The region of Wessex has played an important role in the historical development of archaeology, with an impressive array of sites and surviving monuments attracting the attentions of early antiquarians and archaeologists from the seventeenth century onwards. With such a rich archaeological record, Wessex has provided us with a remarkably detailed understanding of the evolution of prehistoric societies, and of the dramatic changes which have taken place over the last six thousand years.
The course will cover neighbouring parts of Wiltshire and Somerset, and will include a wide range of evidence ranging from groups of post-Ice Age hunter-gatherers to the rise of rich Iron Age kingdoms and their eventual conquest by Rome. We will look closely at evidence of prehistoric lives, including settlements, homes and possessions. Our sessions on Stonehenge and the earlier Bronze Age will include exploratory discussions on beliefs and the use of ritual monuments.
The course will assume little previous knowledge of the archaeology of different periods, but is intended to provide a basic grounding in the subject, and to stimulate further interest. There will be plenty of opportunity for lively discussion and class participation, with a suitably critical approach to current theories and ideas.
Some aspects of modern archaeological research will be introduced, including geophysical and Lidar survey techniques, environmental analysis and radiocarbon dating. There will also be an opportunity to handle and discuss prehistoric tools and pottery.
A field trip will be organised during the course, which will visit nearby prehistoric landscapes, possible to include Neolithic Avebury or Wiltshire/Somerset hillforts.