AGM and lecture
The WAS AGM will be held on Friday 15th March at 7.45pm in the United Reformed Church hall. The AGM is usually very quick! The formal business will be followed by a lecture by the Director, Kris Lockyear, entitled “Monuments to the Dead in Hertfordshire.” This talk will look at a small selection of burial monuments from the Neolithic to the early 20th century.
Experimental cookery
No, not weird food, but using experimental archaeology to try and recreate cooking methods in the past. In this talk Yu-chun Kan from the Institute of Archaeology, UCL, will be discussing experiments to recreate cooking technologies from the Neolithic in China. The meeting is on the 1st March, 7.45pm, United Reformed Church Hall, Welwyn Garden City.
Arminghall Henge
This Friday (16th Feb 2024) sees Simon Binns talking about A volunteer’s account of the excavation of Arminghall Henge. This should be a fascinating account of this important excavation from the trowel’s edge. The meeting starts at 7.45pm in the United Reformed Church Hall, Welwyn Garden City (opposite Sainsbury’s). As usual the meeting will start with tea and biscuits, and end with the raffle. Free entry to members, £3 for guests.
The Archaeology of HS2
Despite recent political developments, a great deal of archaeological research has already been undertaken along the line of HS2. Nick Shepherd tells us about the research undertaken so far.
The meeting is at 7.45pm on Tuesday 2nd February 2024 in the United Reformed Church hall, Welwyn Garden City. All welcome, visitors £3.
Remembering Jenny Searle
Long-term member Jenny Searle has sadly passed way. Our records show Jenny joining the Society in 1987, but I suspect the record is incorrect and she joined earlier than that. Jenny was a very active member, joining in the excavations, post-excavation and Sunday walks. Jenny was Minutes Secretary for several years and hosted WAS committee meetings at her house in Welwyn Garden City. She also hosted the “finds group” when we were repacking the finds into good quality plastic boxes with inert foam (plastizoate). Jenny moved to Anglesey recently to be looked after by her niece. One of my favourite memories is giving Jenny a lift home from Welwyn in my motorcycle and sidecar. Jenny kept a series of photo albums of the work of the Society which her family have kindly donated to the Society. Below are some photographs of Jenny and the Society. She is much missed.
The Rise of Roman London
Our next talk is on Friday 8th December and is by Professor Dominic Perring, author of the recently published London in the Roman World. Dominic will be speaking about the early period of Roman London’s history. The lecture meeting starts at 7.45pm, United Reformed Church Hall, WGC (opposite Sainsbury’s).
The meeting will be preceded by a “bring and share” Christmas gathering starting at 7pm. Bring some to nibbles, and come and chat to other Society members.
The Wheathampstead Albatross
The next WAS lecture is on Friday 24th 2023 on “The Wheathampstead Albatross: new thoughts on the Iron Age ‘oppidum’ ” by Mike Smith. The ‘oppidum’ (a type of large late Iron Age settlement) at Wheathampstead was originally proposed by Mortimer Wheeler. The status of this site has gone from suggestion to fact and is now woven into the folklore of the village. Archaeologists, however, have long criticised this idea. Mike Smith investigates this problematic site with the aid of recently released lidar data.
The meeting starts at 7.45pm at the United Reformed Church hall, Welwyn Garden City. All welcome, non-members £3.
The ‘Pulborough area’ torc
This Friday’s talk by Tessa Machling and Roland Williamson is promising to be a fun ride. Come and find out about deception and skullduggery in the 19th century archaeological world.
The meeting opens at 7.45 in the United Reformed Church hall, Welwyn Garden City (opposite Sainsbury’s) and is free to members, £3 to visitors. Tea and coffee will be served before the meeting.
Waltham Abbey
This Friday, 27th October 2023, Lee Prosser will be talking to us about recent research on the roof of Waltham Abbey. Last year Lee gave us a fascinating talk in the middle of the extremely cold snap. Let’s give him a warm welcome this season.
As usual, the meeting opens at 7.45pm at the United Reformed Church hall, Welwyn Garden City (opposite Sainsbury’s). The meeting is free to members, £3 for visitors and there will be the usual tea and coffee, and a raffle.
WAS lecture season starts Friday 13th 2023
The first lecture of WAS’ new season is Dr Matt Pope talking about “Repeopling La Mancheland: Landscape Perspectives on the Neanderthal Archaeology of La Cotte de St Brelade”. Matt has been working on this important site on Jersey for a number of years. This lecture is sponsored by the Prehistoric Society to whom our thanks are due.
The meeting will be in the hall of the United Reformed Church in Welwyn Garden City (opposite Sainsbury’s, WGC town centre) at 7.45pm. All welcome, non-members £3.
Society subs will be due at the first meeting which can be paid in cash, cheque or bank transfer.
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