Paper short abstract:

This paper combines a performance and discussion of 'Stones from the Sky', an evocative multimedia interpretation of Neolithic Cumbria, north-west England.

Paper long abstract:

Creative expression allied to archaeology offers both a means of communicating ideas to a wider audience, and also the potential to develop new approaches to research. For example, the traditional classification of prehistoric monuments and artefacts is arguably perpetuated through the static and two-dimensional printed media through which they are portrayed. In contrast, time-based audio-visual expressions are able to capture and convey embodied multisensory encounters with objects, sites and landscapes, and can potentially renew interpretations.

'Stones from the Sky' is a film that was commissioned by Penrith and Eden Museum, and is on permanent display to the public alongside Neolithic artefacts from the region. It is a creative and theatrical response to the archaeological record, featuring the journey of a stone axe from its mountain source in the Lake District. While the film was developed as an art installation, it is also founded upon evidence. Its production drew upon original research, archaeological papers, museum collections, as well as the results of a local community fieldwalking project.

'Stones from the Sky' not only evokes the wider archaeological landscape and enlivens existing interpretations, it also makes space for a visitor's own imagination and emotional reflection upon the past.