Ancient Fire Making and Prehistoric Light

We'll begin with an introduction to fire-starting techniques likely used by prehistoric and ancient communities in our landscape. You'll start with fire by percussion, using locally found resources like flint, iron pyrites, and tinder fungus to try to make fire. Inspired by Ötzi the Iceman, one of the oldest and most well-preserved human mummies ever discovered, you'll experiment with similar tools and learn how early humans transported and preserved fire for survival and ritual. Explore the fire-starting kits uncovered in Bronze Age burial sites and delve into their deeper cultural and ritual significance. You'll also try your hand at fire by friction, using a bow drill to create fire—a method that, while rarely preserved in archaeological records, has deep cultural and technological roots in ancient communities.

Lighting Techniques: After mastering fire, explore the history of lighting methods. Learn about stone lamps used in our ancestors' homes, Paleolithic caves and flint mines, and the evolution of fire-lighting from wooden tapers to Roman oil lamps and rushlights. You’ll make your own fir candles and rushlights to take home.

Fire in Cultural Traditions:Timed near Samhain, the ancient Celtic festival marking the year's end, we’ll also discuss the cultural significance of fire, both in ritual and daily life. You’ll leave with a deeper understanding of fire’s role in human history and a personal creation to mark your experience. Whether you’re interested in ancient technologies, archaeology, bushcraft, or eager to sharpen your survival skills, this hands-on course will ignite your curiosity. Numbers have been kept low on this event so you have maximum practical support in the fire-making and lamp-making techniques. Your tutor is Tristan Bareham, former CEO of Sussex Archaeological Society, who also headed a local experimental archaeology training project for over 20 years.