Current Archaeology’s December Listings: exhibitions, events, and heritage from home

Versailles: science and splendour

Science Museum, London,12 December 2024-21 April 2025
http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/see-and-do/versailles-science-and-splendour

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Palace of Versailles became a major site of scientific thinking. This upcoming exhibition, opening soon at the Science Museum, will explore the important role that science played at the French royal court, and the significant figures associated with the pursuit of knowledge. Objects on display will include Louis XV’s rhinoceros, an extraordinarily detailed map of the moon by Jean-Dominique Cassini, and a beautiful sculptural clock evoking the creation of the world. Tickets cost £12, with a family discount available; children aged 11 and under go free.

Gladiators of Britain

Dorset Museum & Art Gallery, Dorchester, 25 January-11 May 2025
http://www.dorsetmuseum.org/whats-on/gladiators-of-britain

Gladiators of Britain is a British Museum Partnership Exhibition with Colchester + Ipswich Museums, which will be touring four UK venues in 2025 and 2026, starting at Dorset Museum & Art Gallery. The exhibition brings together some of the country’s most important objects to tell the story of Britain’s Roman entertainment venues and the people who died to the roar of the crowd. At each venue, the exhibition will explore Roman spectacle in the local region, following in the footsteps of the gladiators who fought in Britain’s amphitheatres.

CONFERENCE

2025 Roman Army School 

Collingwood College, Durham, 28-31 March 2025
http://www.ad43.org.uk

The 2025 Roman Army School will be held over four days in late March in Durham. This year the theme is ‘Roman frontiers in Britain and beyond’. Invited speakers include Professor David Breeze, Professor Bill Hanson, Dr Nick Hodgson, Dr Matthew Symonds, and Graham Sumner. The weekend will also offer an excursion to Housesteads Roman Fort. The lecture package (eight talks) is £144, with additional costs for the optional excursion, accommodation, and meals. Visit the website for full information and the booking form.

LECTURE

The Archaeology of the 1988 – Glasgow Garden Festival

Augustine United Church, Edinburgh, 9 January 2025
http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-archaeology-of-the-1988-glasgow-garden-festival-registration-1057991494039

The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland’s January lecture will be presented by Dr Kenny Brophy, who will explore how archaeology (particularly Roman archaeology) was represented at the 1988 Glasgow Garden Festival. He will also discuss the results of his own fieldwork and excavations across what remains of the Festival site, demonstrating the power of archaeology as a tool for exploring recent events, engaging the public, and unlocking memories. This talk will take place both in person and online. Tickets are free but must be booked in advance.

Roman Silchester

Reading Museum, 15 March, 12 April & 10 May 2025
http://www.readingmuseum.org.uk

In spring 2025, Professor Michael Fulford will present a series of three talks about Roman Silchester at Reading Museum. The first will discuss the origins of the site, exploring the thriving community that existed at Calleva before the Roman Conquest. The second talk will discuss the results of recent excavations and the insights that they have provided into life in Roman Silchester. The third will examine the end of the Roman town, and activity at the site after the withdrawal of official Roman administration from Britain. Tickets cost £12 per talk and can be booked online.

HERITAGE FROM HOME

VIRTUAL VISITS

• Genesee Country Village Museum, USA

http://www.gcv.org/virtual-village-tours

Explore the largest living history museum in the state of New York and find out more about 19th-century life in this area through a variety of new digital resources and virtual tours.

• Ulster Museum, UK

http://www.ulstermuseum.org

Discover an array of online resources from Ulster Museum, including curator-led video tours, new digital exhibitions, stories, highlights from the collections, and more.

• Copán, Honduras

https://mused.com/copan

These new virtual tours offer a remarkable online opportunity to visit the ancient Maya site of Copán: climb its legendary hieroglyphic stairway, discover its temples and pyramids, and unearth its tunnels and tombs.

• Southampton, UK

http://www.sketchfab.com/Southampton_Cultural_Services

Immerse yourself in Southampton’s history with these new augmented reality reproductions of the city’s most important medieval buildings, as well as scans of hundreds of historic objects.

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES

• Orbis

https://orbis.stanford.edu

Find out what it was like to travel around the Roman Empire with this new geospatial model that allows you to calculate how long different journeys would have taken, and how much they would have cost.

• Digital Pasifik

https://digitalpasifik.org

Discover the cultural history and heritage of the Pacific with this new website, which features digitised objects, documents, recordings, and more, launched as part of the Pacific Virtual Museum Pilot Project. 

• Tony Robinson’s Cunningcast

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/tony-robinsons-cunningcast/id1676254046

Tony Robinson presents this history podcast, delving into weird and wonderful subjects from the past, from Hadrian’s Wall and Stonehenge to ancient DNA and medieval knights, with the help of expert guests.