How artefacts tell the story of Hartlepool’s Bombardment

Published Tuesday, 2nd July 2019

Short historical events seldom leave much material evidence of their passing, but battlefields are an exception, as will be revealed in a fascinating talk in Hartlepool next week.

Mark Simmons, Hartlepool Borough Council’s Curator of Museum Development, will be giving a presentation called ‘The Steel Remains - Exploring The Artefact Evidence from the Bombardment of the Hartlepools’ at Community Hub Central in York Road on Thursday 11 July from 2pm to 3.30pm.

The event is part of the Hub’s regular ‘CHAT Group’ – an adult social group which meets to chat about various topics.

Solders posing with a variety of disarmed German naval shells outside their lodgings in Seaton Carew.

Solders posing with a variety of disarmed German naval shells outside their lodgings in Seaton Carew

Mark’s talk will examine the Bombardment of the Hartlepools on 16 December 1914 from the perspectives of conflict archaeology.

He will talk about his ongoing research on the physical artefacts left behind that day, including shells and shell splinters – ‘shrapnel’ – preserved in the Museum of Hartlepool collection and explain what these and other physical clues can tell us about the events of that day.

Mark says: “The research is a bit like a detective might look at a crime scene, as generally people don’t tend to realise that you can look at a modern event in the same way that we archaeologists can examine things which occurred thousands of years ago.”

Admission to the talk is £1 per person and places must be booked in advance by contacting Community Hub Central on 01429 272905 or emailing central.library@hartlepool.gov.uk