Festival of Archaeology Salisbury Museum

We will be exploring the latest discoveries and technology within archaeology. Visitors will get to see how our Graphics specialists bring archaeology to life through photography, 3D modelling and animation.

Main activities:

Family-friendly artefact handling activities

Virtual Reality – VR

Film screenings of Wessex Archaeology’s new films for 2022 – ‘The Amesbury Archer: 20 Years On’ and ‘Beyond the Stones’

Film screening of ‘The Amesbury Archer: 20 Years On’ from 1:30 – 2:30pm, Saturday 23rd July – Short break, followed by Q & A with Matt Leivers and Phil Harding

On the 3rd of May 2002 Wessex Archaeology excavated the grave of a man dating to around 2,300BC. Discovered three miles from Stonehenge his grave contained the richest array of items ever found from this period. Around 100 objects were found, including the complete skeleton of a man, three copper knives, two small gold hair tresses, two wrist guards to protect his wrists from the bow string, 16 flint arrowheads and five pots.

Now, 20 years on, we join those who excavated the grave into the early hours of the night as they recall the events. Subsequent years of research and development mean we continue to learn and discover more about the life of a man at the centre of Early Bronze Age society.

Booking is required for this event. Follow the link below or got to https://salisburymuseum.org.uk/whats-on/events/amesbury-archer-20-years-–-film-screening-followed-qa.

‘The Amesbury Archer: 20 Years On’ will uncover fascinating new evidence with interviews from the original excavators and important discussion of what new DNA technologies have been able to tell us in the intervening years.

Film screening of ‘Beyond the Stones’ from 1:30 – 2:30pm, Sunday 24th July - Short break, followed by Q & A with Matt Leivers and Phil Harding

Wessex Archaeology, with support from the National Trust, have made their first feature-length documentary called ‘Beyond the Stones’ which celebrates the 35th anniversary of the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site.

‘Beyond the Stones’ focuses on our connection to the World Heritage Site landscape through people, communities, and journeys – both now and in the past. We’ll explore what we can learn from more recent excavations within the Stonehenge landscape at sites like Bulford and Larkhill with special contributions from the Wessex Archaeology experts who excavated the sites. Known heritage assets from the World Heritage Site will also be explored with specialists from the National Trust.

Booking is required for this event. Follow the link below or got to https://salisburymuseum.org.uk/whats-on/events/beyond-stones-–-film-screening-followed-qa.

We’re excited to showcase the film as part of this year’s Festival of Archaeology with a special premiere to be held at the historic Barn in Avebury Henge this summer and a YouTube livestream for wider audiences.

Immersive, evocative, and accessible, ‘Beyond the Stones’ will be available across different platforms, advertised by both Wessex Archaeology and The National Trust and will be used as an educational resource for years to come.