Talks & Lectures - Colchester Archaeological Group

Talks & Lectures

Lectures for the present season, Winter 24/25, will be given in person or on Zoom* as indicated below.

Talks & Lectures given in person are held in Roman Circus House (RCH). Parking is available in the Butt Road car park, CO3 3DQ, (50p) with a limited number of spaces at Roman Circus House for those who have problems with their mobility.

*Zoom links will be available from Eventbrite. click on link.

Tea & Coffee is usually available from 7.00 pm with talks starting at 7.30 pm.

Entrance per meeting at RCH: Members £3.00, Non-members: £5.00, students £2.00
Zoom meetings: Members £3.00, Non-members £5.00. link from Eventbrite (incures a 96p booking fee)

2024/25 winter season

October 7th
Annual General Meeting: Update on members activities (Elmstead Market & Highwoods). RCH

October 14th
Medieval Colchester: evidence from Pre-Reformation Wills. Sue Howlett Retired WEA Lecturer. RCH

October 21st
An Introduction to the application of dendrochronology with particular reference to local examples. Dr Martin Bridge Dendrochronologist. RCH

October 28th
AGES Archaeology and History Association background and test pitting. Graham Shuttlewood. RCH

November 4th
Old Mayland church excavation by Burnham u3a Archaeological Group. Sue Spiers. Zoom
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1052442121717?aff=oddtdtcreator

November 11th
The Norton Disney Dodecahedron and other stories. This Monday’s talk on Zoom is by Richard Parker about the now famous Norton Disney Archaeology Group and their amazing find of a Roman dodecahedron. This has been featured on BBC national news, and also on Digging for Britain with Alice Roberts, but what exactly is it and what was it used for? Probably not for darning socks (one of the more bizarre suggestions I have heard), and did the Romans wear socks anyway? Join us on Monday and find out from the expert, Richard Parker, what the latest thinking is. The Eventbrite link for this talk is below:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1061217834109?aff=oddtdtcreator

November 18th
Finding Romans in Rutland. Thomas Cromwell of Historic England will talk about the amazing find of a spectacular Roman mosaic in a field in Rutland, the smallest county in England. Not only was it an unusual subject, it turned out to be a surprisingly complete villa complex, also featured on BBC national news at the time. Historic England teamed up with the University of Leicester to explore it and gather the necessary knowledge to preserve it. This lecture tells the story so far… The Eventbrite link for this talk is below: Zoom
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1073256271399?aff=oddtdtcreator

November 25th
Archaeology of the Old House Project Maidstone Kent. Graham Keevill Archaeology Consultant and Archaeologist for Rochester Cathedral. The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (universally referred to simply as ‘the SPAB’) set up the Old House Project in 2018 to rescue a derelict but nonetheless extraordinary historic building it had bought on the northern edge of Maidstone, Kent. The ‘house’ actually originated as a Chapel of the nearby Boxley Abbey – a Cistercian monastery founded in the 1140s. It may have been set up next to or near an outer gatehouse on the edge of the monastic precinct, although evidence for this has been frustratingly elusive so far. The process of conserving and refurbishing the Old House has been a fascinating one in its own right, but it has also provided the opportunity to record and analyse the building in detail – as well as its relationship to the Abbey. This has transformed our understanding of both sites. This lecture will describe the results of five years of fieldwork (to date), and set the Old House in its wider context. The Eventbrite link for this talk is below: Zoom
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1073263603329?aff=oddtdtcreator

December 2nd
Excavations at Bignor Roman Villa 1811-2000. David Rudling Academic Director, Sussex School of Archaeology. Discovered in 1811, Bignor Roman villa is one of the most impressive Roman rural settlements in Britain, its mosaics ranking among the finest in north-western Europe. This talk will review the various excavations that have been undertaken at Bignor during the last two hundred years, and then use the results of this fieldwork to consider the developmental history and changes in the status of the site. David Rudling has twice directed excavations and fieldwork at Bignor Villa, in 1985 and 1990-2000 respectively, and is a co-author of the book Bignor Roman Villa. Note also that Bignor features a very similar Roman “Piscina” to the one found by CAG at Fordham. The Eventbrite link for this talk is below: Zoom
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1073269250219?aff=oddtdtcreator

