World Archaeology Festival: Passport to the Past

We are proud to announce the 2015 activities and give you a taster of one of the Time Detective trail tasks!

 

The Time Detective’s Handbook

 

Stories from Mali

Stories told to music help archaeologists understand people from past civilisations who did not write things down.

The video below is an example of some music that such a story might have been told to. Pick up a trail at the World Archaeology Festival to read our story and find out more!

 

Tunde Jegede - Kora Solo 1 ("Alla La Ke"; "By the Will") - YouTube

Tunde Jegede playing a kora solo in Essex, MA on his way back to London after doing a TED talk in Long Beach, CA.

Watch now...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 2015 ACTIVITIES!

There are more to come, so watch this space...

 

Fragmented Frescos

 

In this activity, a large piece of paper will be placed on a board where only fragments of the original fresco are left. Participants, using the concept of experimental archaeology, will construct what they believe the missing pieces of art are. Each participant will be given a tile (piece of paper) to decorate with what they believe is missing from the art, following on the lines and colours from the surrounding tiles. It might be beneficial to provide participants with a fresco from a particular culture to help with their creation of the missing pieces (possibly a well known Minoan one). It will be a piece that will grow by different visitors adding to it throughout the day.

 

Cave Painting

 

Participants will learn about and utilise Neolithic cave painting techniques in an activity where they will be able to paint a faux stone wall. These techniques will include things like dabbing, brushing, smearing spraying and drawing, possibly using traditional materials (horse hair, moss, sticks, charcoal, etc.).

 

Underwater Shipwreck

 

Recreate an ancient shipwreck. Participants will have to find objects in sand at the bottom of water filled containers in order to find out what the ship’s original purpose was and what period and place it was from. Taking inspiration from the Uluburun wreck, the activity could be developed into a series of wrecks in different locations that form a trading network and participants could work out what is being trading between whom, by what means (i.e. cabotage, long distance) and even what they can tell us about beyond trade. We give participants a map of the Mediterranean and using the information they have gathered they can draw the trade routes based on the shipwrecks.

 

Whose Poo?

 

The overview of this activity is that visitors will be presented with a number of bins, each containing the rubbish of someone from a historical era. Having examined their contents, the visitor will pick through a false coprolite (poo sample) made from salt dough containing traces of food typical of these eras. They will then be invited to guess which bin matches their coprolite.

 

Pottery Making

 

Participants will create pottery using the coil method with air-dry clay. Different styles will be shown to participants, but ultimately each person will be given freedom to create their own pot. At the site, pottery or shards will be available to handle before creating their own pots. This activity should be done indoors due to the sensitivity of the UCL collection items, and the necessity of dry area for clay. The pots will be sent with the participant along with a paper with different decorating ideas to allow the person to decorate their pot at home.

 

Sandbox Archaeology

 

Participants will dig a sample of sand to find archeologically significant items for UCL’s personal collection using actual tools used by Archaeologists.

 

Fish Mummification

 

Participants in this activity will be given the chance to mummify a piece of a fish using the same methods the ancient Egyptians used.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A trip down memory lane... here are the activities which were on in 2014...

Tours

 

Tours of the Institute of Archaeology Collections & Object Handling Session

The Institute of Archaeology is not just a building full of archaeologists! Go

behind locked doors to see a glimpse of our massive collection. You will also be

able to visit different parts of the Institute as part of the tour. Tours star from

the information desk in reption at 2:30pm, 3:30pm. Please sign up in advance as

we can only accommodate 15 people per tour. 

 

Passport to the Past

Follow our children's trail around the Institute. Let Mortimer guide you round

and answer the questions and receive a prize!!

 

Blitz on Bloomsbury

Tours of Bloomsbury will bring World War II to life showing you the effect it had on the local area. Tours start from the information desk in reception at 2:00pm, 3:00pm, and 4:00pm. Pleases sign up in advance. 

 

 

 

 

Inside the Institute Building

 

Library Treasure Trail

The archaeology library on the 6th floor is one of the biggest archaeology libraries in the world. See for yourself what treasures it holds. 

 

Can You Dig It 

Archeology is not just about adventures and treasures. Come and learn what processes archaeologists go through to find what our ancestors have left behind. It is all about finding the right clues!

 

Conservation Laborartory - piecing together the past

See what's involved in conserving objects for display in museums. Find out what we discover during conservation!!

 

Stories of the Past

Use our anicient Greek pottery to create you stories of the Trojan wars.

 

Animal Misfits 

Match the noses and toeses to make up the animal. Make model of your favorite beast!!

 

Egyptian Rituals

Make your own servant to work for you in the Egyptian afterlife. Get familiar with wax modeling and painting of Shabti's.

 

Scene from the Past

Be inspired by archaeologists' travels. Make your own greetings cards inspired by your archaeological expedition at the Institute.

 

Maya you have a Happy Birthday

Discover the Maya calendar and your birthday secrets!!

 

Petrie Museum 

Try making your own pot inspired by the Petrie Museum's collections.

 

Sherds through Time

Create a time using Ancient Egytian Material from the Institute's collections

 

 

Gordon Square (outside)

 

Sandpit Archaeology

Are you ready to get your hands dirty? Become the next Indiana Jones by finding what's beneath the surface!

 

Shield Yourself 

Make a copy of the famous Battersea Shield

 

Layers of Time

See how the archaeology process works!!

 

Make a Mosaic

Make a mosaic inspired by the past

 

Leave Your Mark (Cave Art)

Participate in one the oldest form of art. Beware! Your hands will get dirty and your marks might stand for thousands of years. Try making paints and see what kind of cave art you can create.

 

Make a Mummy

Mummify a fish just like the Egytians!!

 

Make it in Stone (Flint-napping)

How would you like to make your own flint just as stoneage people

did? You will learn the basic techniques and get a souvenir to bring

back home.

 

Palaeolithic Picasso 

Practice your bone art just like the ancients.

 

London Pleistocene Park

Discover the animals that roamed London in 50,000 BC.

 

From Skin to Leather 

See how animal hides are transformed into leather

 

Meat: The Ancester

See how our ancestors processed meat!