Bronwen Stone, PhD student, Department of Archaeology and Exhibition Curator, comments on the exhibition:
“The idea of producing art from the field school came from our site director Colin Merrony who wanted to encourage an unconventional interpretation of archaeology. Artists plus students from music and fashion courses were invited, as well as archaeology students, to produce art based on the findings from the field work.
The general theme of the exhibition was the student experience of undertaking field work, for most of the group for the first time, on a brilliant site, in a genial atmosphere and against a backdrop of scraping, shovelling and good natured banter.
The exhibition was a massive success; visitors included the Young Archaeologists Club, Councillor for Beauchief & Greenhill Sophie Thornton, Beauchief Abbey church congregation, the Hunter Archaeological Society, Managing Directors from Abbeydale Brewery, the Sheffield Students Union Archaeology Society and all the students and staff from the dept.”
The organisers hope to exhibit this work at the university in the future allowing staff, students and members of the public to engage with it.
An example of some of the artwork on display
Image 1
The flags document the school’s activities through black and white photographs printed onto flags and hoisted onto original Beauchief Abbey Golf Course flag poles, direct from the green. The art reflects the unmissable golf course location of the excavation, and celebrates the partnership between the university and golfclub, and the goodwill – and good nature, on both parts
Bronwen Stone, PhD student, Deaprtment of Archaeology
Image 2
The loosely drawn rooftile from trench 1, and possibly from the abbey gatehouse, is blown up to giant size and left with its label in order to distinguish it from a conventional archaeological illustration; instead, we appreciate the human touch through the texture and tangibility of the stone, shaped by hand by medieval craftsmen and a far cry from the smoothness and uniformity of a modern-day, synthetic Supaslate.
Illustration by Connie Pedder, CSM
Image 3
The decorated panels celebrate the individual activities of archaeological excavation in a similar manner to painted medieval windows from ecclesiastical sites such as Beauchief Abbey, that would have depicted saints , donors and scenes from the bible. These panels are on permanent display in the Department of Archaeology Common Room at Minalloy House
Bronwen Stone, PhD student, Deaprtment of Archaeology