Best of CASE Europe Region Award
 

Institution: University of Cambridge

Title of entry: Research reveals ‘cosy domesticity’ of stilt-house dwellers in ancient England

About this entry: The Must Farm archaeological project was concluding after more than a decade of work, with the final report due to be made public. The dig itself had long been packed away, and had been extensively reported on by UK media, including a documentary broadcast in the UK. The aim of this article was to use the report publication as a moment to create a ‘long read’ for the University website, celebrating the work of the Cambridge archaeological team.

The funders were issuing a short UK-focused press release, but the University communications felt there was scope to engage international audiences with a more in-depth article that led with a strong news hook and brought much of the rich detail to the surface.

The two-volume report consisted of over 1,000 pages in total. This was combed through to look for engaging elements along with an overall news angle that hadn’t been previously reported. A long interview was conducted with the project’s outreach officer. A news hook based on two words deep within the report – ‘cosy domesticity’ – was agreed upon, allowing the framing that these Bronze Age dwellings held remarkable similarities to how we lay out and furnish our own homes today.

The long read was pitched at international media, and resulted in a detailed story in the New York Times (print and online), as well as the Washington Post, CNN international, an interview on NPR’s All Things Considered, and international coverage from Germany to Argentina.