AR2F13-Archaeology Fieldschool Joint Honours

Module Provider: Archaeology
Number of credits: 10 [5 ECTS credits]
Level:5
Terms in which taught: Summer term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2021/2

Module Convenor: Ms Amanda Clarke
Email: a.s.clarke@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

This module offers a practical hands-on introduction to the field techniques and site recording methods used on both urban and Ìýrural excavations. Through the excavation and recording of the monuments and sites within a prehistoric, roman, medieval and post-medieval landscape, students will learn about major archaeological monuments within their urban and rural contexts. Students will spend 2 weeks on the excavation and during this time will be able to participate in most aspects of site work, including excavation, finds and sample processing, survey, and coring. There will be dedicated training sessions and the opportunity for students to focus on particular fieldwork and transferable skills.ÌýStudents will be assessed by a combination of continuous assessment (including regular formative feedback on practical and transferable skills), an online short answer quiz on practising archaeology, and an on-site verbal and written test.

Aims:

The training excavation aims to provide the student with an experience of field archaeology in which a basic knowledge of field techniques (both intrusive and non-intrusive) and site recording methods will be acquired. An introduction to finds management and the scientific techniques used on an excavation will be given, as well as the opportunity to work with visitors to the excavation. Additionally, insight will be gained into the setting up and running of a large archaeological field project, including Health and Safety awareness.

Introductory ºÚ¹Ï³ÔÁÏÍø:

Dunyvaig, Islay:

Ritchie, G. 1997. The Archaeology of Argyll. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. (especially chapters 1, 2, 7, 9, 10)

Caldwell, D. 2008. Islay. The land of the lordship. Edinburgh: Birlinn.

RCAHMS, 1984. Argyll: an inventory of the monuments. Vol.5, Islay, Jura, Colonsay and Oronsay. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (Introductory chapters and the entries for Dunyvaig castle, Barr an t-Seann Duine fort and Cill Mhoire burial ground).

www.islayheritage.org , explore Projects and Sites and monuments pages

Silchester Roman Town:

Boon, G C, 1974. Silchester: the Roman Town of Calleva. Newton Abbott.

Fulford, M., and Timby, J. 2000: Late Iron Age and Roman Silchester: Excavations on the Site of the Forum-Basilica, 1977, 1980-86, Britannia Monograph 15, London

Fulford, M., Clarke, A. and H. Eckardt 2006: Life and Labour in Late Roman Silchester: Excavations in Insula IX since 1997. London: Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies Britannia Monograph 22, pp xviii + 404

Fulford, M. and Clarke, A. (2011) Silchester: city in transition. The mid-Roman occupation of Insula IX c. A.D. 125-250/300. A report on excavations undertaken since 1997.Britannia Monograph (25). Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, London, UK, pp544. ISBN 9780907764373 http://www.silchester.reading.ac.uk/cit

Fulford, M. Guidebook: Silchester Roman Town, 2016

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Assessable learning outcomes:

Additional outcomes:

Students will also develop their IT awareness by observing the creation and development of the on-site archaeological database and accessing the relevant web pages. The module also aims to teach the student to communicate effectively with members of the public. For those students enrolled in the Museums Studies course there will be opportunities to work with the artefacts recovered during the excavation, as well as a chance to develop their site presentation skills to visitors to the excavation. There may be opportunities for students to help in the acquisition of geophysical data (from a range of different geophysical instrumentation),.

Outline content:

Students will spend at leastÌý2 weeks on the training excavation. At the start of the Field School, all students will take part in an on-site training session offering short talks on site Health and Safety, the use of archaeological tools, finds recording methods and systems, and environmental sieving and sorting. Each student is then assigned to a site supervisor, and during the course of the next 2 weeks, will learn to take responsibility for the excavation and recording of archaeologic al features under guidance. It is expected that even if each student does not have the opportunity to take part in every aspect of the Field School, they will have been able to observe others doing so. Students will be kept up-to-date with site progress by means of a weekly site tour, and by regular reports from their individual supervisors.Ìý

Global context:
On completion of this module the student will have gained an exemplary grounding in archaeological fieldwork, and a broad range of skills, which can be put to good use on any other excavation project, anywhere in the world. Working with the project database (the Integrated Archaeological DataBase - IADB) allows students to consider the implications of a universal recording system and how it can be translated to excavations of any location or period.

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:

All students will be assigned to a team at the outset, and this team will form the basis of their teaching and learning experience on site. Each student will be given a copy of the Field School Handbook at the start of the excavation, outlining aims and results of the excavation, methods and details of recording, Health and Safety regulations and the processes of assessment. Subsequently students will receive instruction and guidance throughout the working day. There will be dedicated trainin g sessions each week on individual aspects of the excavation.

The working day will be divided between formal lectures delivered to large groups, and smaller interactive, and hands-on sessions. At the end of their first week the students will have an informal feedback session in order to monitor their progress.

Each student will be given an Archaeology Skills Passport at the start of the Field School, and they will map the skills gained throughout the Field School, with the help of feedback from their Supervisors.

As a 10 credit module, The Archaeology Field School should involve 100 hours of study time, including supervised fieldwork and preparing for your assessments. You should therefore expect the following sort of workload:

7 hours: Contact hours in formal teaching sessions (on-site lectures)

4 hours: Demonstration

16 hours: Supervised time in a workshop

3 hours: Tutorials/project supervision

50 hours: Contact hours in supervised fieldwork on site

20 hours: Independent study (writing a field notebook, reading the Handbook, filling in the Before and After Fieldwork Skills Assessment Questionnaires, preparing for the skills’ test, filling in the Archaeology Skills Passport).

Contact hours indicated in the Summer term include contact hours that take place during the Summer vacation.