archsoc.co.uk

Hopefully you’ve all had a good break and are ready to  return to the familiar and comforting embrace of ArchSoc.  To kick off the new term we’re having a, by now, traditional pub quiz in Malone’s ‘Irish’ Bar on Thursday 26th January, beginning at 7.30pm.  Entry is £1 for members and non-members and £2 for non-students.  Hopefully see a good load of you there to chase away those post-Christmas blues.

Fortune and Glory.

Here at ArchSoc, we not only look after the intellectual well-being of our members, but also like to make sure you’re eating well.  And, as we all know, delicious baked goods are an intrincis part of any well-balanced diet.  To that end, we’re having two confecitonary-based events this week.

First, Thursday 17th November is our Pancake Social.  Meet at Teviot at 7pm and, I am reliably informed, we’ll head on to a kitchen to rustle up some delicious goods.

If you manage to haul yourself into university on Friday after such good eating, you may find yourself requiring a bit of the hair of the dog.  In that case, feel free to swing by our bun stall, which will be outside Doorway 4 from 11.00am to 4.00pm.  Various delicious items will be on sale, made by our own society members, so make sure to take advantage of the situation.

Fortune and Glory (and cake)

In our tremendously exciting final lecture of 2011, we present Nivien Speith from the Universiry of Bradford.  Nivien’s research focuses on the Alamanni, a distinct group from what is now south-west Germany during the 5th to 7th Centuries AD.  This talk will pivot around the concepts of social status and constructing ‘osetobiographies’ based on osetoarchaeological evidence recovered from a range of cemeteries.

The lecture will take place on Tuesday 15th November at 6.00pm in the Meadows Lecture Theatre.  As ever, entrance is free for members of the society and £2 for non-members.  It is still possible to join the society at this lecture and enjoy the benefits of membership for next semester.

Unfortunately our usual watering-hole for theoretical discussions, Doctors, is closed for some swanky refurbishment.  However, rest assured, dear member, that we will find a way round this seemingly impassable obstacle!

Fortune and Glory.

Presumably you are all sitting quietly at your desks, working on the next assignment, thinking, “Well, those were two very enjoyable ArchSoc events.  But now I have an entire weekend with a large, ArchSoc-shaped hole in it: how on earth will I console myself?”  Fear not, dear member, for we have foreseen such depressing times and have the perfect remedy.

This weekend we will be off on our almost annual trip to Craigmillar Castle, just on the outskirts of Edinburgh.  We have secured a limited number of free entry places for the visit, so if you want to go, meet at Doorway 4 at the Department at 11.00am on Saturday morning.

The Castle was built in the 14th Century and was occupied by the Prestons and Gilmours at various points over the next few hundred years.  Allegedly Mary Stuart stayed there as a guest of the former, although several sites make such claims.  There are all sorts of hidden places to explore, including some particularly fine bread ovens.  If you haven’t yet had the chance to get there, you really ought to avail yourself of the opportunity.

Remember, the bus costs £1.30 for a single, so you will need two sets of exact fare (they’re fairly sticky about that).  Hopefully see some of you on Saturday.

First, thanks to everyone who turned up for the EGM on Thursday.  We would like to welcome aboard our newly-appointed Treasurer, Doug and new ordinary members Patti,  Scott and Tom.  Second, apologies again for the last-minute cancellation of last week’s lecture.  This was due to circumstances beyond the control of either the committee or the speaker and we hope that the next offering will more than compensate for the disappointment.  Hopefully there will be less confusion with the FMSG this week as well!

Our speaker this week is David Strachan, the Principal Archaeologist of Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust.  David has worked in local and national government archaeology throughout Britain for twenty years.  His background lies in archaeological records, specialising in both aerial photography and inter-tidal archaeology.  He also hold a particular interest in Scottish Iron Age architecture and ancient wood-working.

The lecture will be held on Tuesday 8th November at 6.00pm in the Meadows Lecture Theatre in the Old Medical School, just off Bristo Place.  Head to Doorway 4 at the back of the courtyard where, no doubt, an intrepid committee member will be on hand to aid you in your quest.  Entrance is, as always, free for ArchSoc members and £2 for non-members.

Not content with this, ArchSoc are holding not one, not three, but two events this week.  Already returning by popular demand is our pub quiz, which will take place at Malone’s ‘Irish’ Bar on Forrest Road at 7.30pm on Wednesday 9th November.  Entrance for members is free and £1 for non-members and we have been promised by our secretary, Katie, that a most majestic wooden spoon will be produced at some stage in the evening.

Fortune and Glory!