Butser Ancient Farm

Reading a children's book about the Celts of the British Isles, I learned about Butser Ancient Farm.

It is an experimental archeology site featuring an iron age farm, demonstrating life in the British Isles when the Romans arrived in 43 AD.



Manx Loaghtan sheep, native to the Isle of Man.
They are characterized by a dark brown wool
and usually have four or occasionally six horns.

There was much bellyaching by the boys about our proposed day.

Runes

But they absolutely loved it, and so did Mike and I.

The pigs ate our apple core.

The farm is nestled between a few rolling hills, one of them very nearly steep, which make for charming views in every direction.

The boys crushed chalk which will be used as the flooring of a new round house.

The mallets are made from a piece of tree, amazingly hammer shaped and heavy.

They were so happy to help in this labor. It made me think about what life was life 2000 years ago and how different it was for children and how necessary their work must have been.

The site also features a recreated roman villa, I liked seeing the difference in construction between the two cultures.



View of villa.


The Romans who invaded Britannia must have been bummed by the cold and dark. However, they were tough mofos and I am sure I complain more than they did.

Roman tunics.

Thick walls, small windows that look like rock crystal.

Exposed wall construction and a roman goddess.

Kitchen.

View of hypocaust outside the house.
Fire heated air and circulated into space under one room of the villa.
Dibs on the hypocaust room!

All of the buildings at Butser Ancient Farm are based on actual excavations of archeological sites in Britain.

Inside of roundhouse.

The celtic people shared a one room roundhouse with an entire family including grandparents...can you imagine?

Cozy.  Our roundhouse would be packed to the gills.

Dominic and I attempted to spin some fresh wool, which was greasy with lanolin. Mother nature is truly glorious. A few items of clothing were hung in a roundhouse. Itchy scratchy wool kept everyone warm.

Inside largest roundhouse, relaxing on skins. Notice pounded chalk floor.

The roundhouses were constructed without chimneys; the smoke eventually permeated through the thatching, which helped to preserve foods hung from the rafters. The one roundhouse we saw with a burning fire was fairly smoky, it must have been like living in a smoker.

Dominic picked up this stack of reeds and pretended it was a machine gun,
complete with explosive sound effects.
Apparently the celts liked a good war, so he might have fit right in.



Stacked wood.



Tending a fire.

Thrilled with their fire!

Prayers for a chalk god?

Rammed earth creation in the works.

Loo.

Dried grass for bum wiping.

Chicken coop.

Display showing the passage of time in layers of artifacts.

What will you do today? 

Here are links to more information:

Butser Ancient Farm

How to build a roundhouse