Dr David Wyatt
I am an early medieval historian specialising in the history of slavery and servitude in the societies of medieval Britain. I have published a number of articles on this topic and my recent book Slaves and Warriors in Medieval Britain and Ireland, 800-1200 (2009) examines the extreme social and cultural significance of slavery for these societies; focussing upon the lifestyle, attitudes and motivations of the slave-holders and the slave-raiders. I also work on conceptions of gender and power; the political and cultural interaction between the societies of Britain c. 800-1200 and the anti-slavery movement in South Wales in the nineteenth century. In addition, I am interested in Viking period settlement and society in the Irish Sea region and have been involved in archaeological excavations at Viking sites in the Western Isles including 2 seasons as supervisor at a Bronze Age/Iron Age and Viking period settlement on South Uist in the Outer Hebrides.
Innovation and Engagement activities
CAER Heritage Project
Please click on link below to view YouTube video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_XTulzqTlA
The Caerau and Ely Rediscovering Heritage Project (CAER) engages Cardiff's Ely and Caerau communities in excavating and exploring an un-researched Iron-Age hillfort, building a detailed picture of the history of this area. Set within local social housing estates, Caerau hillfort is one of the largest and most impressive in south-east Wales, and was once a powerful stronghold of the Iron Age Silurian tribe, who inhabited this part of Wales before the arrival of the Romans. Today, the magnificent ramparts are hidden beneath trees, but the old parish church, St. Mary’s, and a small ringwork, almost certainly the site of a medieval castle, stand within the hillfort on the north-eastern side.
The CAER project involves both community members and pupils from local schools - including around 90 pupils from Fitzalan, Mary Immaculate High and Glyn Derw – in a range of activities from Iron Age pottery workshops to the creation of archaeology themed eco-graffiti art and artefact analysis. The pupils and community members have also been directly involved in archaeological research undertaking a geophysical survey of the site and participating in a recent televised excavation in conjunction with Channel 4’s Timeteam.
The CAER Heritage Project's objective is to help the people of Caerau and Ely to connect the past to the present, making the heritage of the district relevant and important for contemporary communities. The project creates a heightened sense of place for the people of these areas as well as developing a range of educational opportunities and challenging some unfounded stereotypes often ascribed to this part of Cardiff.
From the outset, local schools and communities have been involved in the project and are helping answer important research questions about this hugely significant, but under-researched, hillfort. Through their work, the Caerau hillfort will become a valuable local and national resource for leisure and learning activities:
Project website:
http://caerheritageproject.com
Facebook Page with information & images: http://www.facebook.com/#!/CAERHeritageProject
Week of activities in March 2012: http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/news/articles/discovering-celtic-cardiff-8497.html
Timeteam dig reported in South Wales Echo: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2012/04/21/time-team-discovers-3-000-years-of-history-at-cardiff-site-91466-30804706/
Facebook Page with information & images: http://www.facebook.com/#!/CAERHeritageProject
'CAER Project Schools display launch at National Museum'
http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/news/articles/sharing-their-story-9001.html
SHARE with Schools Project
I co-ordinate SHARE with Schools (SwS) a project which creates links with local secondary schools and sixth forms in a variety of 'widening access' locations in South-east Wales (currently Ely, Caerau, Leckwith and the Cynon Valley).
In 2011 the School of History Archaeology and Religion launched SwS, an initiative to build long-term partnerships with targeted secondary schools within communities first locations; breaking down barriers to Higher Education and involving students in the development and delivery of the project.
SwS brings together three key objectives which have significant relevance to challenges currently faced within the Higher Education sector: widening access to university, meaningful community engagement and employability skills for undergraduate/postgraduate students.
SwS is a postgraduate driven project which has developed and piloted a programme of interdisciplinary interactive workshops delivered in targeted schools in Cardiff and the Cynon Valley which showcase the subject areas taught/researched across the School of History Archaeology and Religion at Cardiff. These workshops include a range of resources including artifacts, presentations, worksheets, quizzes, web resources as well as training sessions for volunteers. In 2012, the project recruited a team of 50 committed undergraduate volunteers who have rolled out the project workshops, delivering them to a wide range of pupils in the Cardiff catchment.
