Today sees the launch of the new DigVentures project, Saints & Secrets: the Lost History of Leiston Abbey. The now-ruined 14th century Leiston Abbey has never been fully excavated, and represents an extremely rare opportunity to join in with an evaluation to investigate and record a medieval monastery. You can read all about the planned programme [...]
Cornish heritage beneath our feet
Have you ever looked down when you’re walking about outside (do you walk about much)? We’re often encouraged to look up when we’re in the middle of towns and cities to admire the architecture of urbanisation above the modern, slightly jarring, signage of our high street shops. But do you look down? Local foundries made [...]
Cornish heritage is a man’s game
Cornwall Councillor Bert Biscoe today published a really thought-provoking article on the recommencement of mining in Cornwall: To manicure or mine, Cornwall’s modern dilemma. Amongst other points he raises the issues of the tensions between preservation, environmental sustainability and economic gain; he also makes the point many of us have been thinking about not really [...]
Artistic licence: misrepresenting (Cornish) history
Last week the temperature under my collar was raised twice over. Both times it concerned a poor representation of the past. One probably down to lazy journalism (but with no real excuses) and the other possibly down to poor editing choices and an over-reliance on a ‘pat narrative’. Here I discuss the first of these, [...]
On Commercial Archaeology and Public Benefit
Before turning freelance, I spent a decade working in the commercial archaeology sector, and have seen a fair number of archaeological projects over the years. Some great archaeology done by fantastic archaeologists, and post-excavation analysis done to the highest standards. But, what is the point of it, if all that work brings very little benefit [...]
Day of Archaeology 2012
This year I once again helped to organise the Day of Archaeology, an online event that features blog posts from archaeologists around the world to highlight our work in our own words. One of the aims of the Day of Archaeology is to show how exciting and relevant archaeology is to us all, by showing [...]
Paddington history for kids
Last November I blogged about my experience demonstrating the wonders of history school children at Hallfield Primary School, my first alma mater. I continued the theme with the local Cub Scouts Group based at another Paddington primary school, St Mary Magdalene (5th Paddington). My tack was slightly different here. The incentive to listen and learn [...]
All Change
I have been rather quiet on the blogging front lately. Largely this has been driven by a series of moves, physically, and career-wise. Firstly, after many years of planning, I have now moved to west Cornwall,which is, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful parts of the UK, as well as one of the [...]
Where is Asturias, food and promoting living heritage
Within ‘the heritage sector’ we compartmentalise its different aspects. Museums, libraries, archives as guardians and interpreters of collections. The historic environment sector as recorders of the built environment and historic landscapes. Archaeologists who excavate, record and analyse material remains. Then there’s natural heritage, everything about our world that isn’t human made. The subject divisions proliferate [...]
When did William the Conqueror burst? Or Back to School History
This afternoon was spent back at my old Primary School. The chairs and tables have shrunk but everything else is pretty much the same. That more or less is what the study of history is like. We look for things that changed and can’t help but notice what hasn’t. The reason I found myself faced [...]