LAARC / U3A Shared Learning Project - Recently Updated Pages

Diary Blog

laarchaeologist — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 11:38:38 CST

Keep track of what's been going on each week. Click on the link below or in the navigation panel on the left.
Week 1 - 26/9/07
Week 2 - 03/09/07
Week 3 - 10/10/07
Week 4 - 17/10/07
Week 5 - 24/10/07
Week 6 - 30/10/07
Week 7 - 7/11/07
Week 8 - 14/11/07
Week 9 - 21/11/07
Week 10 - 28/11/07
Week 11 - 5/12/07
Week 12 - 12/12/07

Week 12 - 12/12/07

laarchaeologist — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 11:37:59 CST

A fantastic final week saw participants give short presentations on various aspects of Limehouse; research inspired by the archaeological archive they had been working on and looking at over the past 11 weeks.
The presentations included talks on the area of Limehouse, aspects of the pottery forms representing amongst the site's assemblage, clay tobacco pipes and the Grapes pub that exists on the site. In addition there was a photographic "walk" through the Limehouse area, a presentation titled "A five minute guide to archaeology" and even a talk about this very website and its pros & cons.
All talks were excellent; well researched and proudly presented.
It has been a pleasure working with all involved over the past 3 months and we hope that there will be future collaborative projects between the LAARC & U3A.
View Photographs of the presentations

Presentations

laarchaeologist — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 11:37:05 CST

Home

Anonymous — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 10:42:33 CST

Welcome to the Home Page for LAARC's exciting new collaborative project with the University of the 3rd Age.
Over 12 weekly Wednesday afternoons from 26th September, 10 members of U3A will be learning about archaeological archiving at the LAARC; how to pack objects, correctly label them and organise material to the LAARC's standards. They will get a chance to work with both accessioned objects & bulk material and finish up researching aspects of the 1989 excavations at Limehouse (LLK89).
This site intends to keep track of their progress and evaluate the project with comments from participants, staff and visitors to the site.
As Archaeological Archive manager I would like to welcome the U3A participants to the LAARC. LAARC exists on four mainstays of Curation, which you will be contributing by getting your hands on finds from LLK, continued Research into all aspects of the collections is essential and I hope you will undertake research to increase our understanding of London, Learning and Access is the third mainstay which by your attendance you are subscribing to, our fourth cornerstone is Leadership in the field of archive archaeology, and I would be happy if you were take away here skills and methods that might be useful to your local museum. I am sorry I am not around next Wednesday, but will be around at Subsequent sessions, and as part of the original Limehouse project expect you have questions for me! Roy Stephenson 17-09-2007
Welcome from the Project Leader, Jean Davidson. I hope to read your comments over the next few months on progress achieved by the U3A volunteers from all over the London area.25.9.07.
Good Luck to everyone for their project presentations on Wednesday 12 December: Jean - 7.12.07.
I'm really looking forward to meeting up with everyone on Wednesday for the presentation and to finding out how the project has progressed since September. I hope that all the U3A participants have enjoyed their stint at LAARC and realise how valued their endeavours are. I've been so pleased by the positive feedback I've received about this project. Is anyone staying on? Will there be chocolate digestives again? Julie 'fixer' Carr. 11.12.07

Week 11 - 5/12/07

laarchaeologist — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 11:39:56 CST

The penultimate week before the presentations and a final chance to gather together images and information.

Week 2 - 03/09/07

Carr — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 03:34:44 CST

Left:
Carol Lathwell, Hillingdon U3A,
Debbie Seedburgh, North London U3A
and Sally Winter, South London U3A

Right:
Jack Seedburgh, North London U3A

Today's session involved an introduction to accessioned finds and saw the volunteers learn how to pack an object, processing it to archive standards. The session started with an explanation of what an accessioned object is, distinguishing between, sitecode, context and accessioned numbers & their shapes. We also looked at the original excavation's small find list from the original records, which acts as a cross reference for the information on the object's label. Then volunteers learnt how to fill in an accession card, using this information, including adding a sketch of the object and it's current location, before going on the actually pack the find.

Items repacked today were all glass - with whole small bottles for spirits, medicine and perfumes, and many broken items such as tumblers and wine glasses.

View the video below created by previous LAARC volunteers, on how to pack an object

Week 10 - 28/11/07

laarchaeologist — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 08:51:02 CST

Week 10 saw volunteers continue making good progress with their research. Some started adding images to their powerpoint presentations, others continued to search the internet for more information.
The talks look set to be interesting responses to the material from the Limehouse excavations that they've been working with.

