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Hands On Romans
If your kids normally get bored in museums because they aren’t
allowed to touch anything, they’ll love today’s
after school event at the castle. As part of National Archaeology
Week, the session is dedicated to Roman artefacts and it will
definitely be a hands-on affair. Lyn Gayford, the castle’s
education officer, tells us that amongst the items available
to handle, will be a 2000-year-old leather sandal and a Roman
oil lamp. “The lamp actually has the thumb print of
the maker still on it, which often brings home to children
that they are now holding something made and handled by a
Roman craftsman over 2000 years ago”. Other items on
display are a selection of pottery and brickwork as well as
an oyster spoon.
The whole of this county is in fact a rich source of Roman
artefacts, perhaps not too surprising considering that the
area which we now know as Sussex took the full force of the
initial Roman invasion in the period from 54BC to 45AD. To
gain a fuller understanding of the scale of the invasion,
and indeed the wealth it brought with it, you could nip along
the coast to Fishbourne Palace. Alternatively, if your kids
want to carry on the hands-on theme nearer to home, in August
Sussex Past will be running a ‘dig and discover’
day, open to 8-16 year olds, at their excavation site near
Barcombe. But be quick, it sells out fast… NW
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