Search
found 538 results
Images for reading; more images...
“the marvellous antiquity…of our beloved ritual” – Past Master G. W. Speth…
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
Context is an important concept in archaeology. Everyday artefacts, often mundane and fragmented, can take on a powerful meaning due to an unusual placement or an association with other material of a different type or function. These circumstances will often … Continue reading →
In which bottles are used, beer is drunk, and graphic design atrocities ar…
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
Over the past two blog posts we’ve been looking at a large assemblage of labelled bottles found under a house in Akaroa. Today on the blog we’re going to take a step back and look at how the bottles travelled … Continue reading →
Paul and Sam Corliss's Street Art Photograph (2012:11:06 03:46:14)
Images, UC QuakeStudies
A photograph of street art on the corner of Bowhill Road and Marine Parade. A sheet of metal has been attached to a fence, with the message, "Art is awesome". Above this, a message has been painted on the fence, reading, "More than art...".
In which a fortune is made, an Oddfellow is not a type of mint, and archae…
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
Earlier this year, we excavated a site on Armagh Street that revealed not only a large quantity of artefacts, but also a historical and material narrative set in the swampy bowels of a fledgling city, a tale of politics, commerce, … Continue reading →
Blowing smoke: clay pipes, advertising and other things in the 19th century
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
As the study of human history, it comes as no surprise that archaeology can be an exercise in contradictions. Humans are, after all, complex and paradoxical creatures. From a material culture perspective, one of the most obvious and frustrating incongruities … Continue reading →
The strange adventures of Etienne Brocher (aka Stephen Bosher, aka Stephen…
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
Bricks are the best thing that I find. That’s my answer to the most common question an archaeologist is asked. Bricks? Why bricks? Because they always have the best stories to tell! Brickmaking was a booming industry in the 19th … Continue reading →
In which the emanation of effluvia is offensive to one’s senses
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
Continuing on from last week’s blog, today’s post takes a look (or a sniff, if you will) at the aromas of everyday life inside a Victorian house. Smell is such an intrinsic part of human life, yet so fleeting that it … Continue reading →
“Today, tomorrow, Timaru”: souvenirs of early tourism in New Zealand
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
The idea of a ‘souvenir’, as a physical keepsake of a place or event, is not a new concept. It’s been around for as long as people have been bringing home exotic treasures from far-off lands, or trying to preserve … Continue reading →
Archaeology: where losing your marbles is sometimes a good thing
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
Imagine, if you will, that you were born in 1870. Your parents are colonists who journeyed to Christchurch to build a new life for themselves and their family. They’re not rich, but you live comfortably enough in this new country. … Continue reading →
Everything’s coming up roses (and lilies and jasmine and violets)
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a man or woman in possession of natural body odour is most definitely in want of something to cover it up. At least, in today’s society, it certainly seems to be considered unacceptable … Continue reading →
The archaeology of an archaeologist’s desk
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
This week’s post is a bit different. It’s not directly about Christchurch archaeology, but it is about an archaeologist working in Christchurch. We’ve taken a bunch of photographs of one of the desks in our office and we want you … Continue reading →
From bottle to basement: uncovering a repository of information
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
Late in 2014 we were contacted by contractors working on a rebuild project in Christchurch’s city centre. It was reported that a number of bottles had been uncovered during routine earthworks and the area cordoned off until our arrival. The bottles … Continue reading →
It’s better when we stick together.
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
What would we do without glue? Well, it’s estimated that each person in U.S.A and the U.K. uses 18.2kgs of glue annually. I’m probably more of a Sellotape/Blu-Tack person myself, but those statistics sound impressive! The development of commercial synthetic … Continue reading →
The Standard Hotel: beer, burlesque and a “sketchy kind of farce”
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
This week we’re delving into the seedier side of the life in early Christchurch with the story of the Standard Hotel, an establishment that found itself on the fringes of Victorian respectability during its short existence in the 1860s. At … Continue reading →
The fascist punishment: a foul taste used for foul purposes
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
It’s made from plant seeds named for their resemblance to a tick and has been known through history as the ‘golden nectar of nausea’ and the ‘fascist punishment’, among other things. When combined with chlorine, it forms a “a substance … Continue reading →
Just what the doctor ordered!
