Were the Saxons Invaders or Settlers?
Ever heard of the Anglo-Saxons? These were the folks who gave England its name - but were they peaceful settlers invited into Britain, or fearsome, pushy invaders? Read More
This is my archive
8: Thatching a Neolithic Roof
We're onto the final stage of our Wyke Down roof - thatching it! With a master thatcher leading our eager volunteers, discover just how our Neolithic ancestors stayed warm and dry - one layer of thatch at a time! Read More
Were There Brain Surgeons in the Stone Age?
When you think about brain surgery, you probably associate it with high-tec hospitals and strict medical training. Venture back thousands of years to the Stone Age to discover if our ancestors were really doing brain surgery too! Read More
7: How to Weave a Willow Roof
It's time to put ourselves in the shoes of our ancestors and figure out what makes a great roof! Our trusty treewright Darren experiments with what materials were best for keeping dry and letting light in, and smoke out... Read More
What Is Experimental Archaeology?
Indiana Jones and spectacular scientists share a passion for digging into the past - and as an experimental archaeology site, so do we! But what makes experimental archaeology so amazingly different? Read More
6: Can We Fell a Tree With Flint?
Our Wyke Down roof is in need of some rafters! The team ventures into the woods to find the perfect tree, and even test the power of flint versus steel axes in felling timber... Read More
5: How to Make Stone Age Walls
Our Wyke Down structure is still missing something! The team gets together to work on the next step, plus we experiment with how Neolithic builders coped without the help of metal tools... Read More
4: A Stone Age Cathedral?
We know there's something special about our new Stone Age build, so to do it justice Thérèse and Darren set about experimenting with a spectacular new roof type we've never tried before... Read More
We Rescued A Real Roman Mosaic
50 years after a mosaic at Badbury Roman Villa was bulldozed to make way for the new M4 motorway, we're finally able to put the rescued tesserae back in their rightful place as part of a Roman mosaic. Read More
Did This Fix Our Roundhouse?
When our Bronze Age roundhouse was filling up with smoke, we knew something was wrong. Several months and a lot of work later it's time to find out -- has our fix worked? Read More
