5 sessions November 2018-April 2019
Be involved in creating the storyboard for a video which aims to unravel landscape development around Newark from the present day back into the Ice Age by using the evidence from topography, geology, archaeology and historical maps and documents.
We’ll start with satellite images like Google-Earth, then examine the evidence for changes through time until we can focus on the landscape which emerged at the end of the Ice Age. As we work backwards, using geographical and historical map regression, our study will provide an essential backdrop to investigations of all periods of time. Our focus will be around the interfluve of the Rivers Trent and Devon, and, besides seeking the hidden late glacial landscape, will assemble the evidence for river movements around Newark essential to the understanding of historic landscapes (e.g. the Civil War) and the parish boundaries studied by the CBA Parish Boundaries project.
For the first session each day specialists will talk about their work in archaeology and geology, and then engage in question and answer sessions. The second session will focus on assembling material from that topic on a map using a freely-available Geographical-Information-System (QGIS). The IT sessions will be led by Ian Ross, so provide opportunities to learn more, or be introduced to, computer mapping tools. We will also identify resources that need further research, so be prepared to conduct your own research at museums and/or Record Offices to track down new data to contribute to the overall map.
Our work will be incorporated into a ‘fly-through’ of the landscape for an interactive web-resource for the Ice Age Journeys project... and who knows how much more history will be revealed?
Tues 6th November 2018: Ursilla Spence (Nottinghamshire County Council) – Interrogating the Historic Environment Record for archaeological data
Tues 4th December 2018: Colin Baker (author/ contributor to Mercian Geologist) – Coversands and investigating past landscape from borehole & auger records
Tues 12th February 2019: Leanne Hughes (British Geological Survey) - Insights from correlating the records of topography and superficial geology
Other sessions on 12th March and 2nd April 2019
Session 11-1pm. Presentations led by specialists about topographical, geological and archaeological sources for landscape changes. All welcome.
Session 2-4pm. Practical workshop and GIS sessions to assemble information and identify resources to research. Bring your own laptop (also some available to use). QGIS users very welcome (download QGIS3 onto your laptop ), but no detailed knowledge required and suitable for those with a basic IT literacy (e.g. use of word/spreadsheet/internet).
Venue: Community Space at the Newark Civil War Centre, 14 Appletongate, Newark, NG24 1JY. Long-stay car parking on Tolney Lane/Riverside Park NG24 1BZ
We will request a donation of £3 to contribute to the funds required to match the Heritage Lottery Funding which supports these sessions.
