Plymouth Archaeology Society (PAS) Winter Lectures are open to all to attend with PAS members, University staff and students (with valid ID) and all school students admitted free. Visitors are very welcome but are asked to contribute £4 towards expenses.
All lectures start at 19:00. There is no need to book – just turn up on the evening. Please email enquiries@plymarchsoc.org.uk with any queries.
Monday 2 December: Sherford New Town: Ancient Origins. An exploration of the ongoing investigations at Sherford (speaker: Rob Bourn)
For over ten years there has been a large programme of archaeological work on the site of the Sherford new town. An enormous range of archaeological remains have been revealed reaching deep into prehistory, including internationally important Ice Age animal remains and a previously unsuspected Roman road. This talk will provide an overview of what has been found to date and to the current ongoing archaeological works. Rob Bourn is Managing Director of Prion Heritage and has been archaeological consultant for the developers of the new town since 2018, working with many other groups and bodies to implement the archaeological programme ahead of the construction work.
For over ten years there has been a large programme of archaeological work on the site of the Sherford new town. An enormous range of archaeological remains have been revealed reaching deep into prehistory, including internationally important Ice Age animal remains and a previously unsuspected Roman road. This talk will provide an overview of what has been found to date and to the current ongoing archaeological works. Rob Bourn is Managing Director of Prion Heritage and has been archaeological consultant for the developers of the new town since 2018, working with many other groups and bodies to implement the archaeological programme ahead of the construction work.
Monday 3 February: The Coronation – a Plymouth maritime tragedy and modern day asset (speaker: 'Ginge' Crook)
This talk will explore the history of the warship Coronation from construction to its’ demise off Rame Head (in September 1691), the finding and exploration of the wreck site, and current plans for the display of the finds recovered.
This talk will explore the history of the warship Coronation from construction to its’ demise off Rame Head (in September 1691), the finding and exploration of the wreck site, and current plans for the display of the finds recovered.
‘Ginge’ started nautical archaeology through the Nautical Archaeology Society (NAS) and has gone on to co-author the Basic Archaeology Diver course. He has been the Principal Licensee of the Coronation protected wreck since 2010 and has been instrumental in developing the 'Diver Trail' and helping to create the virtual trail to widen access.
Monday 3 March: The Royal Clarence Hotel and other lost buildings in Exeter (speaker: Dr Todd Gray MBE)
Exeter’s historic buildings were decimated not by fire, as with other urban areas, but through the work of the Improvement Commission, and the Dean and Chapter of Exeter Cathedral. The rich printed, archival and visual resources allow the modern reader to understand a process which ultimately prompted Exeter’s middle class to pursue preservation and conservation.
Exeter’s historic buildings were decimated not by fire, as with other urban areas, but through the work of the Improvement Commission, and the Dean and Chapter of Exeter Cathedral. The rich printed, archival and visual resources allow the modern reader to understand a process which ultimately prompted Exeter’s middle class to pursue preservation and conservation.
Dr Todd Gray MBE is a historian largely of Devon. He has a particular interest in historic buildings and his most recent publication, EXETER’S LOST BUILDINGS, followed a project with English Heritage on the loss of The Royal Clarence Hotel in 2016.
Monday 7 April: Reconstructing religion – the archaeology of late antique Christianity in Samahij, Bahrain (speaker: Professor Timothy Insoll FBA, Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter)
The historical records of the Church of the East (Nestorian Church) refer to the existence of a Bishop in the islands of Bahrain, but no archaeological trace of a Christian presence was found until 2019 when the remains of a large building were uncovered. Subsequent excavations have revealed a significant complex, arguably the Bishop’s palace, occupied from the mid-4th to mid-8th centuries. This talk will present the results of the excavations, consider the trade and life of the people, and discuss the evidence that identifies the occupants as Christian, and how this differs from subsequent archaeological indicators of Islam.
The historical records of the Church of the East (Nestorian Church) refer to the existence of a Bishop in the islands of Bahrain, but no archaeological trace of a Christian presence was found until 2019 when the remains of a large building were uncovered. Subsequent excavations have revealed a significant complex, arguably the Bishop’s palace, occupied from the mid-4th to mid-8th centuries. This talk will present the results of the excavations, consider the trade and life of the people, and discuss the evidence that identifies the occupants as Christian, and how this differs from subsequent archaeological indicators of Islam.
Professor Timothy Insoll FBA is Al-Qasimi Professor of African and Islamic Archaeology at the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter, where he is also founding director of the Centre for Islamic Archaeology. He has completed archaeological field projects in Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Mali, Saudi Arabia, and for many years in Bahrain where he is Honorary Archaeological Adviser to the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain, HRH Sh. Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa. He is a Fellow of the British Academy, the Society of Antiquaries and Royal Asiatic Society.