Archaeological Interest

The local asset provides evidence about past human activity in the locality, which may be in the form of buried remains, crop marks or earth works, but may also be revealed in the structure of assets or in a designed landscape.  Heritage assets with archaeological interest are primary sources of evidence about the substance and evolution of places and of the people and cultures that made them. 

Although archaeology is most commonly thought of in terms of excavated sites, archaeological interest can apply to any asset, as a whole or in part, which provides physical evidence about its past owners, occupants or users.

Physical evidence of past activity relating to any element of settlement, agriculture, industry, religious practice, transport, conflict, learning, commerce, law or governance may be considered of archaeological interest.

In the case of buried archaeology where the extent of survival is unknown, preservation of the site is key and evidence in support of inclusion should be based on best practice and other archival information.

Examples of assets with archaeological interest may include the earthwork remains of a medieval settlement, the cropmarks of a Roman farmstead, or a standing building which has seen several phases of development or use.

Consider when making a nomination:

  • Does the asset provide, or have potential to provide, evidence of past human activity?
  • What physical evidence is there for the asset – are there cropmarks, earthworks, standing remains or other structural evidence?
  • How well preserved is the asset likely to be? To what extent has it been disturbed previously by development or land use? 
  • What additional information is available from previous investigation or archival records? This may be in the form of contemporary or historic written, drawn or photographic records. Include references if you have them.

You could include the Historic Environment Record (HER) number for the site (if it has one) when nominating it for its archaeological interest. You can contact the Cambridgeshire HER here to check.