HISTORY lovers are being invited to become archaeologists for a day and explore ancient treasures in a forthcoming event at Hartlebury Castle. Worcestershire County Museum archaeologist David Kendrick looks forward to national archaeology day.

Sunday is National Archaeology Day and a series of exciting activities have been organised at Worcestershire County Museum to commemorate it, including sandpit digs for reproduction Roman coins to find and keep.

Other events on the historical agenda include a brass rubbings workshop for children, a Roman game called Pettiea and the creation of a jumbo-sized skeleton jigsaw.

Visitors can also handle and try on Roman legionary armour and weapons and have their own archaeological finds identified by the county's portable antiquities officer Angie Bolton.

A potsherd washing workshop will also be hosted in the castle's orchard by museum archaeologist David Kendrick, who will show visitors how to wash pieces of pottery found on archaeological walks in the Worcestershire village of Defford.

Death and burial in pagan times are the subjects of a display by Deborah Overton from Worcestershire Archaeological Service of a facsimile Anglo Saxon female skeleton and grave goods.

Mr Kendrick said he was hoping good weather would entice large crowds to the annual event which caters for people of all ages.

"We're hoping for as many people as possible but that often depends on good weather.

"We want a few hundred people because we usually get that and we've been lucky in the past."

He added his pottery-washing workshop would enable visitors to identify a piece of history for the first time.

More information on the event, which is free to members of the Young Archaeologists Club and lasts from 1pm until 5pm, can be obtained from the museum by calling 01299 250416.