Chelsea History Festival returns in September with rich programme of events
Founded in 2019, the Chelsea History Festival aims to ‘entertain, educate and inspire through local, national and global history’.
public engagement
Unusual museums: from Doctor Who to ‘unicorn poo’
If you want to encounter a Dalek now, you can visit the scenic Northumberland village of Allendale, where one of these terrifying cyborgs stands harmless outside the Georgian home of Neil Cole, whose Museum of Classic Sci-Fi occupies his cellar.
This week: Augmented reality
Throughout history, writers and artists have used their imaginations to tell stories from former times. From The Iliad to A Tale of Two Cities, and from The Last Supper to the Sistine ceiling, the results have inspired countless millions down…
News in brief: medieval bishop’s palace found in Essex, and new experimental archaeology project launched
Some of the latest stories from the realm of UK archaeology.
At first light
Jodrell Bank Observatory, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and part of The University of Manchester, is a working research facility that has supported the discovery of meteors, black holes, and the afterglow of the Big Bang. Last month saw the…
Brick Wonders
Carly Hilts travels around the world in 31 LEGO models at The Novium Museum, Chichester.
Prehistoric Rock Art in Scotland: archaeology, meaning and engagement
Over the past 50 years or so, the later prehistoric open-air rock art of Scotland has received much useful attention with the sterling work of researchers Ronald Morris and Stan Beckensall. It is only recently, though, that interest through Historic…
Events, exhibitions, and heritage from home – Spring 2022
There is a great variety of archaeological and historical exhibitions, events, and activities scheduled for the coming year, and we have gathered a selection of the opportunities on offer below, ranging from excavations you can get involved in to lectures and conferences to attend. At the same time, there are also many ways to get stuck into history and heritage at home, with virtual museum tours, new podcasts, and the return of some of your favourite archaeology TV shows. Amy Brunskill has put together a summary of some of the best.
‘Archaeology on Prescription’ health and wellbeing project launched in York
York Archaeological Trust, which also trades under the name York Archaeology, has launched a new community project at the former Willow House care home in the Walmgate area of York, specifically designed to improve participants’ health and wellbeing while teaching them new skills in archaeology.
This week: archaeology in peril
The news this week that the University of Sheffield is to press ahead with plans to close its school of archaeology has sent a shiver through the heritage world. It is a ‘devastating’ blow, said the Council of British Archaeology. Mary Beard, the eminent historian, called it ‘worrying in the least’. To date, more than 39,000 people have signed a petition calling for the decision to be reversed.
Managing Archaeology in Dynamic Urban Centres
This new publication, which draws on discussions at the 2017 European Association of Archaeologists (EAA) conference and the work of the EAA Urban Archaeology Community, explores the complexities of carrying out archaeology in urban spaces across Europe. Urban centres are…
Heritage from home: May
With restrictions lifting around the UK and outdoor sites reopening, we hope it won’t be long until we can visit museums and indoor heritage sites again. For now, Amy Brunskill has put together another selection of ways to get involved in history, heritage, and archaeology at home, from virtual tours of sites around the world to podcasts and social media trends, craft activities, TV shows, and more.
IWM announces reopening dates with #MissingMuseums campaign
The #MissingMuseums campaign invites fans of the institution to use social media to share what they missed about its galleries and exhibitions during the last several months.
Managing Archaeology in Dynamic Urban Centres
Bringing together case studies from across Europe and beyond, this volume highlights the challenges shared by many archaeologists working in urban centres.
Penn Museum: a museum for the coming decades
The symbol of the new Penn Museum is in the refurbished main entrance hall. On a prominent podium behind the ticket desks sits the Museum’s celebrated sphinx. Richard Hodges reports.
Updates to the definition of Treasure
The definition of what is considered ‘Treasure’ is to be revised by the Government, to broaden its parameters and provide increased protection for archaeological finds made in England and Wales. It will be the first change made to the Treasure…
Welcome to the new Stonehenge: making a Neolithic circle fit for purpose
In 1993, the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee described the setting and presentation of Stonehenge as ‘a national disgrace’. Two decades later, we finally have a remedy – a spanking new visitor centre to cater for travellers’ bodily needs and to prepare them for an encounter with the monument. What is more, the road that once severed Stonehenge from the Avenue has gone, restoring the link between the monument and its processional way. Chris Catling went there, gazed in awe, and wants to go back again very soon.
London Lives
Though the Trust owns the childhood homes of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and last year said it would consider buying the Abbey Road studios if EMI put up for sale, it seems not to be interested in Starr’s home. Standing unloved and boarded up, it will share the same fate as a number of other Victorian two-up-two down terraces in the area known as ‘the Welsh Streets’.