So the site of the Battle of Bosworth has moved. What does this mean? My immediate reaction was ‘not that much’, which I put down to my not overwhelming interest in the period or battlefield archaeology, plus the fact that the ‘new’ field is only 2 miles to the south west. Where a place of mass violence took place is, within reason, considered less important than what took place there; Richard III still died and this led to the rise of the Tudor dynasty. However there have been artefacts found on the new site including 22 lead roundshot and larger munitions which are among the earliest examples of their kind. This will add greatly to our understanding of late medieval warfare, apparently.
I recently completed my Masters degree and get my results tomorrow, exciting indeed. However since I left, ‘our building’ has been refurbished which included moving the Landscape Lab where my coursemates and I spent much of our time. What interests me though, is that the Landscape Lab still exists, with the same equipment, resources and lecturers in the same building but in a different place. The new students may indeed be unaware of the recent changes in the internal architecture of West Court. What does this mean to the sense of place of the Landscape Lab? The same things will occur in there; lectures, seminars, cake, and Bob and Colin will act in the same positions, as teachers. The only real difference is the relative place of the Landscape Lab. Previously it was at the end of corridor, past Colin’s and opposite Bob’s offices; it is now at the other end of the building on more of a thoroughfare. Practically this changes the proximity of Bob’s and Colin’s offices and stops the fire door from being opened to cool the room. Socially this means it’s less easy to engage Bob and/or Colin and loiter for help, it also means we can’t sneak outside for biscuits.
How this change of relative placing of the Landscape Lab will affect the next year’s Landscapees is unknown, if they have any insights already it’d be good to hear them. Otherwise I’ve just been informed Levi-Strauss has died so better get something down about the opposition between Landscape Labs and Battlefields.
