Hetty Haxworth and Kit Martin’s medieval art sessions returned this term in person to an Aberdeenshire school. They were joined by Jovi Fawcett and Jackson Armstrong who brought medieval bones and decoding ancient handwriting to the mix of activities.

A few years ago artists Hetty Haxworth and Kit Martin worked with the Aberdeen Burgh Records Project to create workshops for primary schools using block printing, monoprinting, collage, design and drawing, all inspired by the content of the Aberdeen Registers Online. Now in person and without any pandemic restrictions (which had meant the original sessions had to be done by instructional video), Hetty, Kit, Jovi and Jackson visited Fettercairn Primary in Aberdeenshire on 31 October and 1 November, and worked with all years from nursery to Primary 7.

The class groups focused on themes of animals, fish and seafaring in medieval Aberdeen. The Middle Scots phrases ‘rede and suet’ (for salmon) and ‘forboddin bestis’ (for unruly escaped pigs) formed the focus of the artworks that the pupils made in stages by using different printing techniques. PhD student Jovi Fawcett brought examples of medieval and modern bones of sheep and pigs to the school, for the groups to handle. Jackson challenged the pupils to test their palaeography skills and decode examples of letters and words in the ARO.

The result was an exciting mixture of art, archaeology, & historical language. The pupils experienced hands-on practice with print making and drawing. They handled archaeological teaching bones and explored different types of bones articulations, and they encountered Middle Scots words, phrases and medieval handwriting. Feedback from pupils and teachers was positive, and the artworks created by the groups are on display in the school.