Learning Resources

BaRAS and Education

Bristol & Region Archaeological Services (BaRAS) plays an established role within the city of Bristol in helping to inform the general public of their city's archaeology heritage. From popular 'open days' on major redevelopment sites of public interest, through to professionally produced reports for sale, or informative articles on our web site detailing our work, BaRAS provides clients with added value, through our commitment to education and the sharing of knowledge.

a party of school children visiting an archaeological site

Photo: Bristol school children visit Inns Court, a site previously excavated by BaRAS archaeologists

Heritage Open Days

Each year in September BaRAS participates in Heritage Open Days, an annual event that aims to celebrate England’s architecture and culture by offering free access to properties that are usually closed to the public. One such building is the historic church of St Nicholas in the heart of the old city of Bristol, which today houses the offices and archives of BaRAS.

Museums, Galleries & Archives

The learning resources of Bristol & Region Archaeological Services complement those of our partner organisation, Bristol Museums, Galleries & Archives (BMGA). BMGA offer wide-ranging support to teachers in the delivery of the National Curriculum, including a number of themed resource packs that are available for download from the Museums Learning section on the Bristol City Council web site.

BaRAS learning resources provides those interested in the subject of archaeology, and the history of Bristol in particular, with an opportunity to follow our progress in uncovering the archaeological heritage of the region. Though an independent archaeological unit offering a complete range of archaeological services to clients, BaRAS through its links with Bristol Museums, Galleries & Archives, also has a long-standing commitment to learning through a number of public facing initiatives.

Archaeology Guide

Discover the role archaeology has in the planning and redevelopment of the region and the part BaRAS archaeologists play in helping to uncover and preserve the history and built heritage of the City of Bristol and the surrounding south-west. Visit the archaeology guide section.

BaRAS Publications

Our publications section contains details of our archaeological reports that are available for purchase. We hope to be able to add more in future. Visit the publications section.

Photo Gallery

Our photo gallery contains many interesting photographs BaRAS team members have taken on a variety of archaeological digs together with images of their various finds, as well as illustration work produced for their reports. A number of different galleries are available to select from the menu just above the gallery thumbnails pane. Visit the photo gallery page.

Projects Map

Using Google© maps technology, explore the location of some of our excavation sites, using map, satellite or terrain views. Sites and finds are categorised by archaeological period, and each coloured map pin enables you to access a range of information about a project record, including a link to a related article in our blog.

Selecting two or more archaeological periods, and generating clusters of sites or finds, will help illustrate in a very visual sense how a city such as Bristol comprises layers of overlapping or adjoining periods of historical development. Visit the projects map page.

Illustration: The departure of John and Sebastian Cabot from Bristol on their first voyage of discovery, 1497. Oil on canvas by Ernest Board, 1906 Bristol Museums, Galleries & Archives