Butser team member Phelim shares an update from the latest session on the Bronze Age project as the veterans and volunteers took part in a couple of exciting workshops all about hunting and cooking to better understand our Bronze Age ancestors!

Normal Service Will Resume Shortly…

When the volunteers from Operation Nightingale came for the next stage of the project it was not for the usual two days of building and one workshop. Instead they were treated to a two day workshop on Bronze Age skills, but the jury is still out as to whether they would be able to survive in the Bronze Age.

Sat under a gazebo to protect the participants from the direct heat of the sun, Wednesday found the veterans making spears out of bones. Mainly using flint they gamely carved away before whittling a piece of wood to make the shaft. Then came the fun part – throwing spears.

As anyone who has tried throwing the javelin at school will know it is not that easy to get a long pointed object to go in a straight line. Those of us watching proceedings were therefore relieved to discover that the first part of the throwing were rubber headed. Using these the volunteers had the chance to get used to throwing in a straight line, well a straightish line. From here Tom, who was running the workshop, got them used to trying to aim at a target. As part of this Will, one of the Butser staff who has a passion for weapons as a Roman re-enactor, gamely produced one of his shields to hide behind for them to throw the rubber spears at a live target. Seeing the lack of skill Will very sensibly got out the way when the spears with metal heads came out. After various attempts to hit a hazel hoop the bone spears came out for them try. Thankfully only one broke, mainly because the hole was very thin.

Thankfully the veterans didn’t have to hunt for the next day’s workshop as Caroline had provided all the ingredients. Cooking in the Bronze Age uses a lot of stones, either to help boil liquid or as hot plates for flat bread. Using these, a large metal pot and other appropriate tools the veterans cooked a lovely meal of stew with roasted pork. They also made cheese, butter and bread. Sadly, due to being a coeliac, I was unable to join them in their feast but I am assured that all enjoyed it. 

Sadly we also said goodbye to Claire who had helped not only get the project off the ground, but also put in so much effort to enable the project to happen over the days when the volunteers were on site. Thankfully she plans to visit to make sure we are doing things properly. While no building work was actually done normal service will resume at the next session, well it will if we can work out what normal actually is.

Finally,  big thank you has to be given to Tom and Caroline for running the two workshops, and to Elaine Corner (from one of our partner groups Step Together) for the use of the photographs.