We had a fantastic time visiting Buster Farm. We found out about life during the Stone Age and Iron Age. First, we saw the round house, looked at the materials that were used in its construction and discovered how it was made. It was very dark and smoky because there was only a small fire in the middle of the room. We also found out that the roof acted like a chimney because it filtered the air through the thatch. However, it was very warm in the house because the roof and walls were very well insulated.
Our first activity was jewellery making. We used copper wire and pliers to twist our metal into a design. Some people designed rings, a few people made bracelets and others made pendants.
We then attempted stone carving. First, we needed to cover our chalk in charcoal so we could see what we had carved. We then used a sharp flint to carve our designs.
After lunch, we learnt about the skill of wattling. We found out that ancient people used this to make fences and to build the walls of the round house. We used hazel branches because they were flexible. We had to carefully twist the branches around the oak posts which were much stronger.
As we looked around the site, we noticed a lot of differences. Can you see the differences between the Iron Age houses on the right and the Stone Age house on the left?
We also found out how ancient people went to the loo! We learnt that they used moss as toilet paper and used ash from the fire to flush it.
Our final activity was spinning. We user a spindle and sheep's wool to twist our own yarn. It was very tricky but we mastered it after a bit of practice. Once we had made our yarn, we made it into a bracelet.
Even though it was a bit wet and muddy, we all had a great time and learned lots! What did you learn? Add your comments below.
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