Week 9 - 21/11/07

laarchaeologist — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 11:00:44 CST

The first week of research saw a brief introduction to the records side of the archive of LLK89 as well as a brief introduction to the LAARC's records office and its regulations.
It was very pleasing to see that the participants have some excellent ideas for their Limehouse related presentations, focusing on a range of materials, buildings and aspects of the site.
Using original documents, literary sources and internet searches, their research is starting to take shape and we're looking forward to the final products on the 12th December

janet's picture

Anonymous — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 04:54:18 CST

My picture is of a blue and white jug, 23cm tall. The name Joseph Wilson appears on the front of the jug . Over the last couple of weeks I have been in touch with Barry Lamb of the English Ceramic Circle, and sent him a photo of the jug. He has been very helpful and responded:
"It appears to be a pearlware(pottery) underglaze blue painted jug commemorating the date, event? 1785 and the person Joseph Wilson. The manufacturer is most unlikely to belinked to the name.
Numerous dated and named jugs were made to order to celebrate birthdays and other events."
So, now I know that my jug has nothing to do with Joseph Wilson of Limehouse. A bit disappointing, but I had always wondered, as it shows no chinoiserie influence and is of a less fine material.

The dates of the experimental porcelain factory operated at Limehouse by Joseph Wilson was 1745-1748. This jug is dated 1785. An extract from the Internet website: 'Lund's Bristol Soft Paste Porcelain' includes the following -
Joseph Wilson is reported in Newcastle, Staffordshire, being employed making china ware from 1748 to c.1754. He had a son born there on 29 November 1751, and was described in the birth register for the parish as a potter.
Was Janet's jug manufactured in 1785 in Newcastle, Staffordhire by the son of the Limehouse experimental porcelain factory owner? The son would be aged 34 in 1785 and could have been following his father as a factory owner, manufacturing tableware.

Week 8 - 14/11/07

Anonymous — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 08:07:11 CST

The final week of finds work, saw the volunteers tackle the heavy boxes of building material from LLK12/89. These mainly consisted of Brick Samples which need to have new updated labels and be rearranged by sample number. Again, by the end of the session, the material was in a far better condition and much more organised than at the start of the day.
In addition, having dealt with the worst of the finds, they then had a chance to pack all of LLK89's coins.
The session finished with further work on unprocessed accession objects, namely flints and stonework, and the relabeling of the site's clay tobacco pipes.
Over the past two months, the volunteers have now seen every aspect of the finds archiving process; accessioned objects, both metal and non-metal; bulk material - pottery, animal bone & ceramic building material; coins.
The following three weeks are dedicated to research of any kind associated to the site. LAARC staff are looking forward to the various projects and topics that are due to be presented on 12th December.
GOOD LUCK!!!

Debbie

laarchaeologist — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 11:18:41 CST

I have managed to do some research on Narrow Street and The Grapes. Sunday 4th November 2007.

Week 7 - 7/11/07

Anonymous — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 11:14:11 CST

Over half way through the course now and this week, the volunteers continued with the bulk material, some working with the animal bone, others continuing with the pottery. By the end of the session, the whole assemblage of bone from all areas of excavation had been processed and brought up to archive standards as well as several of the larger contexts from LLK12/89.
With only one week of finds work to go, it's now time to start thinking about the many options for research topics.

Week 6 - 30/10/07

Carr — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 12:33:57 CDT

Liz Goodman gave us an excellent presentation on the current approach to conservation and the fact that all conservation work needs to be reversible. It was also very interesting to discover how important it can be for the conservators to assist with the removal of items from the field. We also had a good chance to ask Liz some relevant questions.

We then moved on to repacking/labelling bulk items :

< Cheers

Blue/White Bowl - Complete

Week 5 - 24/10/07

Carr — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 11:13:22 CDT

Week 5 saw Jeanne, Debbie, Jack and Carol meeting at the Museum in Docklands for a walk around Limehouse to soak up some atmosphere and learn a little of the area.

The area around Limekiln Wharf has obviously seen a a lot of redevelopment, but we were delighted to find some of the old warehouses still standing and in good condition. Quite a few of the blocks of flats give some clue to the history of the Limekiln Wharf 1935
area, i.e. "Kiln Court"

Lunch was taken in the Grapes in Narrow Street and we found the information boards on a walk around the Limehouse Basin very informative.

A good day which I think we all enjoyed

Limekiln Wharf >

<Taken from Narrow Street

Useful Addresses

Anonymous — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 16:12:02 CDT

London Borough of Tower Hamlets
- archives, including Limehouse, located at:

Local History Department
Bancroft Library
Bancroft Road
London E1

telephone: 020 8980 4366

Research

Anonymous — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 16:02:59 CDT

There is no abstract available for this page revision.

Dock entrance. limehouse basin at Narrow Street

Anonymous — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 15:58:35 CDT

There is no abstract available for this page revision.

Tower Hamlets.location of site

Anonymous — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 15:33:43 CDT

Teacups

Anonymous — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 15:19:26 CDT

There is no abstract available for this page revision.

Whole Sauceboat

Anonymous — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 15:18:22 CDT

There is no abstract available for this page revision.