Archaeological Talk

A special talk from Matt Brudenell, Director of the Cambridge Archaeological Unit and co-director of the Wandlebury Research Project.

Matt will reveal the extraordinary findings emerging from the latest excavations at Wandlebury, including the discovery of an elongated burial pit containing the articulated and disarticulated remains of at least ten individuals.

Provisionally dated to the eighth and ninth centuries AD, the burial raises compelling questions. Who were these people? How did they die? Why were they buried beside an ancient monument that was already more than a thousand years old?

Placing the discovery within the wider results of the new excavations, Matt will explore Wandlebury’s changing significance, from an Iron Age hillfort to a place of importance in the early medieval landscape. He will consider the evidence for violence and the unusual treatment of the dead, as well as Wandlebury’s later role as a place of assembly.

The talk will also look ahead to the next stage of the investigation, including further excavation and osteological, chronological and biomolecular research that may bring us closer to understanding what happened here.

The talk at 7.30pm is open to all. The talk is preceded by the CPPF AGM and excusive members reception. Please select the correct ticket when booking.

Programme

6.30–7pm: CPPF Annual General Meeting
7–7.30pm: Exclusive members’ drinks reception
7.30–8.30pm: Talk and audience Q&A

About the speaker

Matt Brudenell is Director of the Cambridge Archaeological Unit and co-director of the Wandlebury Research Project. An archaeologist with more than 25 years’ experience working in eastern England, his research focuses on the region’s later prehistory, particularly its settlements and ceramics.

Matt has directed and contributed to major archaeological projects across Cambridgeshire and has a longstanding interest in bringing together developer-funded archaeology and academic research.

The Wandlebury Research Project is led by the University of Cambridge Department of Archaeology and Cambridge Archaeological Unit, in partnership with Cambridge Past, Present & Future.