December 9th
Christmas Party at Roman Circus House

2025
January 6th
Medieval Landscapes of Essex. Maria Medlycott Senior Historic Environment Consultant, Place Services, Essex County Council. Zoom

January 13th
Nautical Archaeology Society work around Sandwich Kent. Peta Knott Education Supervisor Nautical Archaeology Society. Zoom

January 20th
The Battlefield Trust & The Battle of Assandun (Cnut versus Edmund Ironside 1016). Steve Davey. Zoom

January 27th
Art & Architecture in Neolithic Orkney. Dr Antonia Fraser Lecturer in Archaeology UHI. Zoom

February 3rd.
In the Flow of Things: Encounters with the Mudlarks of the Thames Foreshore. Thomas Chivers Author. RCH

February 10th
Gossip from the Pharoah’s Village. Janet Brewer BEM Secretary of the Essex Egyptology Group. RCH

February 17th
Anglo-Saxon West Stow and The Lark Valley. Stephanie Paull Heritage Officer. RCH

February 24
Update on the dig at Clare Castle. Jo Caruth Principle Post-Excavation Officer Cotswold Archaeology. RCH

Previous years:

2023/24 winter season

October 2nd
Annual General Meeting; Update on members activities, RCH

October 9th
Secrets of the Mary Rose. Philip Roberts History Lecturer & Author, RCH

October 16th
Exploring the Archaeology of North West Essex. A sample from the collections of Saffron Waldon Museum. Carolyn Wingfield Curator, RCH

October 23rd
The Genteel Class of Georgian Colchester and their Homes. Patrick Denney Colchester Historian & Blue Badge Tour Guide, RCH

October 30th
Members evening, RCH

November 6th
A Roman Palace at Verulamium? Recent results from the geophysics. Kris Lockyear Senior Lecturer in Archaeology UCL. Zoom click on link below:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-roman-palace-at-verulamium-tickets-743572253627?aff=oddtdtcreator

November 13th
Which came first, the towns or the roads? Some interesting alignments in late Iron Age / early Roman Britain? Geoff Lunn, Zoom: link below:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/which-came-first-the-towns-or-the-roads-tickets-746303573077?aff=oddtdtcreator

November 20th
Under the covers – National Trust Textile Conservation Studio. Claire Golbourn Senior Textile Conservator, Zoom
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/textile-conservation-at-the-national-trust-tickets-755717630777?aff=oddtdtcreator

November 27th
Lifting the lid off Iron Age & Roman Long Melford. Kenneth Dodd SVCA, Zoom
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lifting-the-lid-off-iron-age-and-roman-long-melford-tickets-755795022257?aff=oddtdtcreator

December 4th
Christmas Party at Roman Circus House

2024
January 8th
The Cosmati Pavement at Westminster Abbey. Paul Binski, Zoom
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-cosmati-pavement-at-westminster-abbey-by-paul-binski-tickets-786732587347?aff=oddtdtcreator

January 15th
The Archaeology of Weeley Barracks. Nick Cox Oxford Archaeology East Project Officer, Zoom
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-archaeology-of-weeley-barracks-by-nick-cox-oxford-archaeology-east-tickets-791250440367?aff=oddtdtcreator

January 22nd
Must Farm, Chris Wakefield, Zoom
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/must-farm-by-chris-wakefield-tickets-791264000927?aff=oddtdtcreator

January 29th
Chariots & Chariot Burials of Britain. Professor Melanie Giles. University of Manchester, Zoom
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/chariots-and-chariot-burials-in-great-britain-by-prof-melanie-giles-tickets-791277039927?aff=oddtdtcreator

February 5th
The History of Spoken English. Charlie Haylock, RCH

February 12th
Thrift Farm, 3,000 years of history. Mike Hamilton-Macy, RCH

February 19th
Roman Building Material. Han Lee MOLA, RCH

February 26th
The Pottery from CAG Excavations at Fordham. Dr Matt Loughton CAT, RCH

