New FROG FAQs

Contents

What is the FROG? .................................................................................. 2

What will I be doing as a volunteer? .................................................... 2
How much time is involved? .................................................................. 2
What does the training involve? ........................................................... 2
Can I attend just part of the course? ................................................... 3
What do I need to bring to the fieldwork? .......................................... 3
Do I need a trowel or other equipment? ............................................. 4
Do we collect artefacts?........................................................................ 4
How easy is it to access on the foreshore?.......................................... 4
Why is the fieldwork so early in the morning?...................................... 5
I find recording really hard, help! .......................................................... 5
What is the FROG?
FROG stands for Foreshore Recording and Observation Group – over 600 people who
we’ve trained in foreshore archaeology. We have several local FROGs, teams of
volunteers who monitor key sites in a local area.

What will I be doing as a volunteer?

FROG Members do a wide range of activities with us. Once you’ve completed the
FROG Training you can take part in:

Fieldwork – Each year we do fieldwork at about 10 different sites along the Thames.
You can join us for a day or more to help. We clean the features and record them by
drawing a scale plan, taking measurements off a baseline.

Monitoring - visiting a site with a group of other volunteers (our local Foreshore
Recording and Observation Groups) to check on the features there. Normally this is
just a walk over the foreshore, taking photographs and making a note of any
changes. No drawing is involved! Monitoring visits are usually arranged by volunteers,
most of our Local FROGs do a monthly visit to a site, usually at the weekend, and
welcome new people joining in.

Other ways to get involved - we always welcome

people doing their own research related to the
foreshore, whether it’s about a site we’ve been
working on or something you have a personal
interest in, and writing blogs and articles for our
website. We also often need help at outreach
events, talking to the public about our work. We
are running an Oral History Project looking at
how people have used the foreshore, and
volunteers help with the interviews and
transcription. Or if you enjoy working with
children and young people, you could help out at our TaDPoles group for 8 – 18 year
olds.

How much time is involved?

After you’ve completed your training, it’s up to you how much time you volunteer
with us. Some people come to fieldwork regularly; others help out a few days a year;
some people don’t take part in any fieldwork, but do monitoring visits, research from
home, help at outreach events or with our oral history project.

What does the training involve?

Day 1 is based in the classroom, we’ll be inside all day, covering health and safety, a
background to the project and our sites, and artefacts on the foreshore. Day 2 we

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spend between 3 and 4 hours on the foreshore in the morning (depending on what
the tides are doing) doing fieldwork alongside existing FROG members. After a break
in the afternoon we do a guided walk in the City with Gustav Milne to learn about
the development of the port of Roman and Medieval London.

FROG training will give you a basic introduction to Thames archaeology and how to
do archaeological recording. We recommend that you will need to come along to
two or three more fieldwork sessions to get confident at doing recording.

Can I attend just part of the course?

The two-day training covers all aspects of foreshore archaeology, and we cover
different things on each day. You need to complete the full two days of training to
be a FROG Member.

What do I need to bring to the fieldwork?

Prepare to get muddy. You’ll get muddy!

You’ll need:

 Sturdy boots (walking boots for instance) or wellington boots

 Comfy clothes, that are easy to move in and you don’t mind getting ruined
by mud
 Warm clothes if it’s cold, layers are best. Don't forget a hat and gloves! The
foreshore can be noticeably colder and windier than it is on dry land.
 Waterproof coat
 Sun cream and a hat if it's sunny.
 Bottle of water
 Snacks (but remember to wash your hands before eating)
 Alcoholic hand gel and/or wet wipes

You might also want to bring:

 Camera
 Change of clothes/shoes (many people just embrace the mud though)
 Knee pads or kneeler
 Walking poles
 Waterproof over trousers
 Shorts are fine to wear in hot weather.

There isn't anywhere dry and sheltered to leave your bags on the foreshore. To
protect your bag from rain and mud, you might want to put it inside a plastic bag (a
bin liner will do fine). Protective cases for phones, tablets and cameras are also a
good idea.

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Do I need a trowel or other equipment?
You don’t need to bring any equipment with you. We’ll provide you with everything
you need to take part in the training and all our fieldwork sessions, including work
gloves.

We don’t excavate, as the river does it for us, so we don’t regularly use trowels. If you
have your own trowel, you’re welcome to bring it, but be warned, they can easily
get lost in the mud!

Do we collect artefacts?
Our focus is on the structures and features exposed by the movement of sediment in
the dynamic foreshore environment, and how people have used the foreshore in the
past. We don’t regularly collect artefacts on the foreshore.

We work closely with the Port of London Authority, and all FROG members must
comply with their requirements to access the foreshore. You don’t need a PLA Permit
to Search to be a FROG member and take part in volunteer activities with Thames
Discovery Programme. However, visiting the foreshore solely to search for artefacts
isn’t part of your role as a FROG member, and if you intend to do this you are acting
independently and must have a foreshore permit.

How easy is it to access on the foreshore?

All the sites are different and some are easier to access
than others. We check all our sites before the fieldwork,
to make sure the access is safe.

Usually we get onto the foreshore using river stairs or a

causeway, which can be uneven and slippery. The
foreshore surface itself can be very uneven, with gravel
or large stones that you have to scramble over. Other
sites are very muddy, or have soft areas where you can
get stuck.

Some FROG Members like to bring a walking pole or

stick to help them walk on the foreshore, and check for soft spots.

We aim to be as inclusive as possible. If you have a disability or have questions

about accessing the foreshore and taking part in fieldwork, please get in touch. We
are happy to discuss which sites you might find it easier to access and work with you
so you can take part in our activities.

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Why is the fieldwork so early in the morning?
The tides are governed by the moon, which means the lowest tides are usually
overnight and into the morning. So we have lots of early starts!

I find recording really hard, help!

Recording is a skill that can take a while to master; even experienced archaeologists
can find it difficult. We recommend that you will need to come along to two or three
more fieldwork sessions after your training to get confident at doing recording.

Here are a few tips that might help:

 Ask questions - the TDP Team and

experienced FROG members are
always happy to help.
 Practice makes perfect! Hopefully,
after your training you should have a
basic understanding of what’s
involved, but we don’t expect you to
be an expert. The best way to get
better at recording is practice.
 Come along to more fieldwork,
there’ll always be TDP staff and other
volunteers around to support you.
 Check what you’re doing as you go along. If your drawing doesn’t look like
reality, stop and try to work out where you’ve gone wrong.
 Make notes as you are drawing. Some people find it helpful to write the
measurements in the margin as they are called out, or draw the scale.
 Be consistent, measure along the baseline first and then from the hand tape.
 Check the two tape measures are meeting at 90 degrees.
 If you’ve gone wrong, don’t worry! We all do it, and it’s easy to rub it out and
start again.
 We run a Fieldwork Refresher Workshop at the beginning of the year, so you
can refresh your skills indoors before we start our fieldwork season.