May 2007

(Middle) East Meets (South) West
In May an encampment of Bedouin could be found being trained in trenches in this quiet corner of Cornwall. So what was going on? Well they were seven students from the United Arab Emirates here to experience basic archaeological excavation as part of their wider training in Museum and Heritage matters. The tide of history has truly turned now that British archaeology is being investigated by those from the Middle-East rather than the usual way round. These students were particularly interested in the important connections between this part of Cornwall and the Middle-East in the 6th century, exemplified by the large deposits of Eastern Mediterranean pottery at Tintagel. They also commented how pleasantly sunny and warm Cornwall was! A compliment indeed. However, this good news Muslim story was completely overlooked by the media.