Connecting Light at Segedunum

Segedunum, 30 August 2012, just about Dusk

As it was just before dark today...

looks very surreal.  Tomorrow I'll be signalling using flags along the balloons - I hope.  If all goes to plan I'll be using a simplified code first described by Julius Africanus in the third century.

Some of my flags.

If the code and flags work, I'll write it up and let you know how we did it.

Connecting Light

This weekend I'll be involved in something very different -

Connecting Light - London 2012 Festival

Connecting Light is a major new digital art installation along the line of the Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site, one of the most significant structures of the Roman Empire.

The Connecting Light installation will be live between 8pm and 11pm on Friday 31 August and Saturday 1 September. 

Connecting Light is an opportunity to re-imagine Hadrian’s Wall as a metaphor for borders and boundaries, and as a structure that inspires communication rather than division and confrontation, stimulating creative conversations.

You are able to influence the outcomes of Connecting Light through direct engagement with the installation

Messages sent across the Wall will be made visible online and through handheld mobile devices during the day and throughout the installation ‘performances’, and at a number of visitor sites across the Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site.

The installation will be visible in the evening between dusk until 11pm.

Influence the artwork by sending a message, or to discover more visit www.connectinglight.info

Records Smashed...

That's what they reckoned after the doors closed at Bede's World on Bank Holiday Monday!  The day had been given over to - Pirates and Pieces of Eight - Storytelling, Coracles, Bucaneer school, face painting and a Roman from the Classis Britannica there to sort out those Saxon Raiders, so busy didn't even have time for a photo.  Still the Photographer from the Shields Gazette was there...

the Romans Returned...

Back at Hardwick Country Park for the now annual Romans Return event.  It being Summer, Saturday it rained, but Sunday was Glorious.  Still the rain didn't worry the Deja Crew, we were under cover.

Our activities tent, with weaving, willow work and  Life in the Roman Army.

"How did they move around with all this weight?" - quote from one new recruit.

All the things you can try on, including Roman Underpants!

a quite moment in between the raindrops on Saturday,
however Sunday we didn't even have time for a photograph!

A grand event, hopefully we'll be back again next year, see you then.

Romans Return again.....

Come and see me at Hardwick Country Park at the weekend for the annual Roman extravaganza - http://www.durham.gov.uk/Pages/pressrelease.aspx?pid=3811 - the Romans Return.  

The Deja Crew and Rufus Aelius Victor will be there from 11:00am to 3:00pm on Saturday and Sunday - August 25th and 26th .
Along with other broups and artists, the day will include military demonstrations, falconry and some Celts.
Admission - £4 per person, £12 per family, car parking free.

Hope to see you there and the sun shines!

LOOK FIERCE!, he said, SNARL!!!!!

here are a few of the images from the recent photo shoot at Housesteads

Think  'Clash of the Titans' he said...

...and the photographer said "just run towards me, it'll be fine..."

I am Sparticus....
No! I am Sparticus,
I am Sparticus...

I really need to work on that snarl, no wonder the Vikings were so feared

Thanks go to the photographer Andrew Heptinstall and to Gardiner Richardson for the images.  I'm still waiting for the one of us doing press-ups!

Slaving away...

Back to being a Rufus the Slave, my Master Gaius Bellicus is away along Hadrian's Wall at Cilurnum.  So I've been left here at Arbeia, with the moulds and a huge order to fill.  There's a bit of the flux going round so the votives of bowels are just flying out the door!

Digging my way out...

Spent a pleasant day playing in the mud on Wednesday, Graham Taylor (Master Potter of Potted History ) is re-building a Saxon style pottery kiln at Bede's World in Jarrow.  Someone was needed to stand up to their knees in the mud and mix it up,

 

The kiln is the hole in the ground and there is a firebox  (the hole in the foreground) that feeds into the main chamber.  In use the kiln will be roofed over with a temporary clay covering with a small flue to draw the heat through the pottery stacked inside the kiln chamber.

The kiln still needs some work to thicken the walls, so weather and workload permitting it will be ready to fire later in the Summer.  I'll let you know when.

A Roman, a Viking and a Medieval Knight all got together one day at Housesteads......

...sounds like the start of one of those old jokes, but this motley crew was joined by a Gladiator for a photo shoot to support English Heritage's summer events programme.
Thanks to photographer Andrew Heptinstall for this image   http://andrewheptinstall.com

Calling any Teachers...

Don't know if many Teachers read this blog, but if you do, you'll know there was very little interest for our Teachers training session in June.
So could any Teachers out there tell me why?
We are hoping to have another event during the Spring Term 2013.
Can you help us?
What would help you include a visit to Hadrian's Wall in your teaching of The Roman's?

Thanks in advance,
Roy