#PhilipWeek Starting at the Beginning

Happy Monday everybody! This week our social media channels are going to be dedicated to the one and only Philip Crummy! #PhilipWeek

Philip took over as the Director of Colchester Archaeological Trust in 1971, potentially making him the longest serving Director of an archaeological unit in the country! He has overseen all of Colchester’s major excavations for over 50 years now, including Lion Walk, Culver Street, Balkerne Gate, the Gilberd School, Head Street, the Roman Circus and more recently the Essex County Hospital excavations as well as countless others. This has given him tremendous knowledge of Roman Colchester which has helped him produce multiple seminal publications including the City of Victory book, and the Colchester Archaeological Report series.

Over his monumental career, Philip has seen the world of commercial archaeology change drastically, with increased government funding in the 1970’s, the introduction of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists in the 1980’s, and the new Planning Policy Guidances in the 1990’s – Philip has continued to champion for thorough excavation and recording of Colchester’s Roman heritage.

As part of #PhilipWeek, CAT’s Vikki and Bronagh have sat down with Philip to ask him some burning questions about his experiences in archaeology. Keep an eye out for posts about Philip’s insights and advice, as well as his best memories and favourite find (which surprisingly didn’t come from a CAT excavation!). Today we’re starting from the beginning, how and why Philip got into archaeology and how he came to be in Colchester!

We hope you all enjoy learning more about the archaeologist, expert, author and friend that is Philip Crummy!

What made you want to do archaeology?

When I was a boy, I watched a TV programme starring Mortimer Wheeler, the archaeologist made famous for his appearances on Animal Vegetable Mineral. This time was talking about ancient civilisations. But in truth, this didn’t do the trick. It was living on a campsite in Oxfordshire during the summer vacations when I was at university, digging by day and in the village pub by night. At the end of the last term, I thought I’d give archaeology a year and here I am, still at it, 54 years later.

What was your first role in archaeology and what did it teach you?

My first role was as a digger working on a Neolithic long barrow in Ascott-Under Wychwood in Oxfordshire. I learnt it was a lot better and more interesting than studying maths and physics.

How did you end up in Colchester?

I drove to Colchester from Oxfordshire in car which cost me seven pound ten shillings. My room mate – and great friend – had just bought it for £7 thereby making a quick killing on the deal at the expense of his best pal. As was common at the time, I had quite long hair and was wearing my favourite granddad shirt (i.e. it was collarless!). After a couple of hours, I found myself leaving heading eastwards out of a place I’d never heard of before called Braintree. Then from nowhere a policeman on a motorbike appeared and signalled me to pull over.

‘Where are you going?, he asks.

‘Colchester,’ I reply.

‘You sure?’ he snarls.

‘Of course I’m sure’, says I indignantly, sensing a problem on the horizon.

‘Are you on the run?’, says the policeman.

Yes, that’s right. ‘On the run’ is what he says. I could hardly believe where this conversation appeared to be going!

‘On the run?,’ I said, ashen-faced. “No. I’m not on the run.”

He doesn’t give up.

“If I take you you down to the police station, you sure I won’t find you are on the run?”

Getting more and more rattled I answer,“If I was on the run, do you think I would be doing it in a car like this?”

Looking back on it, I think that maybe I was pushing my luck a bit but he gave up and let me continue my journey to Colchester.

Soon I arrived at the Cavalry Barracks in Colchester where the site director, Ros Dunnett (later to become Ros Niblett) had organised somewhere for the digging team to get their evening meals and somewhere to sleep. Although it was quite easy to find the place, there was nobody around to ask where about in the barracks I should go. Everybody was evidently on site. The only thing to do was to leave the car where it was and head for town to find out where they all were.

At the end of the day, when the digging was finished, I went back to the barracks to find my car. But guess what… it wasn’t there! I rubbed my eyes in disbelief. Somebody had actually gone as far as to pinch it, or at least so I thought. Turns out, it had been towed away by the military police who took my trusted old runner somewhere where they could it give a good rummage!

I did get the car back in the end, although I never I found out who did the searching or how it came about. I have my suspicions though. Yes – I’m thinking that you and I will be as one on this. That policeman on the motorbike in Braintree, did he get in touch with the police in Colchester? And did he tell them to keep their eyes peeled for a dodgy-looking Scotsman on the run in a clapped-out seven pound ten shilling motor car…? Welcome to Colchester, Philip!