Writes Michael Bull, Head of Classics
Here in the Classics Department, we are incredibly fortunate to have access to some world class artefacts as part of the School Archives. The School Archivist, Mrs Hesketh, has worked incredibly hard to bring the catalogue of items up to date, and we have recently enjoyed visits from both Dr John Taylor (Curator in the Department of Egyptian Antiquities at the British Museum) and Dr Ollie Croker (Project Curator at the British Museum, specialising in Greek vases), who staggered staff and students alike with the breadth of their knowledge.
Having access to the School Archives has allowed our students to experience unique learning opportunities in recent months. One such opportunity has come in the form of our brand-new Artefact Competition, which was launched last week. Students have had the chance to view a range of artefacts from different time periods, different countries and with different purposes. The items have included:
- An Egyptian Ushabti from 1000BC.
- A Pompeian Glass Jar, which survived the eruption of Vesuvius in 79AD.
- A Bronze Arrowhead from 600BC, found in a Greek mercenary camp in Egypt.
- A Cuneiform Tablet From Mesopotamia dating from 2000BC.
Students can opt to look at the artefacts from a historical perspective, as if creating further information for visitors to a museum, or they can approach the items from a creative perspective. With a deadline of January 23rd, this gives the students plenty of time to investigate the items further and plan their entries. We’re looking forward to seeing what the students produce for our first ever Artefact Competition!
