ARCHAEOLOGY

I have been interested in archaeology since I was 5 years old.

It started when I visited the Roman Museum in Caernarvon, where the curator allowed me to try on replica Roman armour and to handle real Roman articles

We spent numerous holidays after that scouring the country to find archaeological sites and really good museums.

Probably the best was the Roman Museum at Caerleon in South Wales where I found out about the Young Archaeologist's Club. It has branches all over the country and members can do all kinds of practical things such as sorting artefacts, doing Egyptian Art, mock digs (and sometimes real digs) and even reconstructing heads from skulls-by the Meet the Ancestors team.      

  click to enlarge. please be patient

                          Castell Henllys

One year, we found Castell Henllys, an iron age hillfort near Pembroke. The day we visited, Channel 4 TV were making a schools television programme called Celts and Romans. There was also a dig in progress , run by York University. I approached professor Harold Mytum and cheekily asked if I could help. I had no experience and was only about 7 years old. To my surprise, he said yes. I spent the day happily sitting by the river, sorting wattle and daub from heaps of soil and sieving the soil in the river. I went back many holidays after that.

manor house

I have dug iron age sites, a mediaeval manor house, a Roman site and a Civil War site. I have had an exhibition in our local museum and had my work displayed at Glasgow University when I was runner-up Young Archaeologist of the Year.

My exhibition at Towneley Hall

Oh and I appeared on Granada TV news where I was interviewed by Lucy Meacock.

I was invited by Prof Keith Branigan to look round the Archaeology Dept at Sheffield University. That was a great day. I found  the paleoarchaeology (bones and skeletons) the most interesting.

Prof Brannigan

If you like history, try to get involved. Join the Young Archaeologist's Club for a start; read all you can; if you see a dig. don't be afraid to ask questions; look for local re-enactment groups. Maybe you can get your parents involved!

Runner-up Young Archaeologist of the Year '97

 A Few Places to visit                        Recommended Books/CDs

there are far too many to mention