IOTAS events update
The Isle of Thanet Archaeological Society (IOTAS) is pleased to announce that we have two exciting talks coming up in April and May.
Our President, Andrew Mayfield, who is also Community Archaeologist for Kent County Council, has for a number of years been carrying out archaeological investigations at Shorne Woods Country Park, where he and his team of professional archaeologists and volunteers have been working at for over 15 years. The early work focused on the site of the medieval manor known as ‘Randall Manor’, but the team have recently also joined other Kentish archaeology groups in helping them with their projects. One of these was some years ago at Ebbsfleet in Thanet, when IOTAS were also delighted to be involved in excavations to try to find traces of Caesar’s first landing in Britain.
In the last few years Andrew has split his working week between Kent and as Community Archaeologist for Greenwich Royal Parks, which is part of the Greenwich Maritime World Heritage Site, and contains two scheduled monuments, a Roman Temple and an Anglo-Saxon Cemetery. A number of other sites have also been investigated during his time there, using local volunteers and schoolchildren.
His talk at 7.15 pm on Monday 22 April 2024, at Crampton Tower Hall will be Andrew’s Presidential update on these activities for IOTAS. Our Members enjoy free admission, and visitors are also welcome for a small donation. If you join IOTAS on the night, you will also have free admission. Please let us know if you are planning to come to what is sure to be a lively and fascinating talk, to make sure we can accommodate you all! For this and all other enquiries you can email us on mail@iotas.org.uk , or find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/IOTAS.THANET where you will find details of all our activities and much more. Don’t forget to Like us!
Andrew will also be welcoming IOTAS members to Greenwich Royal Park on Wednesday 26 June to show us round the archaeological sites and other areas of interest.
On Monday 20 May – time and venue etc. as above - we will also welcome Andy Ward of Kent Archaeological Society (KAS) who will bring us up to date with the work on cataloguing and conservation of the Ozengell collection of artefacts from Thanet, acquired by KAS last year, and his work as KAS Curator.
Our rooms at Crampton Tower Yard are also open on the first Monday of every month when there is no Bank Holiday from 7 pm, for members to drop in and chat, consult our library etc.
I can also send details of a course called ‘Faces of the Gods’ which is being given for us by Dr. John Grigsby, which links archaeology with myth and legend in a lively and fascinating way. He has been giving lecture courses on similar themes for IOTAS for about 12 years now, and they are always popular. This year’s course has already started but people can attend for individual lectures if they wish. It runs every month from March to September with a break in August.
Margaret Symonds
Isle of Thanet Archaeological Society