Learn how outreach and education takes archaeology into the heart of communities and inspires a new generation of archaeologists by going into schools and colleges. 

• See what goes on behind the scenes of a community dig
• How we decide what to talk about when we come into your school or college
• Why donations to our handling collections are always welcome
• What sort of treasures we keep on our desks to remind us why we do this!

   

A Day in the life of an Outreach and Education Officer   

Outreach and Education goes on all year, visiting groups and schools, but summer is our busiest period.

Take today, Tuesday 23^rd July.

Last night was a community talk on the Neolithic landscape surrounding the town, and the axe factory that forms part of it. So today I’m checking the IT equipment back into the store, emailing the venue to say thanks and putting a note on our social media streams with a couple of photos from the event.   Our next event is in two days, so my next priority is ensuring the health and safety aspects are all in place, before sending out an information pack (giving the meeting place, times etc.) to everyone who’s booked a place.  This is at a historic church, so I’m also making sure that the cameras are charged, checking parking and disabled access and the weather forecast.

Now that the IT is dealt with,  I need to make a note of a donation to our handling collection – a wooden replica of an Iron Age / Romano-British  sword that was found locally. It’s beautifully made and will make a fantastic addition to our collection. (Any rumour that the Outreach Team may have pretended to be Iron Age people and had a go at swinging it is denied...)

Once these are completed, it’s time to email the organiser of an event we’re attending on the 8^th of August, to double check the arrangements, and decide what we’ll take with us.  We change our displays to suit the location;  showing the local archaeology or a chance to get involved with a local event really brings things to life for visitors.  For this particular event, we’re focussing on two local digs, one medieval and one modern.

We’re always trying to increase our involvement with local schools, at both primary and secondary level, and although it’s the school holidays, my next task is to get a proposal out to one of the local secondaries.  They are running a three-week summer school and have asked whether we can come in to work with the pupils.  The proposal that’s gone out focusses on the local region and on an excavation we undertook in 2021;  it’s just a wait now to see if the school is happy with what we’ve proposed  - learning about the different fibres used from prehistoric times right through to the modern period, and making replicas of some slate spindle whorls that were found within 2 miles of the school.  All our work in schools, like our public events, is focussed as closely as possible on the local areas so that pupils can actually see or visit the places we talk about.

The two largest jobs today are getting minutes written up from a project planning meeting that took place yesterday. It’s essential that I get these out as they relate to the community dig which will take place in September and allocate tasks to our partner organisation and the outreach team.  The other major task is to finalise the last of four project proposals that relate to a National Lottery funded initiative that will bring in people who wouldn’t normally engage with archaeology or history.  

By now I’ve had at least two cups of coffee and raided our chocolate stash for a pick-me-up.  These are both essential tools for the outreach team 😉

The best thing about working in Outreach and Education is that no two days are exactly the same, and we get to meet so many different people.  Our handling collection, to which the replica sword has been added, has original finds and replicas from the Neolithic to the Victorian era and even into the 1950s. Most of the collection is made up of what we call ‘unstratified’ finds, which are cleaned by the team so that they’re safe for the public to handle.  One of our invaluable volunteers is going to be working with us over the autumn and winter to create a full record of this collection, so that we know what we have.   

Lastly, no archaeology-related desk would be complete without its ‘box of curiosities’.  Mine is guarded by Treebeard the Bonsai Ent and is made up of finds from some of my favourite sites from the past few years, as well as replicas made when working with members of the public.   Hopefully I’ll get to meet some of you at our events over the summer and share my love of the varied archaeology and history of this part of North Wales.