On Saturday, July 20th, I had the privilege of volunteering at the Festival of Archaeology Free Youth Event at Chester Castle. As a member of the Youth Advisory Board, I helped organise this event in partnership with the Council for British Archaeology, English Heritage, and their Young Producers. Our goal was to inspire young archaeologists aged 8-16 through hands-on activities that highlighted the festival theme, "Archaeology and Communities."
The day was packed with interactive workshops that encouraged us to get our hands dirty—quite literally! I took over the CBA's social media channels, showcasing the day's activities on Twitter and Instagram, to our subscribers. One of the first activities I participated in was medieval dyeing. It was fascinating to learn how medieval communities dyed natural resources, including wool, to create vibrant colours for clothing and textiles.
Next up was bread-making! Together, we created flour from barley using a medieval grinder. Our instructor was incredibly knowledgeable about the history of medieval bread making. He even told us that the phrase ‘The Daily Grind’ comes from medieval times when communities had to grind barely or wheat to make bread on a daily basis. Who knew?!
But that wasn’t all - I also had the pleasure of attending a workshop on medieval fresco painting in the Agricola Tower, carpentry and stone masonry, where we carved our initials into stone! All of the activities were incredibly insightful - blending creativity and archaeology to ensure we all had a fun filled day.
Volunteering at the Festival of Archaeology was incredibly rewarding. It showed me how archaeology connects communities and fosters a sense of shared history. For anyone interested in history or archaeology, or just looking for a fun, educational day out, I highly recommend attending our next ‘Festival of Archaeology!’. I can't wait to return next year!
This blog was released as part of Youth Day during the 2024 Festival of Archaeology. Youth Day is sponsored by the Royal Archaeological Institute.
