IAMS - Institute for Archaeo-Metallurgical Studies

Running yearly in one for or another for nearly a decade, this year's Experimental Archaeometallurgy course will once again take place at the Butser Experimental Iron Age Farm in Hampshire, UK.

This course provides a unique opportunity for anyone interested in ancient smelting practices to get their hands dirty to learn and experience how our ancestors extracted metal from ores around the beginning of the Bronze Age. As a few of the IAMS research students participated in the course last year, we can confidently recommend it to everyone. The course is well run, highly informative, and an invaluable experience to those who study archaeometallurgy but have never experienced the wonders of smelting first hand. Attendees will enjoy working in the midst of a full fledged Iron Age village, take part in activities and lectures in Iron Age roundhouses, and bring home the results of the successful experiments!

The course will focuses on both practical and theoretical aspects of metal production, and welcomes anyone interested in joining, from students to professionals. Directed by Dr. Simon Timberlake of the Cambridge Archaeological Unit (University of Cambridge) and Fergus Milton of Butser Ancient Farm, the course will involve practical sessions where small groups will build and operate smelting hearths to produce copper, tin, and bronze. The groups will also be shown how to manufacture bellows from tanned hides as well as ceramic crucible, tuyères and moulds. The end result will be the production of small cast objects such as bronze or copper axes.

10 – 12 places available
Cost £300 (4 days teaching)
Food and accommodation costs not included – although reasonably priced Bed & Breakfast or hostel type accommodation exists in Buriton and Petersfield within 3 miles of Butser Ancient Farm.

For more information, please contact either Simon Timberlake or Fergus Milton.