Flow of T ime Hands
-on Le arnin
g abou t the P ast
in the Cly de and Av on Valley
Hands-on Learning A step by step guide This booklet is designed to be a step by step guide on how to deliver archaeology themed, hands-on, creative activities to children and young adults. The Flow of Time workshops have been designed to encourage participants to think about people and communities in the past, how they would have lived and what objects they would have created and used. Using artefacts found at sites around the Clyde and Avon Valley as inspiration we have developed hands on learning activities that will encourage discussion around the particular objects, including Celtic stone heads, Bronze Age pottery, axes and moulds, Roman coins, cordage and Iron Age beads. This booklet will give a list of materials, clear photographs and instructions showing the correct methods for each of the six different activities, as well as information on health and safety precautions. The booklet also has a section at the back outlining some ideas for further reading and places to visit to learn more about the history of the Clyde and Avon Valley.
Douglas Universal Connections enjoying the Bronze Age Axe Head workshop
s t n e t n o C 1 Celtic Head 2 Bronze Age Pottery 3 Bronze Age Axe Moulds 4 Roman Coins 5 Cord 6 Shale Beads
Celtic Head Workshop Carbarnswood Tricephalous
A three headed Celtic stone sculpture was found in Carbarnswood Orchard, near Netherton, Wishaw in 1967. It is thought that the human head was an important element in Iron Age Celtic (800BC400AD) religion. Celtic people may have believed that the head contained the soul or that it had special religious powers and was therefore treated in unusual ways. Parts of human skulls are often found during excavations of Iron Age houses in Scotland, such as at Cnip on the Isle of Lewis, deposited in special places within the houses, perhaps as a religious offerings, or for other religious reasons. Celtic people also carved heads and faces on to rocks and made statues, like the one found at Carbarnswood Orchard. Carved Celtic heads are found throughout Europe but the one found in the Clyde Valley is unique.
CAVLP volunteers learning about the Celtic Head
Celtic Head Workshop Carbarnswood Tricephalous
Outcomes: at the end of the Celtic head sculpture workshop each participant will have gained some knowledge and understanding of Celtic religion and beliefs. Outputs: each participant will produce their own clay Celtic head sculpture. Age group: any age Time: approximately one hour Materials needed: an apron, a board to work on, lollypop stick or clay tool for decoration and sculpting and some Air drying clay (available at any craft shop or supplier). Health and Safety: hands must be washed after this activity and all surfaces and clothing should be washed if they come in contact with the clay to avoid staining.  In this workshop participants will create their own Celtic heads from clay. Each participant will mould wet clay to produce their own interpretation of the Carbarnswood Celtic head, discussing the facial attributes that are represented in Celtic sculpture. In addition participants will explore the mythology and beliefs of the ancient Celts and discuss how the stone head sculpture ended up in Carbarnswood orchard.
p e t S y b Step What you will need: Each workshop participant will need; 1 lump of clay, one lollipop stick and lots of imagination!Â
! o G s ' t Le
Step 1: Start with a lump of clay
Step 2: Create a flat bottom for the head to stand on and then manipulate the upper parts of the clay into a shape that roughly resembles an hourglass
Step Three
The Celtic head design can be followed but participants are free to use their imagination. Â Once the basic shape has been created, facial features can be added with extra bits of clay
Step Four Roll three small lumps of clay into balls by rolling them in the palms of your hands and press firmly onto the base. Â
Step Five The wet clay can be manipulated to make noses, ears and face shapes. The lollipop stick can be used to add more detail.
Step Six Each Celtic head sculpture will be different and have an interesting story attached.
Discussion Topics After the hands on activity, classroom work can be linked with literacy and the children can be encouraged to write a description about their own Celtic head, describing what each of the heads might represent or mean. Does one head represent water, the other air and the other earth? Or is one male, one female, and one a child? What other things would these heads represent for Iron Age children in the Clyde and Avon valley 2000 years ago? Children can draw (or paint/papiermâché/cut and stick) their own interpretation of a Celtic head and the finished items can be used as a classroom display.
Bronze Age Pottery A Bronze Age (2500BC-800BC) burial site was discovered at Ferniegair, near Hamilton, in the 1930’s. The site contained four cist burials, or stone-lined coffins, that contained the remains of both male and female individuals. Alongside the bodies there were artefacts that the families of the deceased placed beside them, perhaps for use in the afterlife. One young woman had a flint tool placed beside her while another had a food vessel, which contained cereals. Some of the stones that were used to build the cists were decorated with cup and ring marks and spirals. Not everyone was buried in cists however, some people were cremated and the bones gathered up and placed into pots, known as beakers or urns. This pottery was decorated in a variety of ways which would have probably held some religious or ritual meaning for people during the Bronze Age. The people buried in this way also had “grave goods” as they are known. One of the people had an archer’s bracelet buried with them, which might suggest that they had been important hunters or warriors when they were alive.
