Festival of British Archaeology

Festival of British Archaeology event at the University of Southampton (23rd July 2016).

Back in July, the department of Archaeology held an activities day to mark the Festival of British Archaeology. Several hundred people attended – with many trying their hands at archaeological Minecraft and making cave art.

Other demonstrations and activities included prehistoric metallurgy (copper smelting), shipwrighting and the use of medieval axes, excavation of a human ‘burial’ with Roman ceramics and other grave goods, geophysics, flint knapping & stone tool manufacture, experimental prehistoric archaeology, including animal hide treatment, fish trap manufacture, and bramble rope making. Both adults and children attempted to identify & rebuild a horse skeleton in order to better understand Anglo-Saxons and their animals. Other popular activities included building boats to move cargo to understand maritime merchants and trade, as well as investigations of human brains and human evolution.

One of our current PhD students, Kate Rogers, made a film documenting that day. It includes interviews with current staff and students in archaeology and members of the public present on the day. We hope you enjoy these short films!