Lockdown Lectures

Join a team of international experts for our brand-new lecture series, featuring gripping new perspectives on the battle, the latest news about our dig discoveries, and the techniques archaeologists use to uncover the secrets of the past.

Lectures so far

Introduction to Hougoumont

Introduction to Hougoumont
In this lecture, the first in a new series of Lockdown Lectures, Tony sets the scene for the bitter and bloody fighting that consumed the Chateau of Hougoumont, one of the Duke of Wellington’s key allied positions.
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Archaeological Techniques in Action

Archaeological Techniques in Action
In the second lecture of our Lockdown Lectures series, WU Archaeological Director Dr Stuart Eve gives an introduction to the archaeological techniques we use at Waterloo, including why we dig where we dig and how we locate and record our finds.
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The Killing Ground of Hougoumont

The Killing Ground of Hougoumont
Waterloo Uncovered's Archaeological Director Tony Pollard explains how the area just beyond the wall of the formal garden of a Belgian Chateau became known as the 'Killing Ground', the scene of some of the bloodiest fighting of the Battle of Waterloo.
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Battle for the North Gate

Battle for the North Gate
In a special Lockdown Lecture for #WaterlooWeek, Time Team's Phil Harding talks us through the battle within a battle that took place at Waterloo, and, according to the Duke of Wellington, turned the tides of the battle in the Allies favour: the Battle for the North Gate at Hougoumont!
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Remote Sensing and GIS

Remote Sensing and GIS
Wondering about the cutting edge archaeological technology we use to survey the battlefield of Waterloo in Belgium? Learn more about remote sensing, GIS and LIDAR with our Archaeological Director Dr. Stuart Eve.
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A Tale of Two Buttons

A Tale of Two Buttons
In the second of Phil Harding's Lockdown Lectures for Waterloo Uncovered, Phil explains how archaeology can connect us to the people of the past, and how even the smallest items of personal kit can tell the stories of forgotten soldiers. Watch now to find out more about the buttons of Hougoumont, lost during the Battle of Waterloo and rediscovered last year during our excavation at the famous North Gate.
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About this lecture series

Due to the coronavirus crisis, we have been unable to travel to Belgium for our annual excavation this year. As a result, Waterloo Uncovered has had to adapt our programme of education and support for veterans – so we’ve gone virtual!

An international team of expert battlefield archaeologists have collaborated to produce a new series known as the Lockdown Lectures – and we're now making them available to our supporters across our website and YouTube channel.

Every week, we’ll bring you a new Lockdown Lecture from archaeologists and academics such as Time Team’s Phil Harding and WU’s archaeological directors Professor Tony Pollard and Dr Stuart Eve, alongside a range of special guests.

A wide variety of topics will be covered over the coming weeks; including an introduction to the Battle of Waterloo, a beginners guide to excavation, how we can integrate cutting edge technology into archaeology, and how Phil Harding’s passion for the past has taken him from the Neolithic to the Napoleonic and from Time Team to Waterloo!

We’ll be releasing a new Lockdown Lecture every week, so watch this space.