CITiZAN is one of the largest community archaeology projects in the country, taking in 5,600 miles of coastline over 500 miles of tidal foreshore. We run free community-based training, building a network of volunteers with the skills and systems needed to survey and monitor threatened sites. Armed with tape measures, buckets and mobile phones, volunteers create standardised records of exposed archaeological sites.
From Lindisfarne to Land’s End, remains of prehistoric forests, Roman buildings, ancient salt-working sites, lost medieval ports, fishing settlements, coastal defences from both World Wars and countless abandoned boats, barges and ships lie exposed and are being washed away.
Via a web-based recording system citizan.org.uk and app, a constantly evolving crowd-sourced database and interactive map of sites is being compiled. The database preserves the knowledge of these important sites forever and is a unique and valuable resource that opens the door to new research opportunities.
The CITiZAN project is hosted by MOLA but would not be possible without the generous support of the Heritage Lottery Fund, the National Trust, The Crown Estate and Historic England.
The three-year project operates across England from regional centres: at our headquarters in London, with partners the Council for British Archaeology in York and the Nautical Archaeology Society in Portsmouth.
For more information about CITiZAN and local training opportunities and events explore the CITiZAN website citizan.org.uk. For media enquiries please email media@mola.org.uk.
