Festival of Archaeology at the Manchester Museum
12 Jul 2013
The Festival of Archaeology sees a nationwide array of events from Saturday 13 to Sunday 28 July. Manchester Museum is participating with lots of events for adults and families.
Conservation on show
Saturday 13, Thursday 18 , Tuesday 23 and Thursday 25 July 2013 (1-3pm)
Meet the museum conservation team and find out about their work- cleaning objects and helping to restore a cast of a pre-dynastic hippo bowl.
Drop-in, free
Big Saturday: Dig Now
Saturday 13 July (11am-4pm)
Meet curators and archaeology students and find out more about archaeology today, including finds from the Whitworth Park Archaeology Project and Dig Manchester. Learn about recent finds and find out about the region’s Finds Liaison Officers and their work. Children can roll up their sleeves and fine tune their archaeology skills as they explore our dig boxes. We’ll be smashing pots and exploring the science of putting them back together again. Don’t miss ‘Voices from the Ancient Worlds’, a series of talks with archaeologists who feature in our new Ancient Worlds galleries.
Drop-in, for all ages
Dig it: Archaeology identification sessions
Friday 19 July 2013 (12-1pm)
Our Curator of Archaeology, Bryan Sitch, will be in the Collections Study Centre to answer your questions and identify your archaeological finds. During the session Bryan will be recording archaeological objects found in England and Wales which date from before 1700, as part of the Portable Antiquities Scheme.
Drop-in, free, Collections Study Centre, Floor 3
What can you learn from an ancient sock?
Sunday 21 July 2013 (1-3pm)
Experimental archaeology is the science of copying ancient technology. By studying and imitating artefacts like the Manchester Museum’s Coptic sock (from c.600 AD Egypt), modern knitters can learn how the ancient original was made. Have a go at a millennia-old craft. This workshop is suitable for adult crafters with some knitting skills required.
Book, museum@manchester.ac.uk or 0161 275 2648, £3 per person
Ian Panter and Conserving the Past - Voices from the Ancient Worlds Gallery
Wednesday, 24 July 2013 (1-2pm)
As a conservator at York Archaeological Trust, Ian Panter treats and preserves objects found on excavations. He specialises in conserving ancient wood. Our picture of what life was like in the past would be very incomplete if we didn’t conserve and display ancient wood. Unfortunately once removed from its environment, waterlogged wood dries, cracks and crumbles. Wood form the very dry conditions of ancient Egypt needs careful treatment too. Come and find out the challenges faced by Ian in this fascinating talk.
Book, museum@manchester.ac.uk or 0161 275 2648, free