My archaeology course is coming to an end and I have enjoyed everything about it. It was a MOOC, a massive open on-line course from Brown University and it opened my eyes in many ways, not least to the archaeology all around me. As part of the course we had to assess our peers work which was fascinating and it was wonderful to have that feeling of another’s view as people, like me, grappled with the interesting but challenging assignments. Many of the students generously shared their work once it had been marked so I was able to see a what others had done.
One of the assignments was to do a podcast, and I did try to do that myself but I just couldn’t cope with the technology so I’m in awe of those who did and very grateful to those who shared their videos. One I found really interesting was by Fiona Beals who added a very personal touch by using a family object as the start of her investigation. It is titled “Biblical Archaeology Aotearoa Style”. It is about the settlement of the west coast of South Island, New Zealand in the late C18 and it is a story of mining, and much much more! Fiona has very kindly allowed me to share her video, and I know you will find it as interesting as I did:
Lois Elsden 