March 4th
50 Years at Silchester: The Highlights. Professor Mike Fulford Reading University, RCH

A List of our past Lectures:

2022/23 winter season

October 3rd
Annual General Meeting; Followed by a talk on the Roman Roads Group & Landscape Archaeology Group activities by Geoff Lunn & Anna Moore

October 10th
Priors Hall temple-mausoleum; Paddy Lambert Project Officer Oxford Archaeology East

October 17th
Memento Mori remembering the Roman dead and a new perspective on the early settlement at Great Whelnetham; Andy Peachey

October 24th
The Breckland Palaeolithic Project;
Professor Simon Lewis, School of Geography, Queen Mary University of London

October 31st
The History of Thorndon & Ingatestone Hall; Lord Petre Owner

November 7th: On Zoom
Death & Burial in Ancient Britain;
Jackie McKinley Principal Osteoarchaeologist Wessex Archaeology

November 14th: On Zoom
Star Carr; Chantal Conneller Professor of Early Prehistory at Newcastle

November 21th: On Zoom
Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age of Britain and Ireland;
Dr Alison Sheridan National Museum of Scotland

November 28th: On Zoom
Excavations at Marble Hill Twickenham; Thomas Cromwell Archaeologist Historic England

December 5th
Christmas Party at Roman Circus House

2023

January 16th: On Zoom
Oxburgh Hall – Raising the Roof: Medieval Rafters, Rats and Treasure;
Anne Guyner National Trust Volunteer.

January 23rd: On Zoom
Strange Tales from the Dust: Finds Discovered Beneath the Choir Stalls in King’s College Chapel. Alison Dickens Director of Granta Archaeology & St Edmundsbury Cathedral Archaeologist.

January 30th: On Zoom
New Thoughts on Roman Glass in Britain.
John Shepherd Archaeologist with Andante Travel.

Feburary 6th
Gainsborough’s House Sudbury; Emma Boyd Keeper of Art & Place

February 13th
The Fordham Casket;
Stephen Greep Independent Researcher, Chairman of the Roman Finds Group

February 20th Now On Zoom
Coast of Essex a fully illustrated talk looking at many aspects of the coast with particular emphasis on National Trust properties; Dave Simmonds

February 27th
Essex County Hospital update / Queen Street; Adam Wightman CAT Archaeologist

March 6th
Fordham update; Jonathan Oldham

2021/22 winter season

These are available on Utube upon request.

2021
October 4th
Annual General Meeting. Followed by talk on the Roman Roads Sub Committee by Geoff Lunn

October 11th
Fish traps on the Blackwater Estuary. Kevin Bruce, Dengie Hundred Historian

October 18th
British Airships and the Golden Age of Airship Travel. Alastair Lawson Chairman and Trustee of the Airship Heritage Trust.

October 25th
The Decline of Late Roman Coinage 4th—5th Century. Roger Barrett, Essex Coins

November 1st
From the Fertile Crescent to Freston: Theories on the Origins of Farming and its introduction to Britain.
Professor Tristan Carter, Dept. of Anthropology, McMaster University, Canada

November 8th
The Early Medieval Eye & Insular Art. Dr Carol Farr, Research Fellow, Institute of English Studies, University of London.

November 15th
The Archaeology of Orford Ness a military experimentation site culminating in the atomic bomb.
Angus Wainwright National Trust Archaeologist.

November 22nd
Metal Detecting finds from Fordham. Mike Hamilton-Macey and Martin Weaire

November 29th
The Mezora Cromlech: Two Centuries of Archaeological Adventures.
Jose Nicolas Balbi (Argentina) and Isabella Leone (Italia) This talk will be on Zoom.

