NEARLY 200 museums and archaeological sites across Britain will be open this weekend to celebrate National Archaeology Days.

Attractions are on offer from almost at Land’s End — the Trewortha Bronze Age village in Cornwall — to most of the way to John o’Groats, at the Archaeolink prehistory park in Aberdeenshire. The latter has an “Archtiques Roadshow” to identify mystery artefacts on Sunday, while Trewortha is demonstrating aspects of ancient household life on both days.

Some of the most elaborate programmes have been organised by large institutions: the Museum of London, together with its archive and research centre at Mortimer Wheeler House, is offering a range of exciting options, from finding out where your DNA comes from, using experts from the BBC’s Blood of the Vikings, through a visit to London’s Roman amphitheatre under Guildhall and the Billingsgate Roman baths, hidden under an office block in the City. All of the MoL events can be booked through Meriel Jeater on 020-7814 5777.

English Heritage, not to be outdone, has a succession of events at Fort Cumberland, Portsmouth, including talks for older children and adults, tours and wildlife walks, stained-glass, pottery and mosaic-making, and skills such as flint-knapping and arrow-making. Many do not need to be booked in advance: just turn up on either day. For those that do need booking, call 023-9285 6725.

Almost every major city has something going on, as well as many rural locations: these include Creswell Crags, near Welbeck in Nottinghamshire, where Britain’s first Ice Age cave art was found this year. The Council for British Archaeology and the Young Archaeologists’ Club are co-ordinating the weekend’s events. The website at www.britarch.ac.uk/nads has further information.