This week, I had the pleasure of visiting Carbury National School, Sligo, as part of their Science Week celebrations. On Wednesday morning, I addressed the school assembly to talk about my work as an Archaeological Scientist. It was a fantastic opportunity to highlight the many ways science is used in archaeology—and to show that it’s about much more than just digging!
During the assembly, I explained how I use scientific methods like geophysics, to find archaeology using electricity, magnetism, and other technologies such as drones to uncover the past. I also shared some digital 3D models and fly through animation videos that I created of Sligo Abbey, giving pupils a glimpse into how modern technology helps us learn about life in the past. The students were incredibly engaged and full of questions, making it a real pleasure to share my work with them.
Afterwards, I visited the Senior Infant’s class for some hands-on activities. We explored how drones fly and take pictures of the ground to reveal archaeology. We played a treasure hunt game, detecting different responses across the ground and creating a colourful map to reveal that the pupils found….a Bronze Age Roundhouse! We solved a drone quiz and the pupils even named the drone, which was a highlight for everyone involved. Finally, we talked about Dinosaurs, learning the difference between archaeologists and palaeontologists.
I’d like to extend my thanks to Ms. Hunter for inviting me to take part in Science Week, as well as to Senior Infant’s teacher Ms. Armstrong and Principal Ms. MacMahon and all the staff and pupils at Carbury NS for their warm welcome. It was a wonderful experience, and I was delighted to see so much curiosity and enthusiasm for science among the pupils at Carbury. Who knows? We may have some future Archaeological Scientists in the making!
Links to Carbury National School: https://www.carburyschool.com/news/science-week-assembly-a/?p=1&
Dr James Bonsall 