December 6th
The Christmas Party at Roman Circus House has now been cancelled

2022
January 17th
Environmental Archaeology. Bronagh Quinn CAT Archaeologist Environmental

January 24th
The Havering Hoard. Dr Sophie Adams Research Fellow SUERC University of Glasgow
This talk will be on zoom

January 31th
The Real Basil Brown. Sarah Doig Independent researcher, speaker and author

Feburary 7th
Revolting Suffolk Serfs after the Black Death.
Mark Bailey Professor of Medieval History, University of East Anglia

February 14th
History of The Wat Tyler Country Park, Basildon. Stephen Andrews, Education Co-ordinator

February 21st
Museum of Power, Langford. Honorary President John Lowe

Feburary 28th
Update on the dig at Fordham. Jonathan Oldham

March 7th
Essex County Hospital Dig. Adam Wightman, CAT Archaeologist

2020/21 Winter season

Please Note. The 2020/21 Lectures took place, on-line, via Zoom
They are available to watch on YouTube via the link below

October 5th
Annual General Meeting via Zoom followed by a Quiz

October 12th
Sedgeford Historical & Archaeological Research Project
Dr Neil Faulkner. Talk about the project including an Anglo-Saxon settlement and associated cemetery, to which we can now add the exciting discovery of a complex of Anglo-Saxon malting houses. TBC

October 19th
The History of the Thames Sailing Barge
Peter Taylor Trustee and Director of the Thames Sailing Barge Trust

October 26th
In Search of Boudica
Dr Natasha Harlow Postdoctoral Researcher University of Nottingham

November 2nd
Searching Mersea: Oral histories as a tool of costal Archaeology
Lawrence Northall CitiZan Community Archaeologist

November 9th
The Archaeology of Orford Ness a military experimentation site culminating with work on the atomic bomb
Angus Wainwright National Trust Archaeologist TBC

November 16th
The Archaeology of Tudor Elsyng Palace
Dr Martin Dearne Research Director Enfield Archaeological Society

November 23rd
The Great Essex Earthquake
Peter Jones Local Historian

November 30th
Update on the dig at Fordham
Jonathan Oldham and John Mallinson

December 7th
Christmas Quiz on zoom
Hosted by Christine & Mike

2021

January 11th
Colchester and the Ivories of Roman Britain
Stephen Greep Archaeologist and Chair of the Roman Finds Group

January 18th
Colchester’s Iron Age & Roman Defences
Howard Brooks CAT Archaeologist

January 25th
Archaeology of Fulham Palace
Alexis Haslam Community Archaeologist

February 1st
Godric Colchester’s forgotten Colcesterian
Professor Adrian Hutson

February 8th
Archaeology of Anglesey Abbey
Anthony Haskins Project Officer Oxford Archaeology East

February 15th
Neolithic Remains of the Isle of Arran
Paul Burns, Post Grad Research Student at Glasgow University

February 22nd
Medieval Graffiti case study on Winchester with comparisons to North Essex area
Aldous Rees

March 1st
Update on the Post Excavations work at Court Knoll
Jo Caruth Project Manager with Cotswold Archaeology

March 8th
Searching Mersea: Oral histories as a tool of coastal Archaeology
Lawrence Northall CitiZan Community Archaeologist

2019/20 Winter season

October 7th 2019
Annual General Meeting, Talks from Roman Roads & Villa to Parish groups, Update on the Young Archaeolgist group

October 14th 2019
An Imperial Playground: The Bay of Naples 1st Century AD
Tony O’Connor BA FSA Museums, Heritage and Culture Specialist

October 21st 2019
Aviation Archaeology
Ian McLachlan, Aviation author and historian

October 28th 2019
Roman Long Melford
Kenneth Dodd, Retired Company Director and one time Archaeologist

November 4th 2019
Beeleigh Abbey
David Andrews FSA, IHBC, former Archaeologist and Conservation Officer

November 11th 2019
Caistor Roman project
Mike Pinner, Project Manager

November 18th 2019
Clare Castle & its Medieval owners
Richard and Peggy Smith, respectively Emeritus Professor of Historical Demography, University of Cambridge, retired Reader in the History of Book Design, University of Reading

