1. Community Archaeology Fact Sheet
MOLA ¦ www.mola.org ¦Mortimer Wheeler House, 46 Eagle Wharf Road, London, N1 7ED ¦ 0207 410 22001
Buildings are some of the
most substantial things that
people create. They are all
around us and can survive
for long periods of time,
making them valuable
sources of historical
information.
The 7th century chapel of St. Peter-on-the-Wall,
one of the oldest buildings in the UK still in use.Buildings archaeologists try
to interpret this information
by examining a building closely and recording and analysing
their observations. Through this process, they can piece
together the history of a building and the people that used it.
Recording buildings
To record a building we carry out a survey. This usually includes taking
photographs and producing drawings to provide a detailed picture of a
building’s development and history. The amount of detail depends on the
level of survey being carried out. These levels are set out by English
Heritage and range from a basic visual record to a comprehensive
analytical record supported by detailed historical research. For further
guidance see:
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/publications/understanding-historic-
buildings.
This former priory has lots of evidence of alteration,
showing how its use has changed over time.
When we record a building we
look at:
 its design
 the materials it is constructed
from
 the construction techniques
used
 decorative features
 any evidence of change or
alteration
 the setting of the building within its surroundings
The aim is to trace the development of the building from its construction
to the present day.
BUILDINGS ARCHAEOLOGY:
INTRODUCTION
Archaeology is the study of the past from the things that people leave
behind. This includes standing buildings. A buildings archaeologist is
someone who studies standing buildings.

2. Community Archaeology Fact Sheet
MOLA ¦ www.mola.org ¦Mortimer Wheeler House, 46 Eagle Wharf Road, London, N1 7ED ¦ 0207 410 22002
We study buildings to learn about the past. Buildings contain clues
to their history, from the materials used to build them, to the way
they have been constructed. A building rarely stays the same
during its lifetime and these changes can also give us a lot of
information. A building can tell us:
How it was
built
What it was
used for
How importantit was
The status of
its owner
Who lived
there
When it was
built
How it has changed
over time and
why
Buildings can also tell us about
the social history of an area. As
fashions and needs have
changed, buildings have been
altered and new ones
constructed. This helps us to
trace the development of an
area over time. This high street has buildings of several different ages
and styles, showing how it has developed over time.
As a general rule of thumb, important, high status buildings tend to
be large, highly decorated and made from expensive materials.
Lower status buildings are smaller, with less decoration and made
from cheaper materials.
The more we know about our buildings, the better placed we are to make
decisions about their future. This is why buildings archaeology is
important. Surveying buildings allows us to monitor their condition and
keep track of any changes that have occurred. It also creates a permanent
record of a building that will survive even if the building does not.
Some buildings are so important that they have a special protected
status known as designation. In the UK, listing is the main form of
designation. English Heritage advises the Government on which
buildings are listed nationally. Buildings can also be listed locally by a
local council. This protection ensures that a listed building can’t just be
demolished, developed or altered significantly without due
consideration. By designating important historic buildings, we hope to
save them for future generations.
Protecting our historic buildings
BUILDINGS ARCHAEOLOGY: INTRODUCTION
Why do we study buildings?