thread of reconnecting people with their past and encouraging new
communities to connect with their localities--thereby creating awareness
and ensuring the protection of the archaeological resource.