22 Wednesday May 2019
Posted in Archaeology, Education, WEA
The second of our hot topics within archaeology was that of metal detecting. There are already some resources on this topic on this blog about metal detecting, the treasure act and the portable antiquities scheme.
This video from Archaeosoup from February 2019 reviews the DCMS consultation about the function of the Treasure Act 1996:
This presentation from the Digital Engagement in Archaeology Conference discusses Portable Antiquities Scheme and its impact on the public:
22 Wednesday May 2019
Posted in Archaeology, Education, WEA
In our last session we looked at a couple of hot topics within archaeology that are sure to generate plenty of discussion. The first of these was that of human remains. There are already some resources on this topic on this blog which includes links to a lot of the legislation and how to guides by respected bodies within the discipline.
This Archaeoduck video interviews a human osteoarchaeologist, Lauren McIntyre, who talks through what happens when human remains are excavated in the UK:
15 Wednesday May 2019
Posted in Archaeology, Education, WEA
In our last session, we continued the subject of dating within archaeology by looking at absolute dating methods. There are already some resources on this subject on this blog which can be found by following the link.
Perhaps the best known of these absolute dating methods is radiocarbon dating. These two short videos from Archaeoduck help to explain how that method works and some of the pros and cons.
Other forms of dating exist. These include thermoluminescence, which is explained briefly in this video by Archaeosoup:
08 Wednesday May 2019
Posted in Archaeology, Education, WEA
In our last session we looked at various dating techniques. One of these techniques was dendrochronology. This video from Archaeosoup provides more information about this dating method:
There are other resources on relative dating, including the vole clock, available on this site. Please follow the link to find out more.
01 Wednesday May 2019
Posted in Archaeology, Education, WEA
In our last session we talked about context and stratigraphy. There are already some resources about these on this blog which you can find by following the link.
As part of understanding the relationship of different contexts with one another, we talked about the Harris Matrix. This video by Archaeosoup also helps to explain this idea:
24 Wednesday Apr 2019
Posted in Archaeology, Education, WEA
In our first session we talked about the National Planning Policy Framework and how that relates to archaeology. We, therefore, particularly looked at the section on conserving and enhancing the historic environment. There is an interesting video here by Archaeosoup which discusses the dynamic of heritage versus new homes. Are archaeology and modern life truly at odds?
We also discussed non-invasive archaeology techniques. There is already some information about these on this blog if you follow the link, however, you may also be interested in this video by Archaeosoup which explains what field walking is:
22 Monday Apr 2019
Posted in Archaeology, Education, WEA
Whilst it is not essential to do any background reading before the course begins, you may find it useful to do so. The reading list below contains books that you can read. You don’t have to read all of these and we don’t specify any that you must read. Instead, these are readings you can use to gain a preliminary understanding of topics, as well as to study in more depth those parts of the course you are particularly interested in. You may also want to take a look at magazines such as British Archaeology, World Archaeology and Current Archaeology.
Further suggestions about ways you can extend your understanding of topics through books, television etc may also be posted as appropriate here on the blog.
Aitken, M. 1990. Science-based Dating in Archaeology. Longman. (Introduces several different science-based dating techniques used by archaeologists)
Bahn, P. 2012. Archaeology: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press. (Latest edition of popular, concise introduction to archaeology)
Carver, M. 2009. Archaeological Investigation. Routledge. (General introduction to the process of fieldwork from discovery to publication).
Drewett, P. 2011. Field Archaeology: An Introduction. (2nd edition). Routledge. (Leading text introducing principles of field archaeology)
Gamble, C. 2015. Archaeology: the basics (revised 3nd edition). Routledge. (A good general introduction to a lot of concepts)
Gater, J & Gaffney, C. 2003. Revealing the Buried Past: Geophysics for Archaeologists. The History Press Ltd. (A good introduction to archaeological geophysics by the Time Team ‘geofizz’ guys)
Greene, K. & Moore, T. 2010. Archaeology: An Introduction (5th edn). London: Routledge. (A good general introduction. You may also wish to check out the associated online resources: http://cw.routledge.com/textbooks/greene/).
O’Connor, T. 2005. Environmental Archaeology: Principles and Methods (2nd edn.) The History Press. (General introduction to environmental archaeology)
Mays, S. 2010. The Archaeology of Human Bones (2nd edn). Routledge. (General introduction to the archaeological analysis of human remains)
Renfrew, C & Bahn, P (eds). 2004. Archaeology: The Key Concepts. Routledge Key Guides. (Collection of different chapters written by experts in their field)
Renfrew, C. & Bahn, P. 2016. Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practice (7th edn). Thames and Hudson. (Aimed at 1st year undergraduates, but still very accessible to read and covers a lot of topics)
20 Wednesday Mar 2019
Posted in Archaeology, Education, WEA
Tags
archaeology, education, England, Normans, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Saxon, WEA
In our last session on the Anglo-Saxon period in England, we looked at how the period came to an end.
This video provides a handy short synopsis of the Viking invasion of England
These six short video clips from BBC Teach investigate the claimants to the throne in 1066, the battles at Fulford, Stamford Bridge and Hastings, and then the aftermath as William secures his grip on the English throne.
In this documentary Tony Robinson reveals the real story behind the last great Anglo-Saxon king. Far from being just the loser at the Battle of Hastings, Harold was a charismatic leader.
If you would like to do further reading, the following webpages may be of interest to you:
Don’t forget that if you wish to look back over the resources available in this blog, just select Saxon in the tag cloud on the left to filter the entries to just those with relevant material. If you wish to see what happened next, select Normans to pull up resources relating to the Norman world.
13 Wednesday Mar 2019
Posted in Archaeology, Education, WEA
Tags
archaeology, education, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Saxon, WEA
In our last session we looked at health and medicine in the Anglo-Saxon period. There is already some information about Anglo-Saxon Health and Medicine in a previous entry of this blog.
Anglo-Saxons called their medical texts ‘leechbooks’. One of the most famous of these is Bald’s Leechbook which is now held at the British Library.
Another text on the subject is called the Lacnunga, miscellaneous charms from which are available online. The digitised manuscript can be seen at the British Library website.
The short video clip below is a translated reading of the Nine Herbs Charm:
This short video clip presents a reading in Old English of the Wïð Fǣrstiċe charm:
06 Wednesday Mar 2019
Posted in Archaeology, Education, WEA
Tags
archaeology, education, England, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Saxon, WEA
In yesterday’s session, we also mentioned the Staffordshire Hoard. If you wish to see this for yourself, it is on display in a permanent exhibition at the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.
The following videos also provide more information:
