What I did at work last week

It's official, I'm very behind with my blog updates but life has been v hectic. So I  will try and bring everything up to speed. I could apologise but what is a girl to do! Anyway by day I work at the UCL Institute of Archaeology and last week we finally unveiled a sarsen stone in Gordon Square to celebrate our 75th Anniversary. Admittedly our 75th Anniversary was in 2012 but it's taken a year to get planning permission! Here is Malcolm Grant, the Provost, unveiling the stone.

And then there was a small party and in typical archaeologist's fashion lots of alcohol was drunk.

 I should forewarn you that the end of this blog will feature some photos which you may not like if you're squeamish or vegetarian so don't read any further if you are at all sensitive - you've been warned!!!

The following day we held an event over in Gordon Square where the public could take part in lots of archaeological based activities. Above is knapping, that is knapping with a K, not napping as some thought.... it making tools out of pieces of flint (see below for an example - unless you're sensative that is).

There was also Amazon face painting

Shield making

And pot making

Some of the labs were also open. Here is a skeleton from the bone lab (I think it's a sheep)

And finally one of the highlights was animal butchery neolithic style. If you're squeamish don't read on.

 

Having said that I am incredibly squeamish but completely surprised myself by being able to watch and photography Dr Matt Pope demonstrate skinning then butchering a Rowe deer using neolithic stone tools only. It always draws a crowd

The deer was wild and shot the day before.

Look at the muscle on it's thigh - incredible

And can you see the tool Matt is using to skin the deer?

Yes that small tool is doing all this!

And once it's skinned he's using a larger tool to butcher the meet

And finally here is the end result! Absolutely fascinating though some who were hung over from the night before felt it was a little bit too much! But for me so glad I watched the whole process.