Speaker: Peter Guest

The mosaic from Hinton St Mary is one of the most celebrated survivals from Roman Britain. Discovered (accidentally) in 1963, its central roundel features the bust of a man with the Christian Chi-Rho symbol behind his head, which most scholars have concluded is among the first representations of Jesus Christ from the ancient world, and probably the first to be found on a mosaic. It is one of the icons of Roman Britain and has an important story to tell about the earliest Christian communities in the British Isles. Despite the mosaic’s obvious significance, however, very little was actually known about the buildings to which it belonged, or the people who commissioned it and lived with it. This talk will present some of the ground-breaking results of the British Museum’s recent archaeological excavations at Hinton St Mary that aimed to answer the many questions that remain about the mosaic, and to provide a better understanding of its wider context in the history of late Roman Britain.

Library open upstairs on the 1st floor.

Speaker: David Hawkins (speaker on Zoom)

Although for most of its history, blacksmithing has been predominantly a practical art, there is a rich tradition of work with clear cultural and visual intent: artist blacksmithing. This talk briefly reviews the origins and development of the craft, and in particular the role of artist blacksmiths from the 17th Century to the present. Derby’s Robert Bakewell became known for the ‘English Style’ during the 18th Century, combining traditional influences and practices with styles and ideas from the baroque, and his work maintained a strong influence over practice until the 1980s. New international influences, collaborations, and modes of education, have revived and expanded blacksmithing practice in the last 45 years, to produce a new generation of innovative artist blacksmiths, whose practice is very much of the 21st Century, but mindful of the work of exemplary practitioners such as Bakewell. Examples of blacksmithing, along with insights into techniques and practices, are used to illustrate this short history of artist blacksmithing

Dr. David Hawkins has worked in various academic roles across design and ergonomics related subjects, including Executive Dean, Professor of Design and Head of School, at universities in the UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia and Egypt. His family have been blacksmiths in Mid and North Devon for more than 250 years, so he learnt to work in the forge from an early age and has significant practical experience of designing and making ironwork alongside other projects.

No additional detail for this event.

From burials to building projects how do we do the right thing as archaeologists? 

Speaker: Anna Welch (speaker on Zoom)

The process of archaeological excavation is never straightforward and we have to think carefully about when, why, how and should we do it? What do we do with the things that we find, especially in the case of human remains? Navigating an ethical path through the historical environment landscape can be full of twists, turns and tricky situations. In this talk we’ll explore what we mean by “professional ethics”, why they matter and how they differ from morals and laws.  How do we make the best decisions for archaeology whilst considering the needs and opinions of an increasing number of stakeholders – and can we please any of the people any of the time?

Anna Welch has a BA in Archaeology and an MA in Museum Studies and worked for several years as an archaeologist with Southampton Archaeology Unit. Now she works for the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists and her work centres on degree accreditation, training and careers.