We began our workshop with Living History by discovering that we were to be experimental archaeologists for the morning (i.e. test out Stone Age inventions). The art tent made a fantastic outdoor setting for us.
First we acted out a scene from Lorenden’s distant past with trees and ice age mammals roaming the land, which was very exciting. Next we heard the story of Otzi, the Ice Age Mummy, followed by us each dressing up as him, complete with tattoos!
Then it was time to try out some Stone Age activities. We knapped ‘flint’ using antler tools, scraped signs on chalk, made and decorated a thumb pot, and in pairs or small groups worked a bow drill. By the end we had some great evidence and had almost drilled a hole through a stone.
After that we made bows, arrows and spears or axes. We had to help each other bash the sticks with a hammer stone to split them. No-one gashed their finger and we made some impressive tools and weapons. Then it was time to try firing our class bows out on the field. This turned out to be very challenging!
For our final Stone Age activity we celebrated various situations at Lorenden Henge. Joseph pretended to be a dead chief who needed burying. Others were wounded comrades who needed healing, and there was also a cheerful welcome ceremony.
Finally we crept into the Bronze Age by making and decorating clay arrowhead moulds. We had an amazingly busy morning of engaging activities and everyone was very sad to take their costume off at the end!