SchoolsCSA Workshops
CSA has developed a number of interactive workshops and activities primarily to deliver its Outreach work, running archaeological workshops at public events throughout Scotland, including the schools programmes of the Edinburgh International Science Festival, Aberdeen Techfest and Edinburgh International Book Festival.
At the core of each workshop are interactive and hands-on activities to encourage learning and understanding. They also incorporate genuine artefacts to link the activities and the archaeological evidence.
Our main workshops are:
Ancient Technology This workshop looks at the origins of engineering, communication and textiles and includes activities such as grinding grain, weaving wattle fences, and drilling without electricity
The Work of an Archaeologist This workshop provides opportunities to replicate many of the techniques an archaeologist uses to recover and investigate evidence including excavation and post excavation activities.
To sustain interest and appeal to as broad a range of events as possible, we also try to tailor our workshops to themes. In recent years we have successfully created workshops on topics such as
Prehistoric Scientists (with activities that demonstrated how science is used in archaeology e.g. dendrochronology (tree ring analysis), phosphate testing, geophysics, and pollen analysis.
Prehistoric Farming (with activities that replicated skills used by Scotland's first farmers including seed sorting, grain grinding and fence making)
Scotland's Woodland Past (with activities that looked at the different uses of wood in the past, including making cords and rope, to the different tools used to in wood working)
Megalithics (with activities that looked at stone tools, their uses and properties and what geology can contribute to archaeology including stone carving, drilling holes in stone, and cutting using flint knives)