Bronze Age Pottery
Outcomes: at the end of this workshop participants will have gained knowledge about people in the Bronze Age, with a particular focus on ritual and religion in the Clyde and Avon Valley. Outputs: all workshop members will produce their own coil pot. Age group: any age Time: approximately 1 hour Materials: an apron, a board, some twine or rope at different thickness and some air drying clay (available from craft shops and suppliers) Health and Safety: hands should be washed after handling the clay. All surfaces and clothing washed if in contact with the clay to prevent staining.
Bronze Age Pottery Beaker pottery was used in Britain during the early part of the Bronze Age between 2500BC and 1800BC. Beaker pots are known for their complex and highly decorative patterns and design, usually in the form of geometric patterns. This decoration would have been created by pressing combs, twisted cords, finger nails and even animal bones into the wet clay, creating complicated and very detailed patterns. Although these decorations appear simple, they may have had a lot of meaning from Bronze Age people, and some of the decorations would have taken a long time and a great amount of skill to create. In this workshop participants will make their own version of a Bronze Age beaker pot, using the same techniques and methods that were used over four thousand years ago. Participants will decorate their pots in ways that are meaningful to them, and be encouraged to think about what these pasterns might let other people know about them.
Illustration of the Ferniegair pottery
Step One To make the base; start with a tangerinesized lump of clay, roll between your palms to create a smooth ball.
Step Two Place the ball of clay on the board and press down firmly with the flat of your palm. The base of the pot will need to be no thinner than 0.50cm as it needs to be strong enough to hold the weight of the pot.Â
Step Three
Pick up the base and run the edges of the clay along the surface of the board to give the edges a smooth finish. Once happy with the size and shape place to one side.
Step Four To make the pot; tear off a piece of clay
Step Five Roll it between your palms to create a thick sausage.Â
Step Six Then place the sausage on the board and using your flat palm roll the sausage into a longer thinner size (it should look more like a worm now). Make sure to move your hand up and down the length of the clay to make sure it is even. The clay worm should be no thinner than 0.50cm.Â
Step Seven  Take the clay worm and place it on the base as close the edge as possible. Coil the clay round the base and press down as you go.
Step Eight Once you reach where you started, place the clay on top and continue to coil round, pressing firmly as you go.
Step Nine  Continue the process until you have reached the desired height of the pot.
Step Ten Using your finger nail, smooth the coils of the outside of the pot together
Step Eleven The inside of the pot can also be smoothed together, this might be easier done with the back of your finger nail or a clay tool.
Step Twelve Once you are happy with the shape and surface of your pot, it’s now time to decorate.Â
Step Thirteen  Press lengths of cord into the side of the pot or create a pattern using your fingernails and combs.
Step Fourteen A variety of objects can be used to create unique patterns; Combs, cord, rope and fingernails. Now allow the pots to dry
During this workshop, the pupils can be encouraged to talk about the use of pattern, style and imagery and how it can relate to the things that they own, clubs that they belong to or school emblems. It’s also a good opportunity to talk about where Bronze Age people would get their resources and the availability of materials.Â
Bronze Age Moulds During the Bronze Age, from 2500BC – 800BC, people in the Clyde and Avon Valley built complex ritual monuments including Cairns and standing stones and lived in round houses, the remains of which scatter the landscape today. During this time, people used bronze axes, a number of which have been found in the Clyde and Avon Valley including at Draffan, Lesmahagow and Lanark. Axes would have been used to chop down trees to build houses as well as being used in combat. Axes weren’t just tools, however; archaeologists believe that axes could also have been status symbols, ritual objects or even thought of as powerful in their own right. In this workshop, you will be making replica Bronze Age axes with clay, but the first thing participants will need to make is a mould. Axe moulds would have been made out of stone or clay and molten bronze, a mixture of copper and tin, would be poured into the moulds to create the axe shape, which would then be polished and sharpened before use.
