The University of Nottingham Museum would like to highlight our upcoming programme of talks, workshops and events. We would love to welcome you, please do come along. For those of you who may have planned to get a ticket to the Archaeology NOW talk next week (7th October), I’m afraid it is now full – for those of you who were lucky enough to get a ticket, we’ll see you there! (Please note, events are listed until March – some may not yet be available to book so do check the Lakeside website: http://www.lakesidearts.org.uk/)
Archaeology NOW
A series of FREE talks and handling sessions that focuses on current archaeological work.
These talks allow professional archaeologists, related specialists and community groups to share their exciting work with us as it is happening and include regional, national and international projects.
The Anglo-Saxon Medicine Cabinet: Ancientbiotics & Modern Microbiology
Wednesday 4 November
Antibacterial resistance is a very real threat looming today. There are no new antibiotics on the horizon. Our research team – which is a collaboration of Mircobiologists and a scholar of medieval language decided to approach infection from a different angle, by looking at medieval remedies to approach a very modern problem. The experiences from the project (which have also recently been reported in local, national and international press) will underpin our talk which will look at the potential of interweaving medieval medical approaches with modern anti-microbial research. We also want to show what we have learned in the process of this unusual collaboration.
Dr Christina Lee, Associate Professor in Viking Studies, School of English and Dr Freya Harrison, School of Life Sciences, Centre for Biomolecular Sciences.
Curating the Celts
Wednesday 13 January 2016
Curator Dr Julia Farley will talk about her work on the current exhibition Celts: art and identity at the British Museum (24th September 2015 – 31st January 2016). The exhibition explores the art and objects made by the peoples of Iron Age Europe who were referred to by the ancient Greeks as Keltoi. It also follows the story of how the words Celts and Celtic came to be redefined after 1500 to refer to the languages, histories and traditions of the modern Celtic nations.
Dr Julia Farley , Curator of the European Iron Age Collections, Department of Britain, Europe and Prehistory, British Museum
Antonine Wall: using (and losing) money on the edge of empire
Wednesday 17 February 2016
Spanning from the Forth to the Clyde estuaries, the Antonine Wall lasted less than two decades of the mid-second century AD; within a Roman soldier’s period of active service. Roman Britain's other wall has left a more modest impact on the landscape than Hadrian's more southerly frontier, but its short-lived nature has left archaeology a clear snapshot of military life on the edge of empire. Richard Abdy has studied the coin finds of the wall: in the context of the other forms of evidence for the monument’s construction and operation they gain insight to how money was supplied and used on a daily basis in frontier forts.
Richard Abdy, Curator of Roman Coins, Coins and Medals Department, British Museum
Talks will be followed by handling sessions and discussions with the speaker in the University Museum
All talks are at 1pm in the Djanogly Theatre, please book your place in advance at the Box Office on 0115 846 7777.
Ancient Craft
These classes are run by craftspeople who undertake experimental archaeological work to try and understand how objects were made and used in the past.
Flint Knapping
Have you ever wondered how your ancestors made and used the stone tools we find in the archaeological record? The tolls used for hundreds of thousands of years enable prehistoric people to survive the changing landscape. Come along and try your hand at making your own flint tool with Karl Lee from Primitive Technology UK, back by popular demand, and take a step back in time.
Saturday 27 February 2016
11am- 2pm (adults 16+) and 2-4 (families children 10+)
Rehearsal Hall
£20 (£10 concessions) £4 children
Numbers limited to 15 per class
Saxon Pottery Making
After the Romans abandoned Britain many things changed and pottery reflects these changes.
Adult session: The workshop will look at the transition from Roman Wheel made Pottery to the early Saxon handmade vessels, and the return to the potters wheel during the Late Anglo-Saxon Period. Looking at and and handling replicas of these pots Graham will demonstrate the making of each type. Participants will have the chance to make and decorate their own hand built Anglo-Saxon Urn. No previous experience is needed and Graham will give all the help and encouragement needed to ensure that everyone goes away with at least one pot.
