UCL Archaeology South-East

I'm really looking forward to talking to Eastbourne Natural History and Archaeological Society this Friday. I'll be talking about the Ice Age records of the Cuckmere Valley, Hope Gap, Birling Gap and the Downlands between Eastbourne and Lewes. Expect Mammoth. 🏺🦣https://www.eastbournearchaeology.com/

Poster advertising Cooden Camp Archaeology Open Day. Free entry. Saturday 21st February, 11-3pm, Bexhill Drill Hall. Inset image is a historical photograph of men sitting on the ground in front of tents eating a meal.

Don’t forget! THIS SATURDAY, 21 February, explore the lives of the men who trained at Cooden WW1 Camp, Bexhill at our Archaeology Exhibition Day!

Bexhill Drill Hall | 11-3pm | FREE entry

🎖WW1 displays
🔍Exhibition of artefacts
👷Meet the archaeologists

More info: www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology-...

A brown flint knife with a flat base and tapered point arranged artistically on a rock. Sun rays highlight the delicate knapping marks that have given the tool its convex shape.

The knife’s convex and flat sides, shown to be around 5cm long and 2cm wide at its largest points.

This #ValentinesDay our hearts belong to this beautiful, finely made flint knife! 😍
A plano-convex knife – flat one side, convex on the other. They’re sometimes called ‘slugs’ because of this shape! They are most commonly associated with the #EarlyBronzeAge or #LateNeolithic period.
#FindsFriday

YouTube video by ITV News In Full Archaeologists in Sussex uncover secrets from the First World War | ITV Meridian (West)

And finally, just in case you missed it, ASE's Simon Stevens and Alastair Threlfall were interviewed by ITV local news on Tuesday!

They gave some wonderful insights into the excavations at Cooden Camp, and the other artefacts that have been recovered.

Watch now!

Poster advertising the open day on 21st February in Bexhill Drill Hall. It features a historic photograph of six men in flat caps, braces and waistcoats sitting on the ground in front of white tents.

See the knife, and the other artefacts from Cooden, at our FREE Archaeology Exhibition Day exploring the lives of the soldiers who trained at Cooden Camp!

📆Saturday 21st February | 11am-3pm
📍Bexhill Drill Hall Down Rd, Bexhill, TN39 4HS
🎫Free entry

More info: one www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology-...

A historical photograph of a young man posing formally in military uniform.

Initial research has identified a possible owner of the knife: Lance Corporal Alfred Isted, from Burwash in East Sussex. Alfred was killed in action at the disastrous Battle of the Boar’s Head on the 30th of June 1916, aged just 19.

Photograph supplied by Alfred's relative, Julie Maley.

a bone knife handle, about 10cm in length. A piece of iron is sandwiched inside the handle, connected via rivets, and the handle is covered in corrosion from the iron. A capital A and I are thinly carved into the handle between the two rivets.

#FindsFriday: A scale-tang bone knife handle from WW1. What makes this find extra special? The owner carved their initials ‘AI’ on to the side of the handle. The find was recovered in 2025 during ASE’s excavations at Cooden Camp, a WW1 training camp in Bexhill.

More: www.ucl.ac.uk/social-histo...

Spring Talk: Simon Stevens - Fall In, Ghosts – Archaeological Investigations at the Training Camp at Cooden, East Sussex - Sussex Past Join us for an online evening talk to hear about the excavations of the Military Camp at Cooden, East Sussex on Tuesday 3 February

Tonight, for @sussexpast.bsky.social I'm looking forward to welcoming Simon Stevens of @archsoutheast.bsky.social. He'll be talking about his excavations at the WW1 training camp at Cooden Sussex. We still have places for this online event, so please join us! 🏺
sussexpast.co.uk/event/spring...

Poster advertising Cooden Camp Archaeology Open Day, Saturday 21st February 11-3 Bexhill Drill Hall. Free Entry. Inset is an historical photograph of men in flat caps sitting on the ground to eat lunch, with white tents in the background.

Archaeology Exhibition Day | Saturday 21 Feb 11-3 | Bexhill Drill Hall

Join us for a FREE open day featuring:
🎖WW1 display by the Royal Sussex Living History Group
🔍Artefacts from the dig
👷Meet the archaeologists
🗣Share your stories, objects and memories

More info: www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology-...

Spring Talk: Simon Stevens - Fall In, Ghosts – Archaeological Investigations at the Training Camp at Cooden, East Sussex - Sussex Past Join us for an online evening talk to hear about the excavations of the Military Camp at Cooden, East Sussex on Tuesday 3 February

Explore the lives of the men who trained at Cooden Camp, Bexhill in World War One at two events this month:

➡️Online lecture with the Sussex Archaeological Society | TONIGHT Tuesday 3 Feb, 7:30pm

Free for SAS members, £5 non members. Sign up by 5pm via sussexpast.co.uk/event/spring...

Waterlogged timbers in a wet muddy environmemt

Now’s the time for anyone passionate about Eastbourne’s past, wetland sites, Bronze Age archaeology and heritage at risk to come together for Shinewater, if we want to learn its secrets before it's too late.

Stay tuned for more coming in 2026!

Shinewater – an exceptional late Bronze Age complex at risk: A hydrogeological and geoarchaeological assessment| Historic England Shinewater – an exceptional late Bronze Age complex at risk: A hydrogeological and geoarchaeological assessment

Our new hydrogeological assessment report indicates the site and its 3000-year-old wooden structures may have been desiccating during hot and dry summers, when lake levels were at their lowest.

