When I grow up...

As part of the 'When I grow up' project a group of children expressed an interest in archaeology. Yesterday we were lucky enough to go to the Havering Museum in Romford. The children participated in a number of activities.

The children were given a box of mixed pot sherd's that they have to match to date and use. To do this they were given clue sheets (e.g. I’m a posh Roman pot – I’m shiny, smooth and only one colour). The session staff and volunteers then used these identifications to get each group to explore the pots further and explain what they were used for.

After pot sorting, the group got a chance to repack real Roman pottery found during the excavations at Havering County Park. The pot sorting helped them identify the pots they were repacking. The children were informed that they were helping preserve the site for the future and were told how archaeologists organise the artefacts from a site.

We then all took part in the gallery trail that focused on the displays about different areas of Havering. One of the artefact's which we got to see and touch was 4000 years old. This was a dog which they believed was a hunting dog.

The lady informed us that archaeologists need to be good at Literacy for when they are researching the artefacts and making notes on what they have found. She informed us that the crucial facet of archaeology is also teamwork and resilience. You need to be able to work as part of a team and keep searching in sites for artefacts, some days will be better than others.

The children asked how they can get into archeology and the lady said that at first you need to volunteer whenever and wherever you can, don’t be afraid to try your local museum and other local archaeologists.

Another question that was asked was do you need qualifications to get a job in archaeology? The lady said it is much harder to get into archaeology without a degree, and it’s also harder to move up the ranks without formal training.