November 25th 2019
Drone Surveys on Mersea
Jim Pullen, Drone surveyor & John Woods, University of Essex

December 2nd 2019
Braintree’s Roman Doctor
Richard Bale, Former Chair of Brain Valley archaeological Society & Roman Speaker

December 9th 2019
Christmas Party at the Hawkins Rooms St Botolph’s Church

January 13th 2020
Palaeolithic finds from Clacton beach
John Ratford, local beachcomber

January 20th 2020
The Sutton Hoo Ship Company
Joe Startin, National Trust Sutton Hoo guide

January 27th 2020
Mercury Theatre dig
Adam Wightman, CAT

February 3rd 2020
Layer Marney Tower past, present, future
Shelia Charrington, Owner of Layer Marney Tower

February 10th 2020
Textiles in East Anglia
John Miners Textile consultant

February 17th 2020
Reflections on Mucking: A landscape palimpsest
Dr Sam Lucy, BA, PhD, FSA

February 24th 2020
Medieval Archery: the history, evidence and practical application
Adam Jenkins Director of Now Strike Archery Ltd

March 2nd 2020
Archaeology of St Martin-in-the-Fields
Alison Telfer, Project Officer MOLA

2018/19 winter season

8th October 2018
Annual General Meeting + Talks from Digs Committee, Roman Roads Group, Crop Marks, Group and Young Archaeologists

Oct 15 October 2018
The Thames Through Time
Ian Mercer retired Geologist

22nd October 2018
Marks Hall
Jane Pearson Essex University

29th October 2018
London before London Prehistoric ‘Capital Gains’
Jon Cotton Independent archaeological researcher with a long standing interest in London’s early history and the archaeology of the Thames and its tributaries

5th November 2018
Early Radio Broadcasting
Peter Watkins & Paul Green both worked for Marconi Co in the 1960s

12th November 2018
Court Knoll
Jo Caruth, Senior Project Officer, Suffolk Archaeology

19th November 2018
Air Photo Interpretation in Norfolk & Suffolk
Sophie Tremlett Senior Air Photo Interpreter, Historic Environment Service, Community and Environmental Services, Norfolk County Council

26th November 2018
Anatomy schools and bodysnatchers: the price of achievement at the London Hospital
Don Walker MOLA

3rd December 2018
Mark Davies annual lecture

10th December 2018
Christmas Party at the Hawkins Rooms St Botolph’s Church

14th January 2019
The History of Stained Glass Windows
Christopher Parkinson of the CVMA a specialist stained glass research organisation based at the University of York.

21st January 2019
Ancient Wonderings: Journeys into Prehistoric Britain
Dr James Canton local author who works in the Department of Literature, Film, and Theatre Studies University of Essex

28th January 2019
GPR Westminster Abbey
Erica Carrick Utsi GPR consultant who specialises in archaeological and forensic investigations

4th Febuary 2019
Verulamium
David Thorold Keeper of Prehistory to Medieval St Albans

11th Febuary 2019
The Angel Roofs of East Anglia
Michael Rimmer Classics graduate of Oxford University

18th Febuary 2019
The Minster Church of SS Peter & Paul West Mersea
Daniel Secker Researcher on early churches in Essex

25th Febuary 2019
Beeleigh Mill Restoration Group
Paul Chaplin

4th March 2019
The Thomas Plume Manuscripts and Library, Maldon
Helen Kemp Lecturer at Essex University

2017/18

9th October 2017
Annual General Meeting followed by a talk by Mark Davies:
Early Personalities from CAG

16th October 2017
Built on Bones: 15000 Years of Urban Life and Death
Brenna Hassett, Natural History Museum

23rd October 2017
Medieval Medicine and the Rise of the Barber Surgeon
Lynette Bloom, History Blooms

30th October 2017
Along the Silk Roads: the archaeology of cities, caravanserai and endurance
Tim Williams, Reader in Silk Roads Archaeology, UCL

