Ancient Objects - New Stories
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Leicester
Department Name: Sch of Archaeology and Ancient History
Abstract
This participatory research project will investigate the biographies of understudied (not selected for display) Roman-era objects in the archives of two museums/heritage sites in the East Midlands: The Jewry Wall Museum (Leicester) and The Chester House Estate (Northants). The investigations will combine guided archival research with the use of cutting-edge equipment acquired through an AHRC CapCo grant awarded to the School of Archaeology and Ancient History (SAAH) and will involve KS2/3 (7-13 years) pupils and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) (16-25 years). Participants will visit the archives to select and handle objects and will carry out guided archival research. They will attend interactive workshops where CapCo equipment will be used to investigate objects selected by participants. Their research and responses to the investigation will be showcased through a range of digital and pop-up displays co-created with staff from the organisations involved which will be incorporated within the interpretation at both sites.
Accessible digital resources for Key Stage 2/3 and SEND teachers will be developed (including videoclips of the investigation) linked to SAAH's highly successful KS2/3 Life in the Roman World (LitRW) programme for schools. Through a workshop for teachers the project will show the potential of arts and STEM integration for enthusing and empowering young people as creators, innovators and leaders within their communities, and will strengthen and enhance existing research, learning and Knowledge Exchange (KE) partnerships between SAAH, local schools and heritage sites in the East Midlands. The project will provide training, mentoring, school and community engagement opportunities for early career researchers, professional archaeologists and heritage professionals, simultaneously building capacity within SAAH, University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS),
Leicester City Council (LCC), The Chester House Estate (CHE) and the Northamptonshire Archaeological Resource Centre (NARC).
Accessible digital resources for Key Stage 2/3 and SEND teachers will be developed (including videoclips of the investigation) linked to SAAH's highly successful KS2/3 Life in the Roman World (LitRW) programme for schools. Through a workshop for teachers the project will show the potential of arts and STEM integration for enthusing and empowering young people as creators, innovators and leaders within their communities, and will strengthen and enhance existing research, learning and Knowledge Exchange (KE) partnerships between SAAH, local schools and heritage sites in the East Midlands. The project will provide training, mentoring, school and community engagement opportunities for early career researchers, professional archaeologists and heritage professionals, simultaneously building capacity within SAAH, University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS),
Leicester City Council (LCC), The Chester House Estate (CHE) and the Northamptonshire Archaeological Resource Centre (NARC).
People |
ORCID iD |
| Sarah Scott (Principal Investigator) | |
| Jose Lopez (Co-Investigator) |
| Description | Approximately 170 young people were engaged. Approximately 40 heritage/learning professionals and community heritage volunteers attended workshops. Scientific investigation was carried out on a range of objects from collections in Leicester and Northants. Virtual sessions enabled young people to connect with researchers in the lab and to ask questions. The number of young people engaged significantly exceeded the target of 90. The sessions were very well received by teachers, young people and heritage professionals, resulting in requests for further sessions and lab and museum visits. Resources were developed to support the workshops, including lesson plans and practical classroom activities. The workshops in Leicester were filmed by Leicester City Council for an installation in the new Jewry Wall Museum. The results of the research were mixed, but nevertheless provided very useful insights into the potential for further investigation and the range of factors impacting on suitability for investigation. These insights will be helpful for academics and heritage professionals interested in gaining a deeper understanding of how objects were made and used in the past and how people and objects interacted with each other. The school workshops showed the potential for engaging new audiences with the processes of scientific investigation and for making collections accessible and engaging for diverse audiences. Participants gained an understanding of the nature of the equipment and its capabilities (stereomicroscopes, metallographic microscopes and scanning electron microscopes). |
| Exploitation Route | The experiences of the participants and the results of the research might be used to inform future research involving the scientific investigation of objects in archaeological archives, and the development of public engagement programmes in museums, archives and universities. |
| Sectors | Education Culture Heritage Museums and Collections |
| Description | Schools and heritage partners are keen to continue the collaboration. The resources and activities are informing the development of the learning offer at heritage sites in Leicester and Northants and are proving useful for the training of staff and volunteers, building confidence and capacity. The workshops showed the potential for engaging young people with labs and archives through virtual sessions. The most significant challenges included organising the sessions in schools and visits to archives on a very short timescale (a year in advance is ideal for school activities on this scale), and coordinating participants from multiple organisations, including a film crew. The experience gained is informing the development of our partnerships with Leicester City Council and North Northants Council, including collaborative public engagement activities and the development of collaborative learning programmes. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2023 |
| Sector | Education,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural Societal Policy & public services |
| Description | University of Leicester a key partner for delivery of North Northants Council Culture, Heritage and Tourism strategy |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| Impact | We are a key delivery partner for the culture, heritage and tourism strategy for North Northants. We have demonstrated the potential for collaboration between researchers, heritage organisations, local interest groups, and the public in making archaeological research and archives locally relevant, accessible, and engaging. Our innovative partnership is helping the Chester House Estate and the Council to achieve its core aims of maximizing the return on investment for the local community, and that it plays a key role in enhancing 'community wellbeing and sense of place'. As a result of the successful school engagement programme during the Irchester Field School July 2023 there has been a 45% increase in bookings at the Chester House Estate. More than 40% of the slots for the June 2024 programme are reserved. |
| URL | https://northnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s21212/Appendix%20A.pdf |