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
When it comes to the weird and wonderful in 19th century life, it’s hard to go past the field of medicine: specifically, pharmaceutical and ‘self-care’ remedies. Health-related products can be some of the wackiest and most interesting things we find … Continue reading →
‘It isn’t all beer and skittles’
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
- Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown’s School Days, 1857 It’s hard to picture what many of Christchurch’s buildings looked like before the earthquake. For many locals the torn down remains of a building or an empty lot remind them of a … Continue reading →
A few of our favourite things…
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
Over the last few weeks, we’ve been excavating a site in the CBD that’s yielded some of the most interesting artefacts we’ve see for a while. So, today on the blog, we’ve selected a few of these fascinating things for … Continue reading →
A tale of two suburbs: the story (and the man) behind the naming of Sydenh…
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
Should you have been so fortunate, while wandering the streets of 1860s Christchurch, to find yourself north of the square, you may have come across an establishment bearing the name of Sydenham House and containing within its walls all manner of … Continue reading →
Public faces and private spaces: domestic pride and hygiene in the 19th ce…
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
Today’s post continues the theme of the last one (a little), in terms of exploring the relationship between products and industries in the past and their connection with our lives today. It’s easy to scoff at some of the things … Continue reading →
Mark Lincoln Photograph 124
Images, UC QuakeStudies
A cordon check-point at the corner of Barbadoes and Lichfield Streets. In the foreground, a sign reading "Warrant of fitness", advertising a nearby automotive shop, leans against the "Road closed" sign. Behind the cordon, a soldier sleeps on top of the cab of an army truck.
Photograph by Neil Macbeth 596
Images, UC QuakeStudies
A view down London Street in Lyttelton, looking west from the corner of Oxford Terrace and Sumner Road. Wire fencing has been placed down the right side of the street as a cordon and a road sign has been placed at the entrance reading, "Road closed".
Spirits, skittles and a stolen goose: the life and times of the Caversham …
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
John Bent leaned over and grabbed the goose. There was a whole flock of them in the street—surely one wouldn’t be missed? It was 11pm, and he had been drinking heavily all night. In his muddled state it seemed like … Continue reading →
The world is your oyster – a tale of talking molluscs, bar brawls and Vict…
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
I don’t know about you, but I don’t like oysters – they’re slimy, they look weird and they taste like the sea. So perhaps I was affected more than your average person when I recently had the task of analysing … Continue reading →
Ray Whelan WEMO Photograph 33
Images, UC QuakeStudies
A photograph of emergency personnel in Cowles Stadium on Pages Road. The stadium was set up by Civil Defence as temporary accommodation for citizens displaced by the 4 September 2010 earthquake. In the foreground, the registration table has a Civil Defence sign reading, "Please register here".
Photograph by Jocelyn Kinghorn 1904
Images, UC QuakeStudies
Detail of the fence around the 'Ark of Hope' by Wongi Wilson in Sydenham Square, corner of Brougham and Colombo Streets. A sign reading "In the end it will be alright - if it is not alright, it is not the end." has been attached to the fence.
Oh, the irony: a tale of unexpected survival (or how the little things can…
Articles, Christchurch uncovered
Over the last few weeks, as archaeologists do, I’ve found myself thinking about the physical legacies people leave behind them. In particular, I’ve been thinking about the contrast between the monumental (buildings, in this case) and the artefactual and how, … Continue reading →
All Right? Posters: Libraries Poster 2
Articles, UC QuakeStudies
A PDF copy of eight posters promoting the Five Ways to Wellbeing at local libraries. Each poster directs its viewer to explore a section of the library by encouraging them to reflect on different hobbies and interests, for example cooking, painting, exercise, reading or music. The first poster reads, "Want a tasty recipe for the whanau? Good food tastes even better with the ones we love. For recipe books check out 641.5!". This set of posters differs from the other sets of library posters in that the poster encouraging reading is captioned, "Check out our Fiction section to find your next great read!" and the poster encouraging dancing is captioned, "For books on dance, check out 792.8".
New Zealand Defence Force photograph 740
Images, UC QuakeStudies
LCPL Ryan Dempsey, from the 3rd Catering and Supply Company, photographed in the NZ Army's decontamination area. The area was set up after the 22 February 2011 earthquake in order to decontaminate equipment used in Operation Christchurch Quake. In the background is a sign reading, 'Contaminated overalls'.
BeckerFraserPhotos March 2011 photograph 075
Images, UC QuakeStudies
The door of a house on Main Road in Redcliffs. The house has been red-stickered due to rock fall danger. It has a sticker on it reading, 'Danger, live wires'. A 'Landslide and rock fall' factsheet has been taped to the door. The factsheet is produced by CERA.