The aim of the course is to reach an understanding of the settlements of both Old and New Sarum, and the relationship between the two.
The year 2020 marked the 800th anniversary of the foundation of New Sarum that replaced the ancient hilltop settlement at Old Sarum. The stories describing the move from Old Sarum to New are well-known, but what is the archaeological context? This course, led by professional archaeologists and local historians, aims to reach an understanding of the relationship between the two.
Particular attention will be given to the late-Saxon and medieval period with aspects of the continuum reaching to the present. Practical aspects of the course will focus on current research at Old Sarum by Southampton University, Salisbury Museum and Wessex Archaeology.
Learners will experience the process of archaeological investigation and have opportunity to participate in both fieldwork and investigate archaeological finds.
Finally, it will be demonstrated how representations of our ideas of the historical human environment may be shown though a whole range of mediums, including art, photography, and conventional mapping.
Course led by Hadrian Cook with support from Wessex Archaeology, Salisbury Museum, Southampton University and local historians.
The 7-week course will run from 28 April to 9 June, with double-lectures every Thursday morning 10am to 12.30pm (including a break). The sessions will be held in the Museum Lecture Hall, with one session at Wessex Archaeology.
Specific objectives are:
- To describe the human context of the Salisbury area in respect of environmental change
- To explore the historic economic and social functions of both Old and New Sarum
- To outline the probable reasons for the translation from hilltop to river basin sites
- To experience investigations into material culture using the archaeological method
- To explore how the landscape may be recorded in both technical and artistic fashions
Formal Sessions outline:
- 28 April: Introduction & the physical environment, local landscapes and their change
- 5 May: Archaeological method and project management; Archaeology Iron age to Medieval
- 12 May: Handling archaeological materials and mapped information, Museum Collection
- 19 May: Old to New Sarum: A Medieval ‘New Town’
- 26 May: Environmental archaeology from Wessex Archaeology
- 2 June: Salisbury Market Place; Salisbury and its suburbs
- 9 June: Domesday to Rotten Borough: Artistic expression, and licence
There will be some optional, additional all-day field sessions programmed to support the course, and costed separately. Details of these will be confirmed at the beginning of the course, including dates, subject and price.
NOTE: In addition to the course of the same name, Salisbury Museum is pleased to host a conference called ‘A Tale of Two Cities’, organised by the Society for Landscape Studies. The conference will be held in the Museum Lecture Hall on Saturday 23 April and at Stratford sub Castle and in the centre of Salisbury on Sunday 24 April 2022. Tickets for the conference are entirely separate from the above course, and can be purchased directly from the Society for Landscape Studies.
For further information about the course and booking, please visit: https://www.landscapestudies.com/conference-2022/