Axe head mould found at Wallybourne brook, Pontesbury
Outcomes: at the end of this workshop participants will have gained knowledge about people in the Bronze Age, with a particular focus on tool making. They will have developed an understanding of how new technologies and an increased understanding enabled Bronze Age people to develop tools that helped them change the landscape and create complex monuments. Outputs: each workshop participant will design and create their own version of a Bronze Age axe. Age Group: 11years and upwards, however younger workshop members can participate if they are given pre-carved moulds. Time: approximately 1.5 hours Materials: an apron, a board, card, scissors, pencil, Plaster of Paris, a bucket and mixing spoon, small silver foil trays, stone carving tools and some air drying clay (available from craft shops and suppliers) Health and Safety: this workshop is not suitable for younger children as it involves carving into plaster of Paris blocks and the tools are very sharp. All children must follow the instructions and good concentration is needed throughout the workshop. Fingers must be kept at the bottom of the plaster block and all carving must be directed away from the body. Preparation: This workshop will need prior preparation. You will need small foil trays and plaster of Paris. Make the desired amount of wet plaster (following the instructions for the plaster of Paris) and half fill the foil trays. Leave to set for at least 24 hours. During this workshop participants will carve out their own axe moulds from plaster-of-Paris, deciding what shape and size they want the axes to be, before creating their own replica axes from clay. .
Step One Make your mould a day or two before you are ready to carve.
Step Two Draw the outline shape for the axe head on card and cut out shape.
Step Three Place the axe head shape onto the block of plaster of Paris and draw round.
Step Four Using stone carving tools start to cut into the mould.Â
Step Five Once happy with the shape smooth out the surface and add in any detail (the detail can be added on to the clay axe at a later stage). Tap out any loose plaster dust.
Step Six Using a lump of clay roll into a large oblong, make sure the clay surface is smooth.
Step Seven Press the ball of clay into the mould making sure the whole axe shape is covered with clay.
Step Eight Carefully take out the clay and place to one side and repeat the process one more time for the other half of the axe.Â
Step Nine Once you have two sides of the axe, trim off excess clay.
Step Ten Gently press the two sides together to make one axe. Smooth the edges together. If no pattern was added into the mould then now add pattern.Â
Step Eleven Once the edges have been smoothed and you are happy with the pattern, allow to dry.
Step Twelve Once dry the Bronze Age axe heads are ready to be displayed!
During this workshop conversation can be themed around the advancement of technology and how making objects like bronze axe heads enabled Bronze Age people to change the landscape. Participants should also be encouraged to think about what symbols or objects convey ideas of status, power or wealth today and how they would compare to the Bronze Age. What objects would you use to show off today?
Roman Coin Workshop The Romans had a major impact on the Clyde and Avon Valley and have left their mark on the landscape though their forts like those found at Strathclyde Park and Cleghorn as well as some of the roads we still use today. Roman Coins have been found all over the Clyde and Avon Valley including sites at Castledykes, Lesmahagow and Ravenstruther. The Romans used coins as a currency and the soldiers that would have been stationed around the Clyde and Avon valley would have been paid using such coins. Like today the Romans imprinted images of important people and places, events and gods onto these metal nuggets, creating a very early version of social media.
 Roman Coins courtesy of Lanark and District Archaeological Society
Roman Coin Workshop Outcomes: each workshop participant will be able to describe and explain the process behind minting Roman coins. They will be able to give examples of Roman iconography and explain the significance behind using images on coins. Outputs: each member will produce their own version of Roman coins using clay Age Group: 11years and upwards although younger students may participate if they are given pre carved dies. Time: approximately 1.5 hour Materials: an apron, pencil and paper, Plaster of Paris, a bucket and mixing spoon, paper cupcake cases, carving tools, and some air drying clay (available from all craft shops and suppliers) Health and Safety: this work shop is not suitable for younger children as it involves carving into plaster of Paris disks and the tools are very sharp. All children must follow the instructions and good concentration is needed throughout the workshop. Fingers must be kept at the bottom of the plaster block and all carving must be directed away from the body. There will be some prior preparation needed for this workshop. Mix the plaster of Paris and pour the wet plaster into paper cupcake cases. Each workshop participant will each need two plaster of Paris discs. Leave to harden for at least 24 hours.Â
! o G s t e L
Step One
The plaster of Paris discs are going to be used as the coin die. The workshop participants should draw out the designs for their coins on a piece of paper first, the design has to be quite large, if it is too small the details will be lost in carving. .,
Step Two Once settled on a design for the coins it then has to be transferred onto the plaster disc.
Step Three The design needs to be back to front on the disc so that the image is stamped onto the coin correctly. This can be quite tricky, so take your time to get your design right.
