The Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded a £48,000 grant to the Ancient Cwmbran and Cistercians Partnership.
The money will be spent researching several sites of archaeological interest in the Thornhill and Greenmeadow areas of Cwmbran, one of which dates back more than 3,500 years.
The Ancient Cwmbran and Cistercians Partnership, which will oversee the development and implementation of the project, consists of Cwmbran Historical Society, Glamorgan Gwent Archaeological Trust, University of Wales, Newport, Torfaen Museum Trust, Communities First Thornhill, the Co-Star Partnership and Torfaen council.
Councillor Bob Wellington, leader of Torfaen council and chair of the partnership, said: "This is an exciting project for Cwmbran and Torfaen which has been initiated through a partnership between the council, the local community and Cwmbran Historical Society.
"I hope the project will help foster a greater sense of awareness and appreciation of the area's ancient past."
The project, which is also being funded by the Cwmbran Regeneration Partnership and Torfaen council, will be carried out with the help of volunteers over the next 12 months.
Archaeologists will work with local residents to investigate several sites many of which are previously unrecorded. Other aspects of the project will celebrate the medieval pilgrim heritage of the area through an arts project to commemorate St Derfel and the production of a heritage circular walks leaflet.
Richard Davies, research coordinator for the Ancient Cwmbran and Cistercians Project, said: "These unrecorded sites are a real mystery, I have shown them to several archaeologist and we are all still scratching our heads."
Jennifer Stewart, head of Heritage Lottery Fund Wales, said: "People love learning about their local heritage and archaeology is a great way to unearth hidden histories.
"This is a fantastic project which will bring people, young and old, together to try their hand at something new and gain a deeper understanding of where they live."