A FREE, fun-filled and family-friendly programme of activities is coming to Warrington as part of one of the biggest annual celebrations of archaeology.
Warrington’s historic Museum and Art Gallery – one of the oldest in the country – has teamed up with the Council for British Archaeology to be one of the partner venues for the national Festival of Archaeology between July 15 and 30.
Theme for this year’s event is “Archaeology and Creativity” – highlighting the links between archaeology and storytelling. So the festival will look at how archaeologists bring to life the material they uncover to create a picture of how people lived centuries ago.
One of the main events in the Warrington programme is Potty Over Pots, a hands-on session with ceramics artist Deborah Podmore on Sunday, July 16.
Families can explore some of the historic manufacturing and decorating techniques used by early potters during the Bronze Age and Roman times.
Another highlight will be The History of the Bridgewater Canal presented by archaeologist Dr Mike Nevell on Friday, July 21.
Originally constructed as a way to cheaply and efficiently transport the Duke of Bridgewater’s coal from his mine at Worsley to rapidly expanding towns and cities nearby, at its peak, more than three million tonnes of traffic used the Bridgewater Canal.
Dr Nevell will look at how the canal’s impact on the price of coal sparked a raft of imitators in a period of frenetic canal building between the 1790s and 1810s which would become known as “canal mania”.
There will also be lots of family focused events. Youngsters can hunt for and learn about Warrington Museum’s exhibits and curiosities as part of a gallery trail at any point during the festival or get stuck in with numerous themed craft sessions.
In addition, experts from the ‘Portable Antiquities Scheme’ at National Museums Liverpool will be visiting Warrington Museum to talk about the importance of recording archaeological finds recovered by metal detectorists.
Hannah White, collections assistant at Warrington who is leading on this year’s programme, said: “Developing the annual Festival of Archaeology programme is one of the most exciting and fulfilling aspects of my role.
“As an archaeologist by training myself, I love the opportunity that this festival provides to allow people from all backgrounds to engage with archaeology, which can sometimes be perceived as quite a dry and inaccessible subject.
“This year’s theme is ‘Archaeology and Creativity’ which sits within our wider programme of arts and heritage perfectly, and we hope that the programme of events and activities that we have planned will encourage wider engagement with the Museum’s fascinating archaeological collections. We hope that you can join in!”
All the activities are free but some require advance booking. Visit wmag.culturewarrington.org/whats-on