Step Four Now using your carving tools carefully carve out your design, be very careful with the tools as they can be very sharp. keep your fingers away from the sharp tool and always carve away from your body. Â
Step Five The carving needs to be quite deep to give the best impression on the coin.
Step Six You will need two plaster dies. One for each side of the coin. Repeat steps 1 to 5. Â
Step Seven Take a lump of clay (about 4cm diameter) and roll it into a ball in the palm of your hand.
Step Eight Place the ball on the board and using the flat palm press the ball, it should be no thinner than 1cm but big enough to cover the disc.
Step Nine Pick up the clay disc and roll it between your fingers on its edges along the board to smooth out.Â
Step Ten Put the clay disc on top of one carved die and put the other on top creating a sandwich. Â
Step Eleven Now Squeeze!
Step Twelve Lift off the plaster to see your hand stamped coin. Â
Step Thirteen Continue until rich!
Step Twelve Allow the coins to air dry and then they are ready for display. Â
Imagery and iconography were important elements of Roman coins. What image have you put on your own coins? Do the images reflect what is important to you? Other topics that could be linked to the discussion include, bartering, currency and the coins can be used in maths lessons.
Cord Making
Cords have been made for thousands of years. Using natural sources found in their local area people would have made cords from woody plant fibres like bark and fine yarns from wool. Natural fibres and materials rarely survive in Scottish archaeological sites but archaeologists have found tools like lucet forks, trollen wheels and loom weights, such as the ones found at the Hyndford Crannog, an Iron Age loch based settlement, which show us evidence for the production of such objects. These artefacts show us how people would have produced a variety braids and cords. Cord would have had a variety of uses, from building material to sling shots and decorative fine braids for jewellery.
This textile was found at Must Farm in 2006 and is woven from Lime tree fibres image courtesy of Must Farm 2018
Outcomes: participants will learn about traditional craft skills. They will be able to describe how people of the past made cord, discuss the materials used in the past and explain what the cord would have been made for. They will be able to compare and contrast the methods used today with the traditional handmade method. Outputs: each workshop member will make their own length of cord which can be made into a friendship bracelet, necklace or shoe laces Age group: any age Time: approximately 1.5 hours Materials: thick card, scissors, pen and a selection of coloured embroidery threads, participants will need 7 different coloured threads each. Health and Safety:Â younger members may need their Trollen wheel made for them prior to the workshop. Care must be taken whenusing the scissors.
! o G s t e L
Step One Each workshop participants should choose seven different coloured threads.
Step Two The seven different colours should be cut at an equal length (approx 40cm). Then tie a knot about 5cm from one end.
StepThree To make the Trollen wheel, cut a square of cardboard approx 6cm x 6cm.
Step Four Cut all four corners off the square to create an octagon.
Step Five On each of the octagon sides cut a 1cm notch (in the middle of the side).
Step Six Now poke a hole in the middle of your Trollen wheel
Step Seven  Finally using a pen or pencil draw an arrow pointing clockwise.
Step Eight Holding the Trollen wheel with the arrow mark facing you push the knotted end of the threads through the hole in the middle of the Trollen wheel.Â
Step Nine  Now place one tread in each of the notches cut into the sides, there should be one empty notch.
Step Ten Now you are ready to start. Your knot should be tight against the underside of the Trollen wheel and the empty notch facing you.
Step Eleven  Holding the trollen wheel flat, start with the empty notch facing you, count back three threads anticlockwise.
Step Twelve Take that third thread out of the notch and bring it round to place into the empty notch in front of you.Â
Step Thirteen  Then spin the trollen wheel clockwise (in the direction of the arrow) until the empty notch is again in front of you again.
Step Fourteen Count back three threads again.
Step Fifteen Take the third thread and bring it round to the empty notch in front of you.Â
Step Sixteen Spin the wheel until the empty notch is in front of you again.
Step Seventeen Repeat these steps until you have the desired length of cord. You will soon see the cord coming through the middle of Trollen wheel. Give the cord a tug every now to keep the cord taught.
