We have two archaeological day schools planned for 2025 on 17th May and 1st November. The title of the first will be announced shortly, but the November event will be about Maiden Castle. It is 40 years since the last excavation and the day will examine what came out of that and also look at more recent work carried out by Bournemouth University. Details and booking to follow.
Before these, on 8th March, we are hosting an event organised by REACH Equality CIC and Past Participate CIC, to celebrate how women have contributed to our understandings of the past? What was their legacy, and what can we learn from that? With a day of talks from academics and authors covering notable women such as geologist Mary Anning and archaeologists Peggy Piggott, Tony Cyriax and Susann Palmer. You are invited to come and join us in celebrating their achievements on International Women’s Day 2025!
Female Foundations day school flyer & booking form
The 2024 event was “Archaeology in Dorset: Recent Work” and was held on Saturday1st June 2024. Subjects included updates on surprising discoveries at the Durotriges Project, from Paul Cheetham and the Waddon Hill Archaeological Research Project, from Jon Milward. Mike Allen, reported on dating evidence from the Cerne Giant. He has written an article on the Cerne Giant which may be found on our Research Notes page. Peter Bellamy spoke on the Roman Street pattern of Dorchester, Hayley Roberts on Revisiting the stone circles of Dorset and Richard McConnell on work at North Quay, Weymouth. Evidence of land use in Poole Harbour and the Purbecks were given in separate talks by Sarah Elliott and Harry Manley. Peter Lancaster and Andrew Whittle told of the Nettlecombe Project in West Dorset, which is uncovering a lot of previously unknown activity in the area.
In 2018 the Association held its first day school “Aspects of Late Iron Age and Roman Dorchester” which proved successful and led to a call for more such events. In 2019 we held another day school, “Prehistoric Dorchester”. This was in collaboration with the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society in memory of Peter Woodward, Archaeologist and former Assistant Curator at the Dorset County Museum. The event was a great success. The last day school, to celebrate our fortieth anniversary, was held on the 24th September 2022. The subject was Mediaeval Dorset and a good range of speakers made for an informative and interesting day.
