A PUBLIC seminar centred around archaeology and trauma is being hosted next month.

Bournemouth University’s (BU) Department of Archaeology and Anthropology is hosting the seminar on the results of using archaeology to help those suffering from trauma.

The session will be held in the Fusion Building at BU’s Talbot Campus on Friday, July 5, from 10am to 5pm.

It will explore how archaeology is being used to help veterans recover from physical and mental trauma suffered in conflict.

The seminar aims to support open discussion on experiences so that effective recovery programmes can be developed, expanded, and used in other areas, such as for the Blue Light Services.

Veterans will talk about their personal experiences with contributions from those running projects such as Operation Nightingale and Waterloo Uncovered.

Speakers at the event will also include Ukrainian archaeologists Dr Maksym Ostapenko and Dr Sergiy Taranenko, and Richard Osgood, a senior archaeologist for the UK's MoD.

Richard Osgood said: “This is a very timely moment to bring together those working in this area to share experiences and examples of best practice so that the hugely important benefit that archaeology brings to those suffering from trauma can be developed further.”

The seminar organiser, BU’s Professor Mark Brisbane from the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, said: “We are delighted that our colleagues from Ukraine, who are faced with dealing with the enormous consequences of armed conflict, will be joining us to discuss how they have had to set up recovery programmes for their veterans at such short notice, using archaeology and heritage as a significant part of their work.”

Tickets are available for purchase via Eventbrite.