“promoting archaeology in the Coventry area since 1965”

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q. When can we join CADAS?

A. At any age. There's plenty to get involved with. But if you are 12 or under you must join as a family membership with your parent(s)/guardian.

Q. At what age can we start digging?

A. The insurance will only cover those aged 12 and over and you must be accompanied by a parent or guardian up until the age of 18. However there may be opportunities for our young archaeologists to get their hands dirty in one of the Young Archaeologist Clubs around the country. (See our links page)

Q. What basic tools do we need?

A. If you go to our tools page you will find a list of suggested tools and clothing. Initially, tools will be provided in the short term for beginners, but you will need to have your own steel cap toe and mid-sole boots.

Q. When I've joined will there be an opportunity to dig?

A. Due to the excellent relationship we have with local Archaeology Units, we may be invited, as volunteers, to join a dig supervised by them. You will normally be informed about digs on lecture nights, by the website or by email.
Volunteers may be asked to accompany a more experienced member of CADAS to the dig in order to be introduced by them to the unit.
You may be asked to complete a health and safety briefing, and the nature of the site may require you to wear specific safety items e.g. hard hats and hi-vis jackets if there is heavy plant (diggers etc) around, and hard hats in deep trenches (1m or more). One or both of these items may be provided by the unit.

Q. What else do you do?

A. We may be asked by the Archaeology Unit in the council to perform a variety of tasks. These could include small digs in Coventry, research for the HERO project etc.
We also have an active project which involves many other aspects of archaeology other than digging. These include:
We may also be approached by individuals to conduct digs at their request. Projects in the past have been at the Watchmaker's Museum in Spon Street and at the Hill Close Gardens in Warwick, and recently we were invited to excavate at Gosford Books, Coventry.

We are also present at several festivals throughout the year where we try to promote local archaeology to the citizens of Coventry. These events can be found on the events page. At these events we meet a variety of people and try to make them aware of the legacy and history which remain in this city, just waiting to be discovered by us.

Q. When does the member's year start / end?

A. Membership runs from 1st May to 30th April the following Year. However lectures are from September to April, with an AGM in May.