Hidden Frontiers at the York Festival of Ideas’s Discovery Zone 

Amy Holguin, Surabhi Ranavat and Sara Marinoni

As part of the York Festival of Ideas’ Discovery Zone, members of Hidden Frontiers project organised a hands-on children’s activity, introducing children to waterlogged archaeobotany through the festival’s theme of Making waves. Children (from approximately 4 to 12 years old) ‘excavated’ a submerged model lake-dwelling, sampling within a structure to recover seeds. Helped by Surabhi, Sara and Amy, the children identified the ‘archaeological’ plant remains, which included barley seeds and hazelnut shells. The children applied their newly acquired archaeobotanical skills to a seed identification game, surprising the Hidden Frontiers’ team and their grown-ups alike by their attention to detail and enthusiasm.