The Royal Armouries at Leeds wants you to know just what it is they dug up at battlefields. On 4 December they are giving you the opportunity to learn to interpret what all that means. From their website:
"This interactive study day will examine the process of interpreting pieces recovered from battlefield sites and especially how to tap in to the wealth of expert knowledge in the field of the study of arms and armour.
It will highlight the range of assistance that museum curators and arms and armour specialists can offer archaeologists, military historians and indeed anyone who has an interest in interpreting material discovered through battlefield excavations.
Archaeologists and historians eminent in the field of the study of battlefields and related sites will discuss aspects of the role which can be played by museum collections and staff in helping interpret objects recovered from them. They will tackle a wide variety of fascinating topics covering the period from the Norman Conquest to World War One and sites including the battles of Fulford (1066) and Towton (1461), an Elizabethan wreck off Alderney and The Somme.
The conference will also offer a unique opportunity to examine and discuss battlefield related pieces from the Royal Armouries collections."
New discoveries of English battlefields open up a wealth of re-interpretation of the historical record. Recently, the exciting find at Bosworth Field not only told us where it really was but showed us that guns were used a lot earlier in battle than we had supposed. See my article on that here.
Battlefields aren't the only place to make interesting finds. Bones there are aplenty in Britain and they have found the presence of Africans, gladiators, and ancient Anglo-saxon Queens.
While I will be unable to make the journey there myself, I would be pleased if anyone that had plans to attend will send me pictures and I'll publish them here. For a registration form for the Royal Armouries study day, go here.
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