AN archaeological dig that ran for seven years in York city centre has been short-listed for a national award.

York Archaeological Trust (YAT) has been nominated at the British Archaeological Awards 2014, for Best Archaeological Project, for the Hungate excavation which ran from 2006 to 2013, and which was one of the biggest developer-funded digs in the UK.

As The Press reported at the time, it offered community archaeology and educational opportunities and uncovered numerous buildings, related deposits and thousands of finds charting the changing use of this part of the city.

The dig charted the site’s use from Roman times, when it was partly used as a cemetery, through to Viking and medieval occupation and up to the late 19th and early 20th century.

In the Victorian era Hungate and into the 20th century. was a slum district within the city.

The dig made the award shortlist because Hungate offered a rare opportunity to look at a 2,000 year slice of York’s history, its people, their buildings and their way of life.

Two of the trust’s other projects in Scotland have also been nominated in different categories of the same awards.

YAT’s Dickson Laboratory for Bio-Archaeology, based in Glasgow, is nominated for Archaeological Innovation following their pioneering work into time-lapse photography recording body recovery for criminal investigation.

And YAT’s digital laser-scanning of the Wemyss Caves 4D project has been nominated for the award for Best Public Presentation of Public Archaeology.

The caves near East Wemyss, Fife, are special because of the rare Pictish artwork of abstract symbols and animal representations carved onto their walls over one thousand years ago.

David Jennings, the trust’s chief executive, said: “Being shortlisted in three separate categories at this year’s BAAs is an excellent achievement for York Archaeological Trust and is testament to all the hard work YAT does in driving forward innovative, archaeological presentation to both the public and private sector.”

The winners will be announced at the British Archaeology Awards take place on Monday, July 14, at the British Museum in London.

The Hungate site was cleared to make way for York’s largest urban regeneration scheme, consisting of hundreds of new homes, offices and shops.