I expect there are many teachers who, having used one of the Holmes/Whittington simulations such as Mary Rose or Saqqara - two programs that have already become "classics" - have wished that they'd been based on a site near their school or perhaps a site they intended using for a visit during a school journey. Well, here's the program you've been waiting for, an open-ended simulation which allows you to create a datafile on any site you wish.

Before Archaeology can be used, information on the chosen site must be plotted on an 80 x 60 grid. First, the walls are mapped on each of three levels, secondly, areas of flooring eg mosaics are plot- ted at each of the levels and, finally, the position of the artefacts are marked. Using the first program, "Site Plan", the details are entered and saved as a datafile, while in the second program, EXCAVATION, groups of children can excavate the site to map the buildings and floors, and identify and research any artefacts which they may discover.

Both programs are very "user friendly", and mainly operated at the touch of a single key - the commands available being only the H for Help key away. The site plan is transferred to the screen using the cursor keys in conjunction with Position, Build and Erase, and at all times the position of the cursor is monitored at the bottom of the screen, eg P. (for position) E40 N30 Level 3. A maximum of 10 groups may use the "Excavate" program at any time and the teacher may stipulate the number of digs each group is allowed to make during one session and then define the areas of the site in which the group may dig.

I was fortunate enough to visit Barry Holmes's school when they were trying out the program, and ever since I've been impatiently waiting for its publication. A couple of days before the visit, a group from the third year class had mapped the school as part of a maths topic, and while I was there the fourth year class were commencing their excavation - not knowing the origin of their site, of course! They tackled their task in a very methodical manner, and discussed their findings with an air of authority - they're old hands at the game!

Teachers and parents of young children may find the title, Archaeology, off-putting. Don't, because at a simple level this program can produce, for example, grids for treasure hunts, and children will be able to develop some of the skills which will benefit them when they come to tackle the more complicated sites later. I'm sure enthusiastic teachers will come up with ideas for using the program which were never envisaged by the authors, but that's what being "open-ended" is all about!

The suggestion of approaching the secondary school to co-operate in producing some reproduction artefacts seemed to be an excellent idea, not only for helping the whole project come to life, but also to encourage some joint ventures - the history and geography departments might like to set up some sites - and they'll begin to appreciate some of the exciting work being done in the primary schools with computers. Of course, parents with expertise will enjoy becoming part of the project too.

In an article on the program in the Times Educational Supplement (on 24th August 1984), it is suggested that this type of program will encourage the pooling of resources - "the information and disc containing data on a particular site can be lodged at a teachers' centre and loaned to other schools". Unfortunately, in my opinion, none of the sites mentioned in the handbook were included as a sample datafile. I thought my review copy had something missing, but it seems they wanted to emphasise the open-ended nature of the program, so thought it best not to include one. I've started using the program with a group of teachers and everyone said they would have welcomed a sample file - particularly the Fishbourne one as we live nearby! - and they thought the handbook, as good as it is, would have been enhanced considerably if a copy of the grids used in one of the datafiles mentioned had been incorporated. But, that is the only criticism I would make of a super program...!

If you believe in taking children out and about, be it parents from home or teachers from school, then I think this program is a must; if you don't, then this might encourage you to do so. It's certainly a significant step in the right direction as far as computer programs are concerned, and at the price, even the smallest school should be able to afford it.