6th November 2017
The Story of Sutton Hoo
Tony Culham, The Sutton Hoo Society

13th November 2017
By the banks of the Walbrook: excavations at the site of the Crossrail Broadgate ticket hall
Alison Telfer, MOLA

20th November 2017
The Origins and development of Ipswich
Keith Wade, Ipswich Archaeological Trust

27th November 2017
Armour and the Afterlife: Knightly Effigies in England and Wales
Tobias Capwell, Curator of Arms and Armour at The Wallace Collection

4th December 2017
Cakes, Ale and Partying: Feasting and Fundraising in Medieval East Anglia
Kate Jewell, Independent Tutor

15th January 2018
The Oldest Road on Mersea Island?
Oliver Hutchinson, CitiZan and MoLA

22nd January 2018
The Archaeology of Woodgate, Aylsham
Martin Brook, Britannia Archaeology

29th January 2018
Goldingham Hall from Archaeological excavation and Manorial Records
Ashley Cooper, Landowner and local historian

5th February 2018
Members Activities; geophysics in the Stour Valley, Fordham Roman Villa
The presentation on Geophysics in the Stour Valley can be seen by going to the Home page and then Prehistoric Landscape of the Stour Valley.

12th February 2018
Ancient Egyptian Jewellery; what the well-dressed man and women wore
Frances Boardman, Independent Tutor

19th February 2018
Can you keep a secret? The history of Bawdsey Radar and its role in WW2
Lynette Burgess, Bawdsey Radar Trust

26th February
A Visual History of St Johns Abbey, Colchester
John Moore, CAG member

(This talk replaced the advertised one, Anatomy schools and bodysnatchers: the price of achievement at the London Hospital by Don Walker from MOLA, who was unable to travel to Colchester due to poor weather.)

5th March 2018
The Mayflower Project
Tony Elliston, The Harwich Mayflower Project

2016

Oct 3
Annual General Meeting followed by a talk by Mark Davies
Art and Architecture in Roman Colchester
Click here for notes on this lecture: Art and Architecture in Roman Colchester

Oct 10
The Essex Martello Towers
Roger Kennell, Local History Recorder for Holland-on-Sea & Chairman Clacton VCH
Click here for notes on this lecture: The Martello Towers of Essex

Oct 17
Germanic & Anglo-Saxon Houses: An Archaeological Exploration on the Continent and in England
Edward Martin, Independent Archaeologist and Landscape Historian

Oct 24
RAF Lakenheath Anglo-Saxon cemeteries
Jo Caruth, Senior Project Officer, Suffolk Archaeology CIC

Oct 31
Geophysical Surveys 2014-15 at Court Knoll, Nayland, Suffolk
Andora Carver, Nayland and Wissington Conservation Soc & Tim Dennis, CAG

Nov 7
Essex on the Map, 1576 to 1805
Peter Walker, retired accountant and map enthusiast

Nov 14
The Clactonian in Essex
Adam Wightman, Colchester Archaeological Trust

Nov 21
Looking death in the face? Different attitudes towards bog bodies and their display
Jody Joy, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, U of Cambridge

Nov 28
Eudo the Steward – a remarkable man in both early Norman Colchester and England
Peter Berridge, Former head of Museums in Colchester and Ipswich

2017
Jan 16
“Serfs you were and serfs you shall remain”; The Peasants’ Revolt in Essex/Suffolk
Dr Herbert Eiden, Assistant Editor, VCH Essex

Jan 23
Camulodunum and its Villas
John Shepherd, Director of Archaeology in Andante Travels

Jan 30
London’s First Voices: writing tablets from the Bloomberg Excavations 2010-14
Sadie Watson, Project Officer, Museum of London Archaeology

Feb 6
The Mildenhall Treasure and Fine Dining in Roman Britain
Richard Hobbs, Curator, Romano-British Collections, British Museum

Feb 13
Mud and Monuments; The Archaeology of the Essex Coast
Ellen Heppell, Senior Archaeologist, Archaeology South-East (UCL)

Feb 20
Members activities
Short presentations on projects undertaken by Group members during the last year