Following close consultation with teaching staff, outreach visits to pupils have been targeted at various stages of secondary education, not just in the final years of sixth form. SwS aims to break down barriers to Higher Education over a sustained period, engaging with pupils at three crucial stages in their academic progression. That is: year 7 (first year), year 9 (pupils decide options) and year 12 (6th form) thereby providing variety and skills at the appropriate level for each stage.
Through this sustained approach, the SwS team has established a project which is ambitiously long-term in its scope and objectives. SwS operates an annual roll-over recruitment of new postgraduate and undergraduate volunteers involved in year-on-year visits to targeted schools, thereby building trust and partnerships over time. This allows pupils in the target schools to become acquainted with the benefits of higher education through accessible activities and sustained contact with SHARE’s students.
Whilst SwS team are primarily motivated through altruism, the employability skills the project delivers to students, together with community engagement and widening access benefits, closely align SwS to policy and government funding directives in Wales, making the ambition and vision of the SwS team wholly realisable.
Project web site: http://sharewithschools.wordpress.com/
Exploring the Past
I conceived, designed and manage this foundation pathway which provides non-traditional adult learners with progression onto part-time degree schemes in SHARE with advanced standing.
Exploring the Past courses allow mature students to study within a timescale, framework and environment designed to specifically cater for their needs. Most classes are scheduled during the evenings and face-to-face tuition is supported by online teaching resources and discussion groups. Exploring the Past is designed to be flexible and multi-disciplinary, allowing students to experience a wide variety of subject areas and approaches. Some Exploring the Past courses are free standing with mixed classes of part-time and full-time students generating a vibrant dynamic, atmosphere and breaking down barriers and creating valuable support networks. In addition, the Exploring the Past Pathway provides significant pastoral support for non-traditional students including a peer support network allowing students to help, support and motivate one another.
The pathway recently won a Highly Commended award at the ceremony hosted by the Universities Association for Lifelong Learning (UALL) - the national body which represents part-time education in universities.
Exploring the Past Web Site:
http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/learn/exploringthepast/
http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/learn/exploringthepast/
Fairbridge in the Park – Stone Age Graffiti Project
Bute Park
I instigated and co-ordinated a project in July 2011 involving a unique partnership between the Bute Park Restoration Project, the National Museum of Wales and the charity Fairbridge - who work with disadvantaged young people aged 13-25.
On day one, young people from Fairbridge spent the morning at a secluded riverside spot in Bute Park learning how stone-age people knapped flint in order to manufacture stone tools and how they worked antler and bone into handles, combs and other useful things. They then visited the National Museum where they handled authentic stone axes and tools and learned how to manufacture string from nettle stems. Inspired by these experiences the young people went on to design a piece of eco-graffiti artwork in the park themed on Palaeolithic cave paintings guided by artist Paul Evans.
http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/news/articles/park-life-7159.html
NCCPE ambassador
I am a public engagement ambassador with the National Centre for the Coordination of Public Engagement, an institution which promotes Public Engagement in Higher Education Institutions across the UK
http://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/how-we-help/ambassadors/david-wyatt
http://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/david-wyatt
Selected Innovation & Engagement activities, 2004 to 2011
May 4th, 2011 Welsh Voices of the Great War Online, school visit day
I facilitated a one day visit for secondary schools involved in Welsh Voices the project and delivered a presentation. I also supported the project co-ordinator at the project’s road show event in Wrexham (July 2010) and was a member of the project’s steering committee.
http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/share/research/projectreports/welshvoices/index.html
March 1st and 15th 2011, The Lost City of the Legion
Two events (one internal, one external) to celebrate the archaeological discoveries at Caerleon in 2010. I facilitated promotion and organisation, spoke on community engagement at the first event and helped to stage-manage the second.
