DON’T OPEN THE BOX!

Caistor St Edmunds Artefacts Workshop

? What’s in the Box? Work as a group Have a look What can you find? Look at your finds closely Pass them round the group ?

Describe it: choose adjectives (describing words) to build a picture of a ‘find’ Let’s describe one of the finds together. Think about: Shape Size Weight Condition (e.g. is it broken? Worn out? Shiny and new?) Markings (e.g. patterns/scratches/letters) Colour Material (e.g. rough, smooth, cloth, metal)

Step 1: Describe it Now it’s your turn to work as a group Choose the most interesting object from your box – be quick! If you have been given a pen you are the group scribe - draw a square in the centre of your large sheet of paper Everyone in the group give an adjective (describing word) for the object you have uncovered Write your group’s words in the box Ready? 60 seconds – GO! adjectives Draw a square in the centre of your large sheet of paper. Everyone in the group needs to give a describing word for the object you have uncovered and the scribe needs to write it in the box Draw a square/rectangle in the centre of your sheet of paper

Step 2: Infer and Hypothesise What can you work out or suggest? It might be? It might be part of …? It was …. used for …? Whole or part? How old? It is here because …? Probably Possibly Could be Might be? I think… because …? Inferences (something you can work out or suggest Description Hypotheses (an educated guess) Draw a second square/rectangle and write your ideas inside it

Questions Step 3: Write down the questions you need to investigate to help find out about the objects Where …? When …? Who …? What …? Why …? How …? Inferences Description Hypotheses Draw a third square/rectangle and write your questions inside it

Where were these objects found?

Caistor St Edmunds Norwich Caistor Roman Town: Venta Icenorum

Caistor St Edmunds The village now Venta Icenorum

Things we lose, break or throw away today - is it just rubbish? Think of something you have thrown away or lost Why might it be important to archaeologists in the future? Look at the objects found at Venta Icenorum on the following slides Do any of your finds look like they came from one of these objects?

An Iron Age silver coin, one of many from Caistor (Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery)

This is a Roman amphora found at Kedington Do you have any archaeological pieces from Caistor St Edmunds in your box that could belong to something like this?

Look at the questions you wrote down at Step 3: can you answer any of them now? If you still have unanswered questions, try finding the answers using the other powerpoints on the Trust website