Open Country
Open Country
BBC Radio 4
Ancient Technology Centre
23 minutes Posted Aug 20, 2026 at 2:00 pm.
0:00
23:25
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Show notes

Martha Kearney learns ancient skills like forging a knife, flint knapping and making a fire with flint and steel, alongside local schoolchildren at the Ancient Technology Centre in the Dorset countryside. The centre is a unique collection of archaeologically accurate reconstructions of ancient buildings, used for hands-on outdoor history education. Each building represents a different time period: there’s an Earthouse, a Roman forge, an Iron Age Roundhouse, a Saxon workshop and a Viking Longhouse.

Producer: Beth O'Dea