Soon, Saturday October 28th to be precise, we meet at Launceston Town Hall for the biennial symposium of the Devon and Cornwall Archaeological Societies. We look forward to either seeing you there in person or sensing you online if you use the Zoom connection that will be provided to those who wish to join the symposium remotely.
Details include a programme and booking form, both of which can be found here.
The theme is Landscapes of Extraction. We explore that significant aspect of the unusually diverse archaeology and historic landscape of Devon and Cornwall that has resulted from diverse approaches to extraction, from prehistoric and medieval times to the modern period.
- Digging calcareous beach sand or lime-rich marl for spreading on our poor acid soils.
- Cutting turf (peat) from marshes and moors for domestic and industrial fuel.
- Working streams for tin, wolfram and other heavy metals.
- Mining for copper, tin, lead and wolfram, and for silver, arsenic, zinc and manganese.
- Quarrying for granite, slate, china-clay, china-stone, limestone and freestone and the stone used for buildings, hedges, and roads.
We can expect many dramatic images, including ground and aerial photos, maps, plans and paintings. And each expert speaker will approach the archaeological and landscape legacy of extraction differently, including how they consider how the landscape of extraction is valued by individuals, communities, and those with responsibility for its protection and management.
Launceston is, of course, Cornwall’s ancient capital. Its great Norman castle towers over the Town Hall and the conference. You may want to take the opportunity to visit it or to explore the winding streets of the medieval town.
To allow us to learn numbers and so make practical arrangements, we would prefer to receive bookings by Friday 20th October, but don’t worry unduly if you leave it till a little later!