S8 Ep10: A day in a roundhouse

February 21
16 mins

Episode Description

Join Derek as he takes Career in Ruins to Hengistbury Head, Dorset to meet curator and archaeologist Dr Hayden Scott-Pratt. In this on-location interview inside a reconstructed Iron Age roundhouse, Hayden shares his journey from undergraduate experiments in copper smelting to curating one of Britain’s most important archaeological sites. Discover why Hengistbury Head was once a major Iron Age international trading port, connecting Britain with continental Europe and the Mediterranean. Learn about imported amphorae, cross-Channel communities, ancient industries, and the evidence for large-scale trade in goods like pottery, iron, and livestock. Hayden also explains the creation of the site’s experimental archaeology village, where volunteers built a full-scale roundhouse using traditional tools and materials. The project brings ancient crafts, cooking, farming, and daily life to life for schools and visitors—right on top of a scheduled archaeological monument with 12,000 years of human history. If you’re interested in Iron Age Britain, experimental archaeology, museum careers, or the story of one of the UK’s most fascinating coastal heritage sites, this episode is for you. #IronAge #HengistburyHead #ExperimentalArchaeology #MuseumCareers #ArchaeologyPodcast #DorsetArchaeology #AncientTrade #IronAgeRoundhouse #CuratorInterview #HeritageCareers #BronzeAge #RomanBritain #ArchaeologyUK

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