What the heck is a lek?
Males great bustards perform spectacular courtship displays, gathering at a ‘lek’ or small display ground to try to impress the females.
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The Highworth Roman pot or storage jar is two foot high and nearly as wide. With iron staples holding it together, detailed conservation work has revealed a lot about how the vessel was used.
Discovered off Cricklade Road in Highworth in 2008, this large vessel was found remarkably intact, with a small stone slab covering the mouth. The object was clearly considered valuable, as it had been repaired with lead staples during its use.
We believed the vessel was used for keeping food cool and fresh. It was buried in the ground with the slab serving as an effective barrier preventing anything from getting inside. Underground, the temperature would have been cooler and more constant, providing an ideal environment for preserving perishable items.
Males great bustards perform spectacular courtship displays, gathering at a ‘lek’ or small display ground to try to impress the females.
The great bustard has a dignified slow walk but tends to run when disturbed, rather than fly.
The hen-bird on display at The Salisbury Museum was one of the last great bustards to be eaten in the town!