http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/share/newsandevents/events/archaeology/caerleon-free-public-lecture.html
November 2010, Life Stories I devised, organised, co-ordinated this one day SHARE-wide engagement event in collaboration with the Welsh National History Museum exploring the value of life stories for society, communities and individuals. http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/share/newsandevents/events/lifestories.html
October 9th 2010, Art of Integration Islam UK outreach event
I facilitated promotion and organisation, consulted on content, press releases and co-ordinated at the event. I produced a detailed evaluation/impact report.
http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/news/articles/muslims-in-britain-5532.html
May 2010, Getting Medieval at Cosmeston Medieval Village. I devised, organised and co-ordinated this collaborative event with Centre for Lifelong Learning and the Vale of Glamorgan Council. Getting medieval was a family learning event held during National Adult Learners Week with a variety of interactive activities and workshops exploring aspects of medieval life. I produced a detailed evaluation report following the event which has subsequently been recognised as an inspirational case study on the NCCPE web site:
http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/share/reachingout/gettingmedieval/index.html
http://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/how/case-studies/getting-medieval
A second Getting Medieval event was held in 2011 as part of the Cosmeston community archaeology project.
2004 to present day Exploring Past & Present: Free Humanities Series in the Centre for Lifelong Learning. I established and continue to co-ordinate this monthly series of open access lectures in LEARN providing members of the public with up to the minute tasters of academic research undertaken at Cardiff. http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/learn/discoveringthepast/index.html
May 2009 History, Archaeology, Politics and Identity – exploring the dynamics of the past I devised, organised and co-ordinated this free open access history conference in collaboration with Beacons for Wales. http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/learn/history/conference.php
May 2007 The Enduring Sin: Slavery Past & Present I established and co-ordinated this open access mini- conference to raise awareness about contemporary slavery on the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade.
Selected academic conference and research presentations:
'From Riches to Rags: Melkorka, the story of an enslaved Irish princess in Iceland' delivered at the Gregynog Medieval Colloquium, Rich and Poor in the Middle Ages, (February 2012)
‘Satire, Slavery and Sin in Warner of Rouen’s Moriuht: An 11th –century account of forced migration’ delivered at the Leeds International Medieval Congress, (July 2010)
‘A fugitive slave in Cardiff: the narrative of William A. Hall and Welsh anti-slavery sentiments 1861-65’, (co-authored with Dr Bill Jones), Gelligaer Historical Society Annual Conference, (October 2009)
‘Slavery and sin: reconfiguring warrior norms in the societies of medieval Britain’, Archaeology Research Seminar, Cardiff University, (October 2009)
‘Satire, Slavery and Sin in Eleventh-century Normandy: Visions of
Powerlessness in Warner of Rouen’s Moriuht’, research seminar delivered to the Centre for the Study of Medieval Society and Culture, Cardiff University (March 2009).
‘A Raging Fury’: Slave-taking and the war band in the Irish Sea region,
800-1200 AD’ research seminar delivered to the Cardiff University Welsh History Society, (December 2007)
‘Slavery, Power and Cultural Identity in the Irish Sea Region, 1066
1171’ Delivered at the Conference ‘A Very Human Trade: The Archaeology of Slavery’, Council for British Archaeology North-West Regional Group, Liverpool, (November 2007)
‘Sex, Sin and Slavery in Early Medieval England’ Delivered at the
Conference Slavery: Unfinished Business, Wilberforce Institute for the study of Slavery and Emancipation (WISE), Hull, May 2007
‘A Fugitive Slave in Cardiff: The narrative of William A. Hall and Welsh
anti-slavery sentiments 1861-65’ (co-authored with Dr Bill Jones) delivered at a Conference on African-Americans and the Celtic Connections, Swansea University, March 2007.
‘Slavery, Power and Cultural Identity in the Irish Sea Region, 1066
1171’ delivered at a Conference on Celtic-Norse relationships in the Irish sea in the Middle Ages 800-1200, Centre for Viking and Medieval Nordic Studies, Oslo University (November 2005)
‘Slavery and Honour in the Societies of Medieval Britain 800-1200’
delivered at the conference ‘Slavery, Freedom and Unfreedom in the Middle Ages’ at Nottingham University (April 2005)