THE two-week Mendip Hills Festival of Archaeology is being launched in Wells tomorrow.

Dr Jodie Lewis, senior lecturer in Archaeology at University of Worcester and editor of The Archaeology of Mendip, will launch the event at Wells and Mendip Museum at 10.30am.

Family activities follow at 11.30am, when children will be able to meet a fugitive Celt and take part in pottery making. There will also be pewter casting demonstrations. Dr Lewis will lead a guided family walk across Priddy Nine Barrows in the afternoon.

Festival co-ordinator Jane Hill said: "The Festival of Archaeology celebrates the richness of our landscape's heritage, and in the Mendip Hills we are particularly fortunate to have such a wealth of history on our doorstep.

"There is something for everyone: guided walks, green man trails, tours of the Cathedral, brass rubbing, exhibitions of Saxon digs, Stone Age survival skills and caving trips."

A programme is available from libraries and Tourist Information Centres. To book a place at museum events, call 01749 673477.