non sibi sed toti	Classics Teaching Resources

Using Artefacts Genuine bits of the ancient world open the eyes of pupils to the reality of the civilisations of Greece and Rome. A teacher cannot hope to house a miniature British Museum in the classroom, but there are several possibilities short of setting up a museum. Buy small items from a dealer. A coin or a small Roman glass vessel or a fibula could be a good investment. The silver coin with Alexander as Heracles cost £10 and the Augustus bronze coin less. The glass cost a bit more. Make friends with archaeologists and museum staff. Many digs turn up quantities of potsherds, of which you might be allowed to take one or two for teaching aids. Sheffield University made a useful 'Villa Kit' using such unregarded trifles - oyster shells, bones, building materials. Amazing what a class can deduce from these fragments. My son and I picked up many potsherds from a Cretan beach, well outside the perimeter fence of an ancient site. Keep your eyes open, and don't break the law! If you live in the UK, hire an artefact set from the ARLT collection, or borrow from your local education authority. Failing all these, or to supplement them, consider using replicas.