The Winchester Excavations Committee has seen off stiff competition from around the world to win second prize at this years Andante Travels Archaeological Award. Each year the travel company, who specialize in archaeological tours, awards one prize to a deserving archaeological project.
However, due to the large number of people that voted and as as the competition was so close this year, Andante decided to add a second place prize of £500. An extra £75 was added to both prizes by one of their regular guests who kindly donated the discount offered to him for booking three tours at once.
There were 39 entries for the award this year, with projects as far apart as Mexico, Peru, Egypt and the UK. The archaeology team in the Andante office chose the shortlist of 6, which was then put to their guests to vote.
The winners with 478 votes were The Great Bath project at Butrint in Albania. However, the Winchester Excavations Committee was not far behind. Their project, a new popular book due for publication in time for Christmas 2014, 'In Search of Winchester's Anglo-Saxon Old Minster', received 471 votes - a very close competition indeed!
Professor Martin Biddle, Director of the Winchester Excavations Committee said upon hearing the news, "We are all delighted! This is a great encouragement and a very positive help in bringing forward for publication in time for Christmas 2014 our first-ever truly popular publication, 'In Search of Winchester's Anglo-Saxon Old Minster'. The magnificent paintings, specially prepared by our illustrator, Simon Hayfield, will bring to life as never before the long lost Anglo-Saxon cathedral, the burial church of English Kings."
