Jennifer L Smith on wed 17 jul 02
Hey all!
I just saw this great show last night on The Learning Channel called "Ancient Ancestors: Princess and the Pauper". Basically a huge burial site containing thousands of bodies was found in the middle of London. I think most were from around 1200 AD. In one pit alone they found 30 bodies in four layers all burried at same time (poor people) but under that- get this- they found a Roman sarcophagus made of stone. Inside was a lead coffin. Well they clean it up and find that its decorated so then they go to an artist's foundry and the artists demo how the Romans would have made it. They also find textiles and a glass bottle, etc. and each time consult an artist who then demonstrates the techniques used. Wow ARTISTS actually consulted as experts instead of the usual anthropologist specializing in say "ancient glass artifacts". Unfortunately they didn't find any clay pieces with the Roman princess. They did however use clay to reconstruct her face as well as the face of one
of the peasants from the pit. I have always found it fascinating when they reconstruct people's faces using little pegs and layers of clay. They also through a computer generated model show what London and this particular site would have looked like. I have to say I was riveted through the whole show. See, sometimes TV is a good thing.
Jennifer
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Richard Jeffery on thu 18 jul 02
that's quite common feature of TV archaeological programmes over here in UK
these days - trying to recreate earlier technologies using local artists -
some of whom specialise in that. A friend of mine who makes burnished ware
based on local finds was involved in a programme on Maiden Castle - a big [i
mean BIG] hill fort just outside Dorchester, about 30 miles from here.
Usually means building a kiln, or furnace, or whatever, and making work from
scratch to finished in 48 hours - so it doesn't always go very well - firing
wet ware in a wet kiln ain't conducive to great success rates - but it makes
good TV.
Assuming the rights to these shows have been sold by now, the most popular
and/or prolific is called "Time Team" - which is usually a mad dash to get
something out of a 48 or 72 hour dig. Done with a reasonable level of
academic rigour, in the circumstances, and fronted by the guy who played
Baldrick in the Black Adder series, which must have made it across the pond
by now.....
so far they have had various levels of pottery technology, metalwork, tile
kilns, glass blowing - you name it.
Richard Jeffery
Web Design and Photography
www.theeleventhweb.co.uk
Bournemouth UK
-----Original Message-----
From: Ceramic Arts Discussion List [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG]On
Behalf Of Jennifer L Smith
Sent: 17 July 2002 23:18
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Don't miss this TV show!
Hey all!
I just saw this great show last night on The Learning Channel called
"Ancient Ancestors: Princess and the Pauper". Basically a huge burial site
containing thousands of bodies was found in the middle of London. I think
most were from around 1200 AD. In one pit alone they found 30 bodies in
four layers all burried at same time (poor people) but under that- get this-
they found a Roman sarcophagus made of stone. Inside was a lead coffin.
Well they clean it up and find that its decorated so then they go to an
artist's foundry and the artists demo how the Romans would have made it.
They also find textiles and a glass bottle, etc. and each time consult an
artist who then demonstrates the techniques used. Wow ARTISTS actually
consulted as experts instead of the usual anthropologist specializing in say
"ancient glass artifacts". Unfortunately they didn't find any clay pieces
with the Roman princess. They did however use clay to reconstruct her face
as well as the face of one
of the peasants from the pit. I have always found it fascinating when they
reconstruct people's faces using little pegs and layers of clay. They also
through a computer generated model show what London and this particular site
would have looked like. I have to say I was riveted through the whole show.
See, sometimes TV is a good thing.
Jennifer
_____________________________________________________
Supercharge your e-mail with a 25MB Inbox, POP3 Access, No Ads
and NoTaglines --> LYCOS MAIL PLUS.
http://www.mail.lycos.com/brandPage.shtml?pageId=plus
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