| Description | Archaeology pop-up lab at Woolsthorpe Manor, Lincolnshire |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Hands-on archaeology lab for Council for British Archaeology Festival of Archaeology |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | College workshop (18 years) SEND pupils |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | 15 pupils attended a session introducing them to archaeology and the processes of scientific investigation. The session included a visit to an archaeological site, an archaeological archive and a virtual lab session. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Irchester Field School, School engagement programme at the Chester House Estate |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Our schools learning programme for the IFS is designed to engage young people with all aspects of archaeology, from excavating, lab work through to archiving. In 2024, we put on our first Home Education trip day for the IFS. Both North and West Northamptonshire Councils feature in the top 25% nationally for Home Educated children. A full-day programme running for 3 weeks provided an opportunity for 1500+ students from 39 schools to engage with academic and professional archaeologists, students and volunteers passionate about making archaeological research accessible. The activities were designed and led by academic and commercial archaeologists, education professionals and volunteers, in consultation with teachers. Sessions (Key Stage 2-5) focus on archaeological investigations of the Roman town of Irchester, and everyday life in a small Roman town. The programme for 2025 is 92% booked with many schools and trusts returning. The collaborative programme (and wider learning and skills programmes) won the Council for British Archaeology Learning, Training and SKills Award 2024 https://www.archaeologyuk.org/resource/celebrating-the-winners-of-the-2024-archaeological-achievement-awards.html |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://chesterhouseestate.org/learning/irchester-field-school/ |
| Description | Irchester Field School, School engagement programme at the Chester House Estate, June / July 2023 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | The Chester House Estate (CHE) is a unique heritage site in Northamptonshire. The Estate lies at the heart of one of the best preserved walled Roman small towns in Britain. As well as being the site of a Roman small walled town (known as Irchester), there is evidence for 10,000 years of human activity in the landscape, including a complex of traditional farm buildings dating back to the 17th century. At present, much of this heritage is buried; the challenge is to bring it to life and tell its stories. The Archaeological Resource Centre (ARC) is a state-of-the-art facility (located within the Chester House Estate) which is the new archaeological archive repository for the whole of Northants. The ARC is currently bringing all collections to the new facility and will ultimately hold more than 20,000 boxes of finds from across Northamptonshire. The stretch of the Nene Valley forming the focus of this project is one of the richest parts of the country for archaeological investigation and archives. The School of Archaeology and Ancient History (SAAH) at the University of Leicester and University of Leicester Archaeological Services (ULAS) are conducting an archaeological excavation within the suburbs of the Roman town, in partnership with volunteers and staff from CHE and the ARC. Our partnership places research, learning and community engagement at its core. Past and present survey and excavation has focused not only the core of the walled town with its houses, workshops and temples, but its suburbs and cemeteries, allowing us to better understand the lives of its inhabitants. This research is revealing the hidden histories of communities living along this stretch of the Nene Valley, with a focus on the Late Iron Age and Roman periods. Archaeological investigation draws on a vast and diverse range of evidence and sources, including ancient texts, historical records and archives, the remains of buildings, artefacts and ecofacts (natural materials used by people). Archaeologists investigate topics of the utmost importance today, such as conflict, social inequality, migration, diet, disease, and human creativity, ingenuity and resilience. This programme provides a unique opportunity for pupils to engage with internationally renowned archaeological researchers and CHE staff and volunteers passionate about making archaeological research accessible, providing an exceptional range and depth of knowledge and expertise. Together we are working to provide life-enhancing opportunities focused on archaeology and heritage for young people and the wider community. Our school programme aligns with the national curriculum and Ofsted priorities, such as engendering 'an appreciation of human creativity and achievement' and the provision of access to 'the corpus of knowledge that should be the entitlement of every child' (Ofsted Jan 2019). The package includes pre and post visit resources and a day of activities designed and led by archaeologists, education professionals and an enthusiastic team of volunteers. The programme runs from 1000-1400/1015-1415. This is a full day programme with three sessions (Key Stage 2-5) focused on archaeological investigations of the Roman town of Irchester, and everyday life in a small Roman town: 1. Archaeological explorers: Searching for clues in the landscape How do we know where to look? What lies beneath the ground? How can we investigate without destroying the evidence? How and why did the landscape change during the Roman period and how do we know? 2. Archaeological investigators: Discovery and recording What techniques do we use? What kinds of things do we find? What records do we keep? What happens to the things that we find? How do we piece together how people lived in the past? 3. Archaeological investigators: Stories from objects What has survived and why? Where, when, how and by whom were the objects found? What can they tell us about the people who made and/or used them? How do we know how old they are? What more can we learn about the lives of the people who made and used them through scientific investigation? Session three activites were underpinned by resources and activities developed in connection with the grant. Shortlisted for Council for British Archaeology Archaeological Achievement Awards in two categories: Engagement and Participation, Learning and Skills |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://chesterhouseestate.org/learning/irchester-field-school/ |
| Description | KS3 Lab visit |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Visit to archaeological labs at the University of Leicester. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | STEM Fair |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | STEM Fair, pop-up lab at Leicester Grammar |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | School workshops KS2 (Leicester) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | 120 pupils attended a workshop introducing them to archaeology and the processes of scientific investigation. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | School workshops KS3 (Leicester) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | 30 pupils attended a workshop introducing them to archaeology and the processes of scientific investigation. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Workshop for heritage professionals and volunteers (Northants) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Workshop introducing techniques of scientific investigation in archaeology, including a practical session. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |