Discover: Prehistoric Yorkshire  

Uncover over 100,000,000 years of history at the Yorkshire Museum in our Discover: Prehistoric Yorkshire workshop. Explore the museum and handle real objects from our collections to get an insight into life in Yorkshire during the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages. Afterwards create your own copy of the Star Carr pendant – one of the earliest pieces of decorative art found in Britain – or make a cast of a bronze axe head using clay.   

Location  

The Yorkshire Museum
Museum Street
York
YO1 7FR 

Workshop times  

10am-12pm or 12.30-2.30pm.   

Age Group  

Key Stage Two. 

Numbers

Maximum group size of 34 pupils per workshop.  

We can accommodate up to two groups from your school on a single day, with a maximum of 30 pupils per group (60 pupils in total).  

Session fees  

£7 per pupil. For groups of 22 or less, there is a flat fee of £154 per workshop.  

What to expect 

In this session, pupils will:  

• Explore our prehistory galleries by completing two discovery challenges. These will give pupils an insight into life at Star Carr – a Mesolithic  site of international significance – as well as how life in Yorkshire changed between the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages.  

• Get hands-on with some real and replica artefacts using one of our two Prehistory Object Boxes: 

• • Life at Star Carr: using a digital mural we will transport your class back to the Mesolithic. Pupils will handle replica objects made by experimental archaeologists at the University of York to discover what everyday life was like 11,300 years ago.  

• • From Stone, to Bronze, to Iron: pupils will explore how people’s lives changed over time by handling original artefacts made by people in the Stone, Bronze and Iron Ages.  

• Learn through play completing one of the following activities:
  • The Star Carr Pendant: pupils will create a copy of one of the earliest pieces of Mesolithic art discovered in Britain.  

                     Or

• • Secrets of Bronze: pupils will create a cast of a bronze axe head using clay.  

Your preferred object box and play-based activity can be selected during the booking process.  

Our Discover: Prehistoric Yorkshire workshop is led by an expert member of our Learning Team.

—

Pre-visit information  

To ensure you are fully prepared for your visit, please download and read the following documents:  

• Discover: Prehistoric Yorkshire – Teachers Workshop Pack 
• Yorkshire Museum: School Visit Pack  

You will be sent a copy of our Discover: Prehistoric Yorkshire Workshop Risk Assessment once a booking has been made.   

—

Booking a visit  

If you would like to book a Discover: Pre-historic Yorkshire workshop pilot, then please complete a copy of our online booking form.  

Please be aware that completing the form does not represent a confirmed booking. A member of our team will be in touch within two working days with further information.   

Alternatively, if you would like to speak to a member of our team directly, please contact us at schools@ymt.org.uk or call 01904 650348.

—

Pre-visit and post-visit resources

The following resources may be of use when planning a visit to our Star Carr: Life after the ice exhibition at the Yorkshire Museum:   

• Star Carr: Life after the ice – Teachers’ Exhibition Pack  

• Yorkshire Museum: School Visit Map   

Our Star Carr: Life after the ice video series has been designed to give you and your pupils an introduction to what everyday life was like during the Mesolithic.  

These videos can be accessed as a playlist on YouTube here or as individual videos below:   

• Video One: Introduction to Star Carr  

• Video Two: Discovering Star Carr  

• Video Three: Settling  

• Video Four: Eating  

• Video Five: Creating  

• Video Six: Believing  

—

Cancellation policy  

If you need to cancel your workshop booking, then please give us as much notice as possible so that we can offer your slot to another group.  

If a booking is cancelled less than one week before your visit date, then your school will be charged a cancellation fee amounting to 50% of the visit fee.  

If a booking is cancelled less than 24 hours before your visit date, then your school will be charged a cancellation fee amounting to 100% of the visit fee.