Ancient memories

And in setting things in motion for the Ancient Landscapes project described in a previous blog (next one on the list - go and have a look!) I was reminded of other ancient ecologies we have explored including our DoveDale rockpools from the Nothing But Footsteps project and a section I wrote for the Time Moves On narrative poem audio guide for the museum. This link will take you to an extract from a different section of Time Moves On - it was a lovely thing to work on that didn't get nearly enough recognition for any of us, especially the set of storytellers and actors who voiced it and Aidan Jolly and Jaydev Mistry who contributed the music - Aidan drew all the strands together for the final production.

ebbing tide -a DoveDale rockpool

Time Moves On, section 2: limestone

Reach back 350 million years and

Buxton lies under tropical seas.

Warm waves washing on fine sand shores.

Still lagoons.

A long slow rain of shells,

Sifting down like snow into sediment.

Layers of life, layers of death, building slowly,

And slowly into limestone

            Brachiopod

            and Ostracod.

            Goniatite

            and Trilobite.

            Bivalve,

            Lamellibranch,

            Orthocone

            and  Gastropod

            Cow Low Nick and Castleton,

            Demon’s Dale,Thorpe Cloud

            And Bradbourne,

            Limestone holds the memories of distant worlds

            Lonsdageia floriformus,

            Goniatites maximus,

            Pseudamusium sublobatum,

            Bellerophon tangentialis,

            Spirifer striatus.

            Pugnax acuminatus,

            Fenestella membranacea,

            Fenestella membranacea.....                       

            Cow Low Nick and Castleton,

            Demon’s Dale , Thorpe Cloud

            And Bradbourne

            Limestone holds the memories of distant worlds