On 26 July 2014, the Wolfson Gallery became the new home for displays from the Museum of Archaeology. This permanent exhibition uses objects from Museum of Archaeology, alongside objects from across Durham University and other regional museums to explore the last 10,000 years of Durham.
Over the last few months, visitors to the Wolfson Gallery have been able preview a taster exhibition, unearthing the stories of how people have lived and worked in Durham for over 10,000 years.
Living on the Hills explores the lives of people who have lived and visited Durham through the tools and everyday objects they used, and the art and architecture they left behind to be rediscovered. Discover Prehistoric objects found by chance at the turn of the century, Roman objects uncovered by Victorian antiquarians and Medieval objects found during 1970s archaeological excavations.
Community Archaeology
Included in the gallery is a community archaeology space which will showcase the work of local archaeology and history groups from across the region.
Durham Archaeology Explorers, 26 July 2014 - 26 January 2015
Discover the work and activities of the Durham Archaeology Explorers (DAX). See how they engage with children aged 7-11 years to inspire a lifelong interest in, and respect for, archaeology and the people of the past.
If you are part of a community archaeology group and would like to work with the curatorial team to create a display, please contact the museum.
The Wolfson Gallery
The Wolfson Gallery is located on the first floor of Palace Green Library. The Gallery opened in 2011 after undergoing a £2.3m refurbishment, funded in part by a £500,000 donation from the Wolfson Foundation. The Wolfson Gallery is designed to exhibit the collections to the highest standards of conservation.
Date: 10-14 September 2014
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Registration: https://www.eaa2014istanbul.org/paket
Papers and posters: https://www.eaa2014istanbul.org/sayfa/142
Due to its central location among distinct cultural geographies, Istanbul has always been a world city of focal importance from early prehistory to the present, adorned with the fabulous relics of three great empires. Linking east and west, past and present, the city is unique as a multicultural metropolis.
The organizing committee has taken the 2014 EAA Meeting as an occasion to conduct a series of parallel cultural activities to create synergy on cultural heritage in Istanbul by setting archaeological and art exhibitions, book and restoration fairs in different parts of the town. The participants to the Congress will be provided with a rich and varied selection of archaeological and cultural tours providing an opportunity to visit sites and monuments all over Turkey.
EAA Istanbul 2014 Meeting, hosted by Istanbul Technical University, will be held at Taşkışla Campus of the Faculty of Architecture. Taşkışla Campus is a historical building, centrally situated in the European part of Istanbul overlooking the Bosphorus. It is in a walking distance to major hotels, budget accommodation facilities and Istanbul’s world famous hub of entertainment.
Become a member of the EAA >
When you picture a prehistoric child, what do you see?
Popular
culture and biological evidence have influenced our belief that children in prehistory were unruly,
temperamental and ultimately extremely violent. There have been two
interesting articles published this month that aim to shed light on prehistoric
childhood.
A research team from PALAEO (Centre forHuman Palaeoecology and Evolutionary Origins) and the Department of Archaeology at York recently offered a new and distinctive perspective which suggests that Neanderthal children experienced strong emotional attachments with their immediate social group. This research results from an investigation into Neanderthal burial sites which suggests that children’s graves were generally more elaborate graves than those of older individuals.
“The traditional view sees Neanderthal childhood as unusually harsh, difficult and dangerous. This accords with preconceptions about Neanderthal inferiority and an inability to protect children epitomising Neanderthal decline. Our research found that a close attachment and particular attention to children is a more plausible interpretation of the archaeological evidence, explaining an unusual focus on infants and children in burial, and setting Neanderthal symbolism within a context which is likely to have included children.” Said Dr Spikins from the research team involved in the project.
A
second paper,
published as
an advance article in European Journal of Archaeology and titled Ageing, Childhood
and Social Identity in the Early Neolithic of Central Europe, also challenges the
traditional preconception of prehistoric children. In this case focusing on the children of the
Neolithic Linearbandkeramik culture, the article argues that Neolithic children
could have played an active role in their communities from a young age
and visits the discovery of handmade tools, particularly smaller versions
of axes or ‘grave goods’ that could be found in the child graves.
These tools suggest that not only did children play an active role in their
communities from a young age but also suggest an acknowledged engagement with the process
of growing and learning into adulthood.
Read Ageing, Childhood and Social Identity in the Early Neolithic of Central Europe here >