Feb 27
Built to impress and intimidate – Colchester’s giant Roman monumental arcade
Philip Crummy, Colchester Archaeological Trust

Mar 6
Recording of Colchester’s Historic Buildings
Jess Tipper/Dave Stenning

2015

Oct 5

Annual General Meeting followed by a talk by Mark Davies

When the Roman Army came to Camulodunum

Oct 12

CitiZan; Coastal and Community Archaeology

Stephanie Ostrich, CitiZan, MOLA

Oct 19
Going Down the Drain; the story of the Marks Hall excavations
John Mallinson, CAG
Click here for notes on this lecture: Going Down the Drain

Oct 26
Principles for the Care of Paper Documents; Mycenae Excavation Archive, 1920-69
Helen Lindsay, ACR – Collections Care Consultant
Click here for notes on this lecture: Principles for the Care of Paper Documents

Nov 2
The Portable Antiquities Scheme; Finds Recording and Research in Essex
Clemency Cooper, Portable Antiquities Scheme BM and Ben Paites, Finds Liaison Officer Essex
Click here for notes on this lecture: The Portable Antiquities Scheme

Nov 9
Operation Nightingale; the recovery of people, not just artefacts
Diarmaid Walshe, RAMC
Operation Nightingale is a collaboration between the military and Wessex Archaeology, using the technical and social aspects of field archaeology to aid the recovery and skill development of service personnel and veterans who have been injured in conflict.
Click here for notes on this lecture: Operation Nightingale

Nov 16
The Tudor Housing Revolution
John Walker, former chairman, Essex Historic Buildings Group
Click here for notes on this lecture: The Tudor Housing Revolution

Nov 23
Essex Hospitals before the NHS; some C19th hospitals
Jane Pearson, Dept. of History, University of Essex
Click here for notes on this lecture: Essex Hospitals Before the NHS

Nov 30
Rock of Ages: Mediaeval Stonemasons – The Architects of Europe
James Wright, MOLA
Click here for notes on this lecture: Rock of Ages

Dec 7
Christmas Party at Roman Circus House

2016
Jan 11
“Why are some places more important than others?”: Insights from mathematical modelling.
Ray Rivers, Emeritus Professor of Physics, UCL
Click here for notes on this lecture: Why are some places more important than others.

Jan 18
Exploring Romano-British identities through dress accessories & toilet instruments
Michael Marshall, Later Prehistoric and Roman Finds specialist, MOLA
Click here for notes on this lecture: Romano-British Identities

Jan 25
1000 Years of Milling? Bourne Mill and its Millers
Chris Thornton, Editor, Victoria County History Essex

Feb 1
Pompeii, Vesuvius and the Bay of Naples
Mark Davies, CAG; this talk replaced the advertised one
Click here for notes on this lecture: Pompeii, Vesuvius and the Bay of Naples

Feb 8
Queen Elizabeth Slept Here; Gloriana’s East Anglian Progress 1578
Wendy Barnes, WEA tutor
Click here for notes on this lecture: Queens Elizabeths Progress

Feb 15
Members activities
Fordham Roman Villa, St John’s Abbey, Smallbridge Hall, 97 Hythe Hill

Feb 22
Egyptian archaeology and the museum: the Petrie Museum, UCL
A PHD student from UCL

Feb 29
Essex Regiment in WWI
Ian Hook, Essex Regiment Museum

March 7
The Lost City of Dunwich
Mark Mitchels, Independent lecturer in History and Archaeology

This is the talk scheduled for 1st Feb which didn’t take place

2014-15

Mar 2
Lionel Sims, Emeritus Head of Anthropology, University of East London
Gender and power in the Neolithic – the West Kennet Avenue as a test case
Click here for notes on this lecture:

Gender, Power and Asymmetry in the Neolithic

Feb 23
Keith Cullum, Chairman Essex Numismatic Society
Archaeology in Braintree
Click here for notes on this lecture:

Archaeology in Braintree

Feb 16

Dr Julia Farley, Curator of European Iron Age Collections, British Museum
Curating the Celts