Few archaeological projects set out with the intention of running for decades. The committee of the Experimental Earthwork project, however, developed an elaborate programme from 1960 until well into the 3rd millennium AD, designed to study the long-term processes of earthwork construction and change. Paul Ashbee and the late Peter Jewell present their personal view of the aims, experiences and some results of this project.
Sadly Peter Jewell died on 23 May 1998, and this paper is a fitting tribute to his major role in the enterprise.