Kent Young Archaeologists
The Canterbury branch of the Young Archaeologists' Club celebrated its re-launch anniversary in November with a great day out field walking and metal detecting with the White Cliffs Metal Detecting group. It has been our aim as new branch leaders (Colin Jeffreys and archaeologist Abby Guinness), to organise as many hands-on and outside activities as possible.
After a promotional push, the branch soon attracted new members and has been growing since. We now have 18 members from all over East Kent, ranging in age from 8 to 15. We meet monthly in the Education Room at the Museum of Canterbury. Since November 2003 we have held meetings here on aerial photography, world Christmas cultures, picked out favourite objects from the displays to help with a museum web site, and had a flint knapping demonstration.
With willing parents as chauffeurs, we have been able to hold many meetings out and about. The YACs learnt about the Bronze Age at the Dover Boat Museum, and had a site tour of the Bronze Age barrow excavations in progress at Ringlemere. They had a look at archery and the long bow, and tried shooting bullseyes themselves with the Folkestone Archery club. A visit to the Roman fort of Richborough made the leaders slightly on edge as the YACs took off as invaders down the triple ditches! The club spent a day at the Museum of London's Archaeological Archive where the children had a go in a mini excavation, painted medieval style tiles and identified bones. Closer to home, we studied the graves at St. Stephens and went field walking and metal detecting near Shorne. Many of the children had their 'archaeological eyes' in, to find struck flint, pottery sherds and treasure; a gold gilded button, part of a Saxon C-shaped brooch and a broken Roman coin - not bad for a day's walk!
In July, we hosted an activity for National Archaeology Day at the Museum of Canterbury, supervising four mini digs for up to 20 children, excavating real finds. It was a great day despite the rain, though that did not seem to put some children off digging - definitely future archaeologists.
With a Viking saga party to end the year, Canterbury YAC are looking forward to another full year of archaeological activities. If anyone aged 8-16 is interested in joining the branch, please contact Abby Guinness on abbyguinness@hotmail.com.