Read the open access report: historicengland.org.uk/research/res...

aerial photo of a lake

Shinewater - Eastbourne's very own Must Farm - is at real risk of being lost ⚠️

A collaboration between ASE, Historic England, East Sussex County Council and JBA Consulting, has been assessing this threat 👇🧵

Image (c) Historic England Archive

Don't miss an exciting talk TONIGHT (Tues 9th) at @uclarchaeology.bsky.social, weaving archaeology and public engagement together at our Whitechapel site. Tickets in the link!

www.lamas.org.uk/product/farm...

A reconstruction illustration of Digges’ Wall, depicted as a large embankment parallel to the coast flanked by wet land on either side. A horse and cart are being driven along it towards a low sun.

ASE’s research into the #Tudor transformation of Dover harbour is now available #OpenAccess ✨

“The Honour and Safety of the Realm” includes a reconstruction of the Tudor harbour wall at Dover by ASE’s Lauren Gibson. It’s today’s #FindsFriday!

📲Read more/download/buy: www.ucl.ac.uk/social-histo...

It was wonderful to be in a positive & friendly @sussexpast.bsky.social conference with some of the best humans in Sussex Archaeology.
Also brilliant to see so many @archsoutheast.bsky.social colleagues and see our collective contribution making an impact. Terrible selfie, you had to be there. 🏺🦣

📢 UPDATE: applications are now closed as the maximum number of applications has been reached.

📢 UPDATE: applications are now closed as the maximum number of applications has been reached.

A Black man (Alim Kamara) with his back to us looks at a nondescript bright white exhibition display case. Text on the image says Remember Us – Alim Kamara – Patterns at UCL East Culture Lab.

Excerpt from Remember Us: For us the ocean is a cemetery and if you look closely you can still see the names engraved on tombstones made out of waves. Text is over a peach and blue/grey background. Further text on the image says Remember Us – Alim Kamara – Patterns at UCL East Culture Lab.

Excerpt from Remember Us: We boarded an arc for resettlement to avoid the storms of England. We, the Black Poor, were tired. Text is over a peach and blue/grey background. Further text on the image says Remember Us – Alim Kamara – Patterns at UCL East Culture Lab.

Excerpt from Remember Us: The way was risky, but anything is better than the torment we endure. So we took our chances with the tide. Further text on the image says Remember Us – Alim Kamara – Patterns at UCL East Culture Lab.

Remember Us is part of an exhibition at UCL East Culture Lab, co-curated by ASE, the Culture Lab, and community partners.

Read more about Alim's performance: www.ucl.ac.uk/social-histo...
Visit the online exhibition: www.ucl.ac.uk/social-histo...
Visit the Culture Lab: www.ucl.ac.uk/creative-cul...

YouTube video by UCL Archaeology South-East Remember Us - Alim Kamara | Patterns Beneath Our Feet

As part of #BlackHistoryMonth we’re sharing Remember Us, an original spoken word piece by British-born Sierra Leonean rapper and storyteller Alim Kamara.

Alim was inspired by members of London’s Black community who journeyed to Sierra Leone in 1786-7.

youtu.be/_0bNxfH3wMU

Don't miss your chance to apply for our latest round of apprenticeships! Closes Friday 24 October.

Photo by Joseph Seresin of a staff member metal working at Butser Ancient Farm

Photo by Joseph Seresin of staff members metal working at Butser Ancient Farm

Photo by Joseph Seresin of a resident goat at Butser Ancient Farm

Photo by Joseph Seresin of sheep skull adorning a roundhouse at Butser Ancient Farm

Yesterday, for #ThrowbackThursday we looked at the 2025 ArchaeoTech course #ATech25 @butserancientfarm.co.uk with some brilliant and evocative photos from Joseph Seresin one of our new Archaeology Undergraduates who had this to say about the course [1/3]

#LocalAndGlobal

The Cathedral’s Canon Treasurer, the Revd Baron, said "It was important that we reburied the infant at the same site with the dignity of a burial service that was likely not possible originally. We are conscious that someone went to great lengths to try to bury this baby on consecrated ground"

ASE's Michael Shapland, who led the excavations as the Cathedral Archaeologist, said "This is an extremely rare glimpse into the monastery that existed on this site during the Late Saxon period. This tiny baby is perhaps the oldest and the very youngest known member of the Cathedral community"

Recent burial at Chichester Cathedral is Late Saxon premature infant | Chichester Cathedral The remains of a pre-term infant found at Chichester Cathedral ahead of planned building work have been re-interred in a special burial service.The discovery was made in 2024 during work t

A moving story from @chicathedral.bsky.social about a Late Saxon pre-term infant found during planned building works. TW: this story discusses baby loss

The remains have been reburied in a special service as part of Baby Loss Awareness Week (9-15 Oct)

www.chichestercathedral.org.uk/news/recent-...

Sound good? Apply here! www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeship/VAC1000345576

This is designed for those passionate about archaeology who don't have a relevant degree. You'll get:

Hands-on experience in excavation, recording, post-ex processing
Expert guidance from our team at ASE
Remote learning with Cirencester College (20% of your time)
A salary of £27,586 while you train

Two archaeologists on an excavation. One squats to trowel the ground, another leans over to watch

📢 Announcing three(!) new opportunities for aspiring archaeologists to join our Archaeological Fieldwork Technician apprenticeship program!

Apply now (closes Friday 24 October): www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk/apprenticeship/VAC1000345576

Such brilliant recognition for a really transformative scheme. @archsoutheast.bsky.social is thriving and the closer working relationship with the @uclarchaeology.bsky.social is reaping huge benefits in terms of teaching, fieldwork and professionalisation. 🏺

This tailored programme gives @uclarchaeology.bsky.social students hands-on experience across the full spectrum of commercial archaeology. from fieldwork and survey to specialist analysis and archiving.

Find out more and hear testimonials from our students ➡️ www.ucl.ac.uk/social-histo...