Visit to Sands School, Ashburton 17th May 2017
On Wednesday, Danielle Wootton visited Sands School in Ashburton to join staff and students in a discussion about the significance of the archaeological discoveries at Ipplepen. With the history, english and art teachers, Sands students examined real and replica artefacts, discussed Romano-British food and breadmaking, and explored the different ways of making pottery vessels.
As we’ve found fragments of Samian Ware (a type of Roman pottery) at Ipplepen, Sands students tried their hand at producing bowls using moulds, in the way that Samian Ware was produced in the Roman period. The clay was then left to dry and shrink, allowing it to be safely removed from the mould. The bowls will be heated in a kiln- we look forward to seeing the completed masterpieces!
Here are a few comments from students about Danielle’s visit:
‘It was fun, interesting and amazing!’
‘I liked making pottery the best. My favourite is the Roman drinking cup- I like the handles- it’s a different way of picking up cups’. [Referring to a beaker with indented handles]
‘My little brother wants to be an archaeologist.. now I can tell him all about what I’ve been doing today. I liked learning about the dropped coins because when you hold one, it’s like shaking hands with a Roman’.
Thank you, Sands School- we look forward to seeing you soon!