Children’s session: The children's workshop will use the handling collection as a starting point to talk about life in Anglo-Saxon Britain; Graham will demonstrate the making of pots, both on the wheel and by hand; then the children will have the opportunity to make their own pot to take home.
Saturday 12 March 2016
11.15am – 1.15pm (adults 16+) and 2 – 3.30pm (children aged 7-15)
Angear Visitor Centre
£20 (£10 concessions) £4 children. Numbers are limited to 15 people per class.
Hands On At The Museum Tours, Handling Sessions and Curation
A Merry Medieval Christmas
Saturday 5 December
11.15am – 12.45pm and 1.30 – 3pm
£8 adult, £2 Children; Age 12+; limited to 10 people; Meet in the Museum
Come and join us for a medieval themed gallery tour and object handling session with a festive twist. Visitors will get the chance to learn about medieval life in the East Midlands and find out how Christmas was celebrated throughout the Middle Ages. The tour will finish with some medieval festive refreshments.
With Dr Diane Wren, Museum Collections Access Officer
Getting Crafty at Christmas
Saturday 12 December
Angear Visitor Centre & Museum
1:30pm-3pm
Age 7+
Numbers limited to 20, family activity (all children to be accompanied by an adult), £4 (to include Christmas refreshments in the museum)
Join us for some children’s festive fun in the Museum and Angear Gallery! Children and their guardians can make a sweet-smelling medieval pomander, or their very own Christmas tree decorations inspired by Roman and Anglo-Saxon festive traditions. After getting crafty, what could be more festive than enjoying mince pies in the Museum?
Life and Death in the Anglo-Saxon Midlands
Saturday 6 February
11.30am – 1.15pm and 2– 3.30pm
Thursday 25 February 1-2.15pm
£2 per person; Age 12+; under 16s free; limited to 10 people; Meet in the Museum
Come and discover life in the East Midlands during the Anglo-Saxon period with a museum gallery tour and handling session. Visitors will learn about and explore the Museum’s Anglo-Saxon collection and be able to handle genuine artefacts from the Anglo-Saxon period.
With Dr Diane Wren, Museum Collections Access Officer
Help the Museum Curate its Coins
Saturday 5 March 11am – 3pm
Suitable for age 14 and above; Limited to 8 people; £2 per person; under 16s free;
Meet in the Museum
Are you interested in ancient coins? Do you want to discover how museums look after their collections? If so, come along and find out about our collection of coins, then have a go at some of the activities which museum curators undertake to care for, identify and research their objects!
With Anja Rohde, Museum Numismatist
Portable Antiquities Scheme – Finds Liaison Officer at the Museum
The Portable Antiquities Scheme records archaeological objects found in England and Wales. Many are found by metal-detector users, but also by people whilst out walking, gardening or going about their daily work. The Scheme's database holds records of more than 1.1 million artefacts and coins found by the public. Records are accessible to the public at www.finds.org.uk.
Alastair Willis (Finds Liaison Officer for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire) will now be working at the University of Nottingham Museum on the third Tuesday of each month and can help identify and record objects you have found that are over 300 years old. For large numbers of objects, please make an appointment in advance by calling 01332 641 903 or emailing alastair@derbymuseums.org. For single or small numbers of objects feel free to drop in to the Museum between 11 am and 4 pm.
New Museum Education Programme
Ellie Ball has joined the Museum team as Creative Learning Officer. She will be developing an exciting new programme of workshops, activities and events for schools. There will be a range of facilitated interactive sessions focusing on Prehistory, the Romans, the Anglo-Saxons and more, as well as classroom-based Travelling Exhibitions (including the Museum in a Trunk: Everyday life in Roman Margidunum) and outdoor local history activities. She will also be running inset days to improve teachers’ confidence in approaching these topics, a range of special events throughout the year, and look out for exciting new downloadable resources to support classroom learning.
To find out more please contact: Eleanor.Ball@Nottingham.ac.uk or 0115 748 6264.
Sarah Morriss
Museum Administrator
0115 74 84950
Please note I work part-time (Monday-Wednesday)
University of Nottingham Museum, Nottingham Lakeside Arts
University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD