A UK veteran excavating human skeletons on an archaeological site as part of the Operation Nightingale project run by the MoD. ©Harvey Mills Photography Bournemouth University’s (BU) Department of Archaeology & Anthropology is hosting a public seminar on the results of using archaeology to help those suffering from trauma (especially but not exclusively members of the Military of Defence (MoD)). The seminar will be held on BU’s Talbot Campus (Fusion Building) on Friday 5 July from 10am to 5pm.
The seminar will explore how archaeology is being used to help veterans recover from physical and mental trauma suffered in conflict and aims to support open discussion on experiences so that effective recovery programmes can be developed, expanded, and used in other areas, such as for the Blue Light Services (police, paramedics and other health professionals, fire brigades, etc). Veterans will talk about their personal experiences with contributions from those running projects such as Operation Nightingale and Waterloo Uncovered.
Speakers at the event will also include Ukrainian archaeologists Dr Maksym Ostapenko and Dr Sergiy Taranenko who have been setting up and running archaeology and heritage-based recovery programmes in Kyiv and Richard Osgood, Senior Archaeologist for the UK's MoD who has been managing the Operation Nightingale project.
Richard Osgood said: “This is a very timely moment to bring together those working in this area to share experiences and examples of best practice so that the hugely important benefit that archaeology brings to those suffering from trauma can be developed further.”
The seminar organiser, BU’s Professor Mark Brisbane from the Department of Archaeology & Anthropology, said, “We are delighted that our colleagues from Ukraine, who are faced with dealing with the enormous consequences of armed conflict, will be joining us to discuss how they have had to set up recovery programmes for their veterans at such short notice, using archaeology and heritage as a significant part of their work.”
This event is open to anyone. However, it’s primarily relevant to those from the archaeological and caring professions, armed forces, veterans (reduced ticket rate available) and Blue Light Service workers. Tickets are available for purchase via Eventbrite.
