NOT JUST ROCKS AND HAZELNUTS: DISPLAYING STAR CARR
Channel: European Association of Archaeologists
Date: 06/12/2020

The site of Star Carr in Yorkshire is one of the most important archaeological sites in Britain. Finds such as well-preserved bone tools and weapons and mysterious headdresses made from deer skulls and antler provide a unique insight into Mesolithic life 11,000 years ago. The site was first excavated in 1949 by Cambridge University professor Grahame Clarke and much of the material from the excavations came to the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (MAA). How can we make prehistoric material, which is often small and brown, engaging and interesting to museum audiences and how can we cover the full complexity of Mesolithic life in a single exhibition? I will examine these questions and others in this presentation which discusses some of the challenges we encountered when curating an exhibition on Star Carr which opened at MAA in June 2018. Much of the discussion will centre on the Star Carr headdresses which, because we don’t really know exactly what they were used for, proved a particular challenge to display. Were they ritual objects worn by shamans or hunting aids and how do we communicate these uncertainties to museum audiences who often prefer to be told facts rather than asked questions.

Author(s): Joy, Jody (Prehistoric Society; University of Cambridge)