Step Eighteen As you get used to the process you will be able to pick up speed, just be careful you don't get dizzy! Â
Step Nineteen Once you have the desired length been achieved unhook each thread from the wheel, pull out of the trollen wheel and knot the end tight against the cord. Â
Step Twenty Using this method you can make friendship bracelets, laces or key rings, there are endless possibilities!Â
This workshop is a nice and quiet activity, and you can use this opportunity (once the workshop members have mastered the technique) to talk about what materials people in the past would have used. What would have been used instead of machine made rope or string? Whose job was it to make the cord? The development of cord meant that the people of the past could lash things together with cordage, making the movement of larger quantities easier. Fine woollen threads could be sewn onto clothing creating highly desired commodities which could be sold or exchanged. A simple cord made such a difference to past people’s lives, do you think you could manage without rope or cord today?
d a e B e g A n o r I
Workshop During the Late Bronze Age (1000BC) through to the Late Iron Age (400AD) people in this part of Scotland created jewellery from black shiny stones, like shale. The shale was carved using hand tools and polished to give the jewellery a bright sheen with each object taking a long time to complete. Black shiny jewellery was used throughout Scotland during the Iron Age, but it seems to have been particularly fashionable in the west of Scotland with almost every site that has been excavated having some of these shiny objects. Working fragments and debris were found during our excavations at Black Hill in the summer of 2017 when we also found two very small shale beads. The popularity of this jewellery might tell us about a regional identity in this part of Scotland, where everyone in the community chose to wear this jewellery as it marked them out as being different compared to people from other parts of Scotland. Outcomes: Students will be able to talk about why Iron Age people might have used shale and other stone as jewellery and what it meant to them, comparing these items to today’s jewellery. Outputs: Workshop members will learn how to produce their own soapstone bead or bracelet. Age Groups: 11 yrs to adult Time: approximately 1.5 hours Materials: stone carving tools, blocks of soapstone (available from craft suppliers such as Hobbycraft or online) and different grades of sandpaper. Lengths of cord from the previous workshop or twine to use as a bracelet or necklace. Health and Safety: this workshop is not suitable for younger children as the carving tools are very sharp. Care must be taken and all tool work must be done under close supervision. Keep fingers to the bottom of the stone and always carve away from the body. Carving Soapstone creates a lot of dust which may be hazardous, this activity should be carried out in a well-ventilated space. All participants should wear facemasks.
! o G s t e L Step One It can be a good idea to try some shale carving (if you have some) before you do this activity, this will be good for promoting a compare and contrast conversation afterwards.Â
What can be achieved depends on the size of the original lump of soapstone? If you have large soapstone disks then a circle can be carved out of the middle and a bracelet can be made. If your soapstone discs are smaller then beads can be made.
Step Two To make beads; using the stone carving tools start to carve the centre of the soapstone, this will be very dusty but shouldn’t be too hard to achieve.
Step Three Care must be taken when the hole is just about fully through the soapstone as it has a tendency to crack and break. It is best to use the tool in a twisting motion. Â
Step Four
The position of the hole in your soapstone can be altered depending on what you are making. A hole closer to an edge would make a good pendant for a necklace. Holes in the middle will be better for beads on a bracelet.
Step Five
Using a piece of sandpaper smooth out the edges of the bead, at this stage, the design of the bead can be decided. Patterns can be etched into the bead using stone carving tools and it can be made round, flat or square by rubbing the sandpaper over it. .Â
Step Six  Depending on time and materials available each workshop participant can repeat these processes until a collection of beads have been made.
Step Seven Now thread the beads onto a cord/bracelet that has been made in the previous workshop or you could use some lengths of string or cord.
Step Eight
To make a bracelet thread your beads on to the cord. to make a keychain or necklace double your cord through the hole and feed the ends through the loop.
Step Nine Your pendant is now ready to wear! Â
What pieces of clothing, objects or jewellery do you wear to identify with a particular group? Think about the different badges that football teams have. Did people in the Iron Age also wear particular items of clothing to mark them out as different from others or belonging to a particular group? Think about how long it took to make your bead. What does this tell you about the meaning behind these items?
Background Reading There are loads of resources out there to learn about the archaeology of Scotland but one great series of books, that gives an excellent introduction to the various time periods talked about in this resource, is the "The Making of Scotland" series. Bronze Age The Making of Scotland Series: Farmers Temples and Tombs: Scotland in the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age by Gordon Barclay Birlinn with Historic Scotland; (2006) ISBN: 9781841583808 Iron Age The Making of Scotland Series: Settlement and sacrifice: the later prehistoric people of Scotland by Richard Hingley Birlinn with Historic Scotland; (2006) ISBN: 9781841583839 Romans The Making of Scotland Series: A Gathering of Eagles: Romans in Scotland by Gordon S. Maxwell Birlinn with Historic Scotland; (2005) ISBN13: 978-1841583846
Flow of Time Workshops