Phil Harding Q&A - Salisbury 2020: Digital Big Weekend

wessexarchaeology・2 minutes read

Archaeologist Phil Harding discusses his passion for flint tools, emphasizing their connection to prehistoric people and spiritual significance. The archaeological exploration in Salisbury aims to reconstruct the city's historical narrative through uncovering early medieval buildings and water channels, highlighting the importance of funding for further exploration.

Insights

  • Phil Harding's deep connection to flints and stone tools transcends mere craftsmanship, as he views them as a medium to communicate with ancient ancestors, emphasizing a spiritual and technological link that spans generations.
  • The ongoing archaeological exploration in Salisbury, spearheaded by Wessex Archaeology, aims to piece together the historical narrative of the city by uncovering early medieval structures, water systems, and economic hubs, highlighting the importance of funding for further exploration to reconstruct the intricate past of Salisbury.

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Recent questions

  • What is Phil Harding's connection to flints?

    Phil Harding's fascination with flints stems from childhood, as they connect him to prehistoric people and their stone tool-making processes. Making flint tools allows Phil to communicate with distant ancestors through shared technological language and mental processes. He emphasizes the spiritual connection he feels when creating flint tools, believing the object already exists within the stone.

  • How long does it take Phil Harding to create a flint tool?

    The time taken to create a finished flint tool varies, with Phil recalling a hand axe he made in about seven or eight blows. Phil's coronavirus project involved grinding and polishing a stone axe he made in 1979, finding beauty and reverence in the finished product.

  • What locations in Salisbury hold historical significance?

    Salisbury Plain and prairies are mentioned as locations with historical significance. Phil Harding's favorite places in Salisbury include Neolithic and Iron Age site Bixby ring, Clarendon Palace, Fulfilled and Overand nature reserve near Avebury, Milford Hill, and Cadal Finn School noted for rich Old Stone Age sites in Wiltshire. Excavations at Van or Checker outside of Born Hill also contributed significantly to Salisbury's archaeology.

  • What is Phil Harding's involvement in filming projects?

    Phil Harding has been involved in filming projects for military charity Warlow Uncovered and Wessex archaeology to promote Salisbury's archaeology. The film project aims to tell Salisbury's story through archaeology, incorporating historical documents and computer-generated imagery. A crowdfunding effort partnered with local filmmaker EPSA Dentists for professional input and illustration costs.

  • What is Wessex Archaeology seeking funding for?

    Wessex Archaeology is seeking funding through a crowd fund initiative, accessible by searching "Salisbury uncovered." The exploration uncovers early medieval buildings, water courses, and the economic hub of the medieval city, Market Square, shedding light on the daily life and challenges faced in Salisbury during that era. The archaeological exploration in Salisbury aims to reconstruct the historical narrative of the city, highlighting the significance of funding for further exploration.

Related videos

Summary

00:00

Phil Harding: Flint Tools and Archaeological Adventures

  • Phil Harding, an archaeologist from Time Team and Wessex Archaeology, is answering questions from the audience at Salisbury 2020's digital big weekend.
  • Phil's first archaeological dig was at 8 years old near Woodford, where he explored Bronze Age burial mounds and discovered cremation burials.
  • Phil's fascination with flints stems from childhood, as they connect him to prehistoric people and their stone tool-making processes.
  • Making flint tools allows Phil to communicate with distant ancestors through shared technological language and mental processes.
  • Phil emphasizes the spiritual connection he feels when creating flint tools, believing the object already exists within the stone.
  • The time taken to create a finished flint tool varies, with Phil recalling a hand axe he made in about seven or eight blows.
  • Phil's coronavirus project involved grinding and polishing a stone axe he made in 1979, finding beauty and reverence in the finished product.
  • While Phil primarily works with flint, he finds obsidian too sharp and splintery, preferring the familiarity of flints for tool-making.
  • Phil was part of Time Team for 20 years, participating in over 220 episodes and recalling a live episode where he was flat on his back in an ambulance.
  • In Salisbury Cathedral's Beecham chapel excavation, Phil found a burial and marveled at standing at the Cathedral's foundation level, linking him to medieval stone workers.

20:02

Salisbury's Archaeological History Uncovered

  • Salisbury Plain and prairies mentioned as locations with historical significance
  • Favorite places in Salisbury include Neolithic and Iron Age site Bixby ring and Clarendon Palace
  • Clarendon Palace holds medieval ruins and historical importance in human freedom roots
  • Fulfilled and Overand nature reserve near Avebury significant for its prehistoric landscape
  • Milford Hill and Cadal Finn School noted for rich Old Stone Age sites in Wiltshire
  • Excavations at Van or Checker outside of Born Hill contributed significantly to Salisbury's archaeology
  • Phil involved in filming projects for military charity Warlow Uncovered and Wessex archaeology to promote Salisbury's archaeology
  • Film project aims to tell Salisbury's story through archaeology, incorporating historical documents and computer-generated imagery
  • Crowdfunding effort partnered with local filmmaker EPSA Dentists for professional input and illustration costs
  • Film preview showcases Salisbury's geological history, Stone Age sites, Old Sarum, cathedral construction, and archaeological discoveries at St. Thomas's Church

39:57

Uncovering Salisbury's Medieval Secrets Through Archaeology

  • The archaeological exploration in Salisbury reveals the layout of tombstones, existing columns, and stone paths, showcasing the sophisticated water channels that ran through the medieval city streets, necessitating bridges for crossing. The archaeologists aim to piece together the lost evidence to reconstruct the historical narrative of Salisbury, highlighting the significance of funding for further exploration.
  • Wessex Archaeology is seeking funding through a crowd fund initiative, accessible by searching "Salisbury uncovered." The exploration uncovers early medieval buildings, water courses, and the economic hub of the medieval city, Market Square, shedding light on the daily life and challenges faced in Salisbury during that era.
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