Looking at the Landscape

This session we had a problem with the hub, so it was back to basics and using flip charts. We started off the session by looking at crop marks and how to identify them. Then we learnt how these can help us identify features from the air and using Aerial photography. We saw some amazing photographs, of different sites, and realised that to get the best photographs you have to go at a certain time of day, or even when there has been a small amount of snow, to see the shadows of the features.

We followed this by looking at O.S. Maps and picking out archaeological features that we thought might show up if we were to go and do some Aerial photography. We also looked up some old place names to see if they could tell us anything about the area.

As this year we are having a ‘Past’ Port theme for each session, we finished off making these and chose our sticker for this session. Two people were awarded an extra sticker as they had been paying extra attention in the lesson. At the end of the year who ever has the most stickers and complete ‘Past’ Port will get a prize.

Found - Stone-age surgery survivor!

Neolithic Amputee found in France.

Not just a pretty face?

Neanderthal Make-up discovered!

November - Back in time

November sessions saw us travel back in time over the last year and take a look at the sessions we have had throughout the year. As it was our last session before Christmas we had a few competitions. There was a quiz to test what we had learnt from the sessions, and there were high marks all round. We then had a pot making competition to see who could make the best pot, and again there was a high standard. We also did some jewellery making.

In readiness for next year we started making our “Past” Ports. We will need to have this at all the sessions next year in order to receive a sticker, at the end of next year the one with the most stickers and detailed “Past” Port wins a prize. These will be finished off in the January session so don’t worry if you weren’t there. Or you can make one at home to bring along. They have to have a least 11 pages, one for each session, this way there is space for you to write about each session.

Our Guy

Our Guy
Originally uploaded by Bridgend Young Archaeologists Club

Because Bonfire Night and Hallowe'en were coming, this month Andy led our session about why Guy Fawkes is remembered, and the stories we tell around this time of year.

We started by asking who knew about The Gunpowder plot, who started it, and why it happened. Although it wasn't his plan, Guy Fawkes was left in charge, but the plot was betrayed by someone warning the King. He was sentenced to be hung, drawn and quartered, but escaped this grisly end by jumping from the gallows.

Hallowe'en has traditionally been a time to tell stories about ghosts, and witches and strange beasts, so we were given a selection of books of short stories to search through, and then we read (and even acted) out some of our discoveries.

After the break, the group split into two, with one half building the effigy of Guy Fawkes you see in the photo. The other half set about preparing to perform a traditional Mummers Play, which is a short story acted out by a few people wearing masks, playing the parts of Knights, kings, doctors and fools. This kind of play has been performed since medieval times at least, and is still performed around Britain in the 21st century, if you know where to look!

National Waterfront Museum

We had a very successful and educational trip to the Waterfront Museum on the 19th September, we started off learning about different kinds of energy we use today, the different applications they can be put to, and where they come from. We then moved on to find out more about the history and development of the Swansea Bay area, and marvel at the achievements of some famous and successful locals, including Aneurin Bevan, who founded the NHS, and Laura Ashley, who was born in Merthyr Tydfil and founded the fashion chain, bringing a lot of work to Wales when business moved to Montgomeryshire.

Being the National Waterfront Museum, we also learned about the maritime history of South Wales, and the different routes ships travelled with different cargoes. Some of the most interesting points the Museum makes are about how people in Wales have lived over the past few hundred years, from work, shopping habits, clothing, money, family, and the role that women play in society, and we particularly enjoyed exploring mid-19th century Swansea through a census taken in 1851, which showed how small and cramped some people's living conditions were, with up to 12 occupants in one small house!

The variety of different technology used in the displays was amazing, and we had a lot of fun trying out some futuristic computers and trying out shopping in the past, trying to feed a family on a miner's salary. One of the most interesting parts of the museum was the mining gallery, as we'd visited Big Pit in August, and it was interesting to see how the two different museums managed to display the history of mining in different ways.

We had a lot of fun, and there was so much to do and see that we actually ran out of time, so we'd love to go back some time. Thank you to everyone who came, and to all the staff at the museum, who were very friendly and helpful and were always around to tell us stories and add even more interesting information to the displays, a good time was had by all!

Bridgend YAC at Big Pit/Pwll Mawr

Hi All,

Just a quick message to say thanks for not getting stuck down the Big Pit, the other weekend! It was a daunting prospect to be taking our group down and around the Big Pit without our Leader Sian, thankfully all went well and everybody had a good time.....I hope!

We started our visit in the pithead baths education centre having a quick look round and a go at filling in our activity sheets, which the Big Pit provided, then it was off down the mine, donning helmet, cap lamp, belt, battery and ‘self rescuer’ – used by miners as we went! The only trouble came when one of our leaders had contraband material confiscated by the mine's staff in case of fire, luckily this was before we'd entered the mine!

The tour of the mine lasted around just about 50 minutes, we learned that the mine was not as deep as many other mines in the area, at just 90 metres deep, it sits on the edge of the coalfield at its highest point where coal is present closer to thee surface and that the mine was called Big Pit or Pwll Mawr because it was the only mine operating two drams at a time, thereby allowing more coal to be removed form the mine in one go.

After our tour of the mine we chose to go into the virtual mine tour in the mining galleries and learn a bit more about the mining process and its development, it was an excellant experience.

Many thanks to all our members who were able to come along and make the big pit trip a great day out!

Cloe, Assistant Leader