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EXHIBITIONS
The Edwardians: Age of Elegance
The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, London, 11 April-25 November
http://www.rct.uk/collection/exhibitions/the-edwardians-age-of-elegance/the-kings-gallery-buckingham-palace
This major exhibition at The King’s Gallery will explore the lives and tastes of two royal couples – King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, and King George V and Queen Mary – from their family lives to spectacular royal events. The first Royal Collection Trust exhibition ever to explore the Edwardian era will bring together more than 300 items, almost half of which will be on display for the first time, including fashion, jewellery, paintings, photographs, books, sculpture, and ceramics. Tickets cost £19, with reductions available.
Words on the Wave: Ireland and St Gallen in Early Medieval Europe
National Museum of Ireland at Kildare Street, Dublin, 30 May-24 October
http://www.museum.ie/en-IE/Museums/Archaeology/Exhibitions/Words-on-the-Wave-Ireland-and-St-Gallen-in-Early-M
This major exhibition, opening next month at the National Museum of Ireland, will feature the world-renowned collection of Irish-associated manuscripts from the Abbey of St Gall in Switzerland. To celebrate the loan of these amazing manuscripts, more than 100 remarkable objects from the National Museum’s collection have been gathered for display. They tell the stories of extraordinary journeys of people, books, and ideas between medieval Ireland and Europe.
LECTURES
Basil Brown Memorial Lecture – Sutton Hoo and the Wider World
The Auditorium at the Hold, Fore Street, Ipswich, 17 May
http://www.suttonhoo.org/index.php/events/upcoming-events
This lecture by Dr Sue Brunning will explore international connections reflected in the finds from the Sutton Hoo ship burial, with a particular focus on new research into the garnet cloisonné metalwork undertaken for the British Museum’s recent Silk Roads exhibition. The origin of the garnets and their route to Sutton Hoo has always intrigued, and this research throws new light on their story. Tickets can be booked online and cost £8 for members of the Sutton Hoo Society or £10 for non-members.
Excavations of a Neolithic Tomb at Tirnony
Lecture Theatre, 2 Titanic Boulevard, Belfast, 30 April
http://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/articles/heroni-lecture-series#toc-1
In this lecture for the Historic Environment Record of Northern Ireland, Dr Cormac McSparron will discuss his archaeological work at Tirnony Dolmen, Maghera, which revealed a complex monument with evidence for human burial and ritual in the Neolithic period. Artefacts discovered during the excavations included fragments of pottery vessels of Neolithic date and flint knives and scrapers, and radiocarbon analysis revealed that the monument was constructed around 3900 BC. Tickets are free, but should be pre-booked.
EVENT
Dorchester Roman Festival
Maumbury Rings, Dorchester, 11-13 April
http://www.discoverdorchester.co.uk/dorchester-roman-festival-2
Dorchester’s new Roman Festival, hosted in the former amphitheatre of Maumbury Rings, offers an array of activities that will bring the area’s Roman past to life. Visitors of all ages will have the chance to train like a gladiator, make mosaics, take part in Roman ceremonies, see real Roman finds, interact with living historians, and more. In addition to these activities, there will be guided walks, tours, and talks around Dorchester right across the weekend. The festival at Maumbury Rings is free, but there is a fee for the additional activities.
HERITAGE FROM HOME
VIRTUAL VISITS
• Museum of Ontario Archaeology, Canada
http://www.archaeologymuseum.ca/experience
Explore a wealth of online offerings from the Museum of Ontario Archaeology, from virtual-reality experiences and behind-the-scenes tours to online collections, blog posts, and stories.
• Garden Museum, UK
http://www.gardenmuseum.org.uk/online-resources
Discover recorded talks, digitised collections, online exhibitions, and other resources exploring hundreds of years of garden history around the world.
• Elephanta Caves, India
https://tapestry.cyark.org/content/elephanta
Take a guided tour of the rock-cut temples that make up the Elephanta Caves, and find out more about the history, religious significance, and artistic heritage of this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Blenheim Palace, UK
https://culturati.blenheimpalace.com
Enjoy personally tailored tours around Blenheim Palace and delve into more than 300 years of stories at the historic house with this new app, Archie – your interactive guide.
FAMILY FUN
• Life on the Antonine Wall
http://www.verecunda.uk/online
Find out what life was like for people living on the Antonine Wall with these two interactive experiences from the Hunterian Museum: one explores the life of a Roman centurion, the other that of a young Caledonian girl.
• Leighton House and Sambourne House
http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/museums/learning-resources
Discover art and craft activities, colouring sheets, educational resources, and more from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which manages the former homes and studios of two Victorian artists.
• Life and Death of the Inca
https://access.historyhit.com/inca-series
In this History Hit documentary, Dan Snow travels to the Peruvian Andes to explore the world of the Inca and the story of their magnificent high altitude empire.
• Emperor: Rise and Fall of a Dynasty
http://www.channel5.com/show/emperor
Explore a century of turbulent Roman rule with this three-part series, which tells the stories of Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero – and the powerful women behind them.
EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES
• Six Thousand Years of Learning
http://www.heritageireland.ie/learn/exhibitions/six-thousand-years-of-learning
This online exhibition from Heritage Ireland examines how skills and knowledge have been handed down through history, from prehistory to the more recent past.
• The Bayeux Tapestry
http://www.bayeuxmuseum.com/en/the-bayeux-tapestry/discover-the-bayeux-tapestry/explore-online
Get up close to the Bayeux Tapestry and explore the 70m-long embroidered canvas scene by scene with this high-resolution panorama, then find out more about its history through other online resources.
• History’s Youngest Heroes
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0025vq0
In this series, Nicola Coughlan shines a light on extraordinary young people from across history, from Julian of Norwich to Audrey Hepburn.
• Behind the Trowel
http://www.instagram.com/tash_archaeo
Discover educational posts and videos exploring a variety of historical and archaeological subjects from Natasha Billson: archaeologist, presenter, film-maker… and speaker at CA Live! 2025.
Go digging!
This spring and summer we are running special spreads featuring projects offering digging opportunities to the public. If you would like to highlight an upcoming excavation for our readers in one of our upcoming ‘Digs’ sections, please get in touch at cp@currentpublishing.com.
