ENGLISH HERITAGE TEACHERS KIT

ACTIVITIES

Old Sarum
This Norman castle and cathedral within the massive earthworks of an Iron Age hillfort offer a brilliant opportunity to explore a range of themes in studies of history, geography and tourism.
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A clear theme links every phase of occupation at Old Sarum security: the site came into use whenever leaders or communities felt the need for defence. This theme provides the opportunity to study a number of different societies from a common standpoint, using as much evidence as possible from the site itself. The methods of archaeologists too can be studied and a comparison made with other sites like Maiden Castle (Iron Age) and Sherborne Castle (also built by Bishop Roger). Pupils could draw and describe artefacts typical of each phase of occupation (see below for examples of some of these), and find out as much as possible about clothes, houses, methods of transport, war and so on. The site was the same, and so were many of the needs of those who lived there: what therefore accounts for the differences? Such an approach necessarily involves many skills: measuring and making plans; drawing on site and in preparation for more finished work; models can be made of the various buildings which have stood at Old Sarum and relationships explored through drama e.g. Between Britons and Saxons (Invaders and Settlers), and between the clergy of the cathedral and the castle garrison. If the clergy sound a little pompous and the soldiers rather disrespectful, there may be more than a few echoes of the present in the dialogue which results.
A latrine interior in around 1350.

ALSO AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD HISTORY INFO IMAGES

BOOKING AND SITE INFORMATION W www.english-heritage.org.uk/onlinebooking E bookeducation@english-heritage.org.uk The Engine House, Fire Fly Avenue, Swindon, SN2 2EH T 0870 333 0606 F 01793 414926