The Year 11 Ancient History students have been undertaking their first topic about the nature of Ancient History. They have been learning about the nature of archaeology and changing excavation methods.
The students have been reading about the methods used by archaeologists as they excavate ancient sites. In order to deepen their understanding and give a practical context to their learning students participated in a simulated “dig” of an archaeological site made out of desserts!
Students worked in groups to excavate their stratigraphy kits and dug through layers of cake, biscuit and coconut to find “jewels”, “pottery shards”, “jelly bodies” and “jelly dinosaurs”. Students set up the grid system on their sites and had to carefully dig through each strata layer and record what they found and its context. At the end of the “dig” students had to analyse their “artefacts” and come up with their own interpretation of what happened in each layer.
Students found the experience enjoyable and were given a new perspective on the importance of excavation processes and recording methods - particularly those who rushed to get to the bottom layer and forgot to interpret their layers!
Miss Emily Pett
Leader of Learning Pastoral - Year 12
Ancient History Teacher
