Event Archive

7pm Tuesday 2nd October 2018

Speaker: Richard Bradley

Excavation and watching-brief work  by Worcestershire Archaeology over a number of years of quarry extraction has identified multiple phases of activity, mainly of prehistoric date. This has included well-preserved palaeoenvironmental deposits, Mesolithic flint working debris, late Neolithic and Bronze Age burnt mounds associated with a sequence of peat formation, Bronze Age and Iron Age timber lined features, and a monumental complex incorporating a post-built palisade with at least three round barrows. Work at the quarry is ongoing but this talk focuses on discoveries during 2013-2015.

Richard Bradley is a project officer working for Worcestershire Archaeology.

This talk will take place at the BMI

7pm Tuesday 6th November  2018

Speaker: Nigel Page

An archaeological excavation was carried out on land at Whitley South, Baginton, Warwickshire in 2017, on high ground overlooking the River Sowe and Coventry to the North. The excavation revealed a series of possible Neolithic pits with flint artefacts, a Bronze Age round barrow, a Roman cremation cemetery and houses and a small cemetery of Anglo-Saxon date.

The Roman cremation cemetery contained over 60 burials, some with offering pots, personal items and cremation urns, which was likely to have been associated with the Lunt Roman Fort, c.350m to the west.

Remains of five Anglo-Saxon houses and twelve burials were also recorded. Some of the graves contained grave goods, which included complete pots and a hanging bowl.

Conservation work on the numerous metal objects recovered has revealed not only how they would have looked when made and used, but it has also thrown up some surprises.

This talk will take place at the Market Hall Museum in Warwick

AGM Night

Tuesday 4th December  2018  6.45pm

Speaker: Nick Daffern

The West Midlands is often overlooked in favour of the east and south-east of England but this talk aims to show that the West Midlands has an incredibly important part to play in the story of Britain during the Pleistocene!

The talk will look at the fascinating Ice Age history of the West Midlands covering its climate and landscape over the last one million years and the animals and humans (both archaic and modern!) who lived and hunted here. An overview will be given of the results of a 2013 English Heritage-funded reassessment of the Palaeolithic in Worcestershire ‘which (excuse the pun!) has snowballed into research that has implications for the wider West Midlands and the potential for future work that everyone can get involved in to enhance our understanding of these lost landscapes.

This lecture will take place at the BMI

Note – this lecture will be preceded by the BWAS Annual General Meeting and should commence shortly after 7pm.

Nick Daffern is an archaeologist, palynologist (pollen specialist!) and environmental archaeologist with a particular focus and passion for the Pleistocene of the West Midlands. He is Associate Director for Archaeology and Heritage at Wardell Armstrong

ANNUAL LUNCHTIME LECTURE

Tuesday 8th January 2019 at 1pm

Speaker Robert Early

The north section of HS2 spans 87 km, and forks into Birmingham.  The whole project is the largest historic environment project undertaken in the UK and as such represents a huge challenge to the professional archaeological community. This talk will highlight how the teams of archaeologists are undertaking the works, focussing on new discoveries and the excavation of known sites such as Park Street Burial ground where 19,000 post-medieval burials are currently being excavated; the largest archaeological project to date in Birmingham. Rob will provide a resume of research undertaken and the results to date  highlighting some of the challenges ahead.

Rob Early is currently the lead for the Historic Environment section North. He has over 30 years of experience in archaeology and heritage and has a number of publications of his work that range through the prehistoric periods through to Second World War.  He currently leads the heritage team at the design engineering company WSP but formally worked for Oxford Archaeology.

This lecture will take place at the BMI.

Tuesday 7th November 2017

Speaker: Nigel Page

Find out more about recent finds from archaeological sites in Warwickshire. At long last, Warwickshire can now boast a Neolithic henge ‘culture’ to complement if not rival other regions. Five have been fully excavated in the last two years. The ongoing analysis of these sites has revealed some interesting aspects of their chronology and use.

In addition Warwickshire Archaeology are delighted to be able to bring you some very exciting news about remarkable excavations on a site undoubtedly close to your hearts. PLEASE NOTE : For the first time we shall be hosting a meeting of the Society in Warwick at the recently refurbished Market Place Museum. Doors open at 6.45 and lecture commences at 7pm

Tuesday 5th December 2017

Speaker: Stephen Price

AGM 6.45 – 7pm, Lecture commences 7pm

Concentrating on a handful of leading lights in the Birmingham and Warwickshire Archaeological Society – A.E. Everitt, Oliver & Harold Baker and Jethro Cossins who were all active in the field and have left today’s students of Birmingham and Warwickshire history a remarkable resource in various public and private collections. Everitt’s collection of drawings and watercolours of the Midlands once belonged to the Society, but is now in the care of Birmingham Museums Trust, while the diaries and letters of the Baker family, together with the paintings and photographs they produced illuminate the process of recording historic buildings within reach of the city. Cossins was a leading member of the architectural profession in late 19^th century Birmingham, designing many significant new buildings in the city, but he was also a committed saviour of many vernacular buildings and churches, working with the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings to ensure their preservation. Our meeting is being held on the centenary of Cossins’ death at the BMI. The lecture will attempt to put the work of these pioneers in context and raise awareness of the value of their contributions.

Stephen has been a member of BWAS since the 1960s and has had a long career and distinguished as a museum curator. Early retirement has given him the opportunity to get back to the Midlands and write up some of his research  undertaken on Birmingham and Worcestershire history.

This lecture will take place at the BMI (more…)

Tuesday 9^th January 2018

Annual Lunchtime Lecture 1pm – 2pm

Speaker: Teresa Gilmore 

The talk will cover the recent spectacular find from the Staffordshire Moorlands, that of the Leekfrith Torcs, the earliest Iron Age gold found so far and the early Celtic art. We shall hear the story of their discovery and journey through the Treasure Process, an excellent example of partnership works, research and latest development.

Teresa is the Finds Liaison Officer, Portable Antiquities Scheme based at Birmingham Museums Trust.

This lecture will take place at the BMI