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Our lectures are held at 7:00 pm in the Devonport Lecture Theatre of the Portland Square Building, University of Plymouth on the first Monday of each month.. PAS members, University staff & students, with valid ID, and all school students are admitted free. All others are welcome but asked to contribute £4 towards our expenses.
No need to book -
WINTER LECTURES 2021-
4th October 2021
DEVON DETECTED
How metal detecting finds shape our understanding of Devon's past
Lucy Shipley
The Portable Antiquities Scheme has had 20 years of recording archaeological finds made by members of the public. Every find makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the history of the county. In this talk, Lucy will present both some of the individual finds and the stories that they tell about how the present and past collide. This will demonstrate how a chance find or afternoon out field walking can, when properly recorded, change how we see the past.
1st November 2021
SEVERAL MONTHS IN THE COUNTRY
The archaeology of Operation Nightingale and the recovery of military veterans
Richard Osgood
This talk will look at the phenomenon of using archaeology to assist military veterans in their recovery, the discoveries made, and the future for the programme. Richard is Senior Archaeologist for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) managing the MOD’s archaeology and directs the archaeology of Operation Nightingale.
6th December 2021
PLYMOUTH TO 1619
Martin Read
This talk will look at aspects of the development of Plymouth and surrounding areas from the Dark Ages to just prior to the arrival of the Mayflower, including the reclamation of Sutton Pool and development of the town defences, as well as tide mills, ropewalks, ferries. Martin’s main focus of research is maritime archaeology and he is a Government Licensee for the protected Cattewater wreck. The talk will bring together much of his research into the area over the past 30 years.
7th February 2022
TURNCHAPEL AND BRETONSIDE BURIALS
Dr Samuel Walls
This talk will look at the excavation of human remains from two sites in Plymouth in advance of development. In Turnchapel, skeletons were uncovered at what is believed to be a 17th century burial site. All were adult males who may have worked at the nearby dockyard. Work at the Drake Circus Leisure development in Bretonside also found skeletons in an area where burials had been removed during the re-
7th March 2022
PORTUGUESE ARTILLERY IN THE AGE OF DISCOVERY
Kay Smith
Portugal was the first European nation to sail the length of West Africa, breaking into the Indian Ocean at the beginning of the 16th century. They completely disrupted sea-
4th April 2022
CAMEL HUNTING IN NEOLITHIC ARABIA
Prof Terry and Dr Sonia O’Connor
The Baynunah site in the desert of western Abu Dhabi is the first from this region to show that wild dromedary camels were driven in herds into natural traps. Excavation shows that the location was used on a number of occasions, with various levels of butchery taking place. The talk will show the significance of the site and practical challenges that the excavation posed to the small international team. Sonia O’Connor is an archaeological conservator, now working mainly on historic textiles and artefacts made of bone, horn and ivory. Terry O’Connor specialises in the study of animal bones from archaeological sites.
January |
February |
March |
April |
May |
June |
July |
August |
Septmber |
October |
November |
December |
Pollen Analysis |
Archaeology of Gardens |
Identifying Prehistoric Pottery |