Archaeologist Visit 2006

As part of our work on history, we invited Mr. Crossland, an archaeologist from Manchester University, to talk to us and bring in some historic artefacts to help bring history to life.

He held a special assembly for the infants and talked about archaeology. Then he visited each junior class, bringing a range of artifacts for them to examine that fitted in with the history topic each class is studying.

Here is Mr. Crossland talking to Year 6 about Victorian artefacts. They are examining a lemonade bottle, with a marble in the top to prevent an explosion.

Examining at a horse stone.

Studying a lemonade bottle.

Ink pot refiller.

Cotton wheel spinner.

Glazed oven pot.

Mr. Crossland is introducing Year 5 to Tudor artefacts.

Looking at a piece of tree trunk originally planted during the time of Henry VIII.

A piece from a Tudor cooking pot.

A handle from a glazed Tudor pot.

Looking at some leather reins that are about 500 year old.

Pupils in Year 4 have been examining Roman artefacts. Mr Crossland brought in a collection of Roman artefacts recently found at Millgate in Wigan (when building the new Grand Arcade). The children studied the artefacts and completed site reports on their findings. Left: Studying part of an Amphora, a large Roman container used to transport olive oil or wine to Britain.

Children look at pottery, these are parts of a mortarium. A Mortarium was a mixing bowl for pounding and crushing food, a sandy grit was sprinkled into the base before firing to help in breaking up solid food. Two favourite Roman foods were sausages and sauces. The Mortarium was the Roman equivalent to a food processor today.

The children measure and study part of a Pila. This was a thick tile made of red clay. A number of these were piled up and used to support the floor of a bath house. This piece was found in Wigan.

[above and left] Children are looking at a roof tile. This is made from clay that is baked in a kiln and comes out red in colour. Roof tiles were either flat with a bent-up end or semi- circular. The flat tiles were laid on their backs on the roof and their ends were covered by a tile shaped like half a pipe to prevent rain getting through.

Examining Samian pottery - this is a red glossy pottery, often with patterns on the surface. It was made in southern France and was traded all over the Roman Empire as high quality pottery.

Mr Crossland tells children in Year 4 about the recent findings of Roman artefacts (some of which he has brought into school) in Millgate in Wigan found when building the new Grand Arcade.

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