ROMANS, Vikings, Tudors – York has them all - and from this weekend, they will be put under the magnifying glass during a week-long celebration of archaeology in the city.
Hosted by York Archaeology and The JORVIK Group, ‘Archaeology Live’ follows February’s successful That JORVIK Viking Thing, the first online festival hosted by the group that reached more than 3.2 million around the world.
Gareth Henry, manager of the new festival of archaeology, said: “In the last year, we’ve been looking at how we can tell our stories in new ways, beyond visitor attractions.
“During lockdown, everyone became accustomed to online and live streamed events – and in our case, this enabled us to open up collections to larger audiences.
“Archaeology Live brings together aspects of both, with real-world events and online sitting side by side.”
Starting tomorrow (Saturday, August 21), local history enthusiasts can join a drop-in session at Strensall Library from 10am until noon with members of York Archaeology’s collections team.
Online, a two-hour free livestream from noon will explore the ideas behind archaeology introduced by York Mix Radio’s Laura Castle.
Meanwhile, at DIG in St Saviourgate, visitors can join experimental archaeology sessions making clay pots, and watching the firing of Viking-style pots in a traditional forge.
The website will also feature free on-demand videos exploring projects that York Archaeological Trust has been involved with over the years, from Roman discoveries below York Minster to the culverts under Sheffield’s city centre streets.
“We’re including content that will be of interest to everyone, from those just exploring archaeology for the first time, to keen amateur archaeologists,” added Mr Henry.
For online content and tickets, visit: https://archaeology.live
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