060056 PR Archaeological Field School 1 + 2 (4 weeks): (2016S)

Course content:
Key skills taught:
Core fieldwork techniques of identification, surveying, recording, excavation and sampling (QAA archaeology subject benchmark statement 4.2, 2nd bullet point)
Core post-excavation/post-survey techniques such as stratigraphic analysis of field records, phasing and data archiving (QAA archaeology subject benchmark statement 4.2, 3rd bullet point)
Prepare effective written communications for different readerships (QAA archaeology subject benchmark statement 4.3, 5th bullet point)
Make effective and appropriate use of relevant IT (QAA archaeology subject benchmark statement 4.3, 6th bullet point)
Make effective and appropriate forms of visual presentation (QAA archaeology subject benchmark statement 4.3, 8th bullet point)
Collaborate effectively in a team via experience of working in a group, for example, through fieldwork, laboratory and/or project work (QAA archaeology subject benchmark statement 4.3, 10th bullet point)
Appreciate the importance of health and safety procedures and responsibilities (both personal and with regard to others) in the field and the laboratory (QAA archaeology subject benchmark statement 4.3, 11th bullet point)
To evaluate critically one's own and others' opinions, from an appreciation of the practice of archaeology in its changing theoretical, methodological, professional, ethical, and social contexts (QAA archaeology subject benchmark statement 4.3, 13th bullet point)
Practical skills:
Archaeological excavation and survey: removing turf and topsoil cover, cleaning surfaces, sectioning and excavating features, recovering finds, soil and paleoenvironmental sampling, drawing of plans and sections, 2D and 3D photography, surveying with a total station and GPS Rover, producing written records.
Archaeological post-excavation work: finds processing and recording, wet sieving soil samples, plan digitization, finds drawing and photography, report writing.
Theoretical knowledge:
Principles of archaeological stratigraphy, GIS and CAD applications in archaeology, UK archaeological heritage legislation; organising and financing an excavation.

This module is an archaeological field school aiming at providing students with practical training in field archaeology. Students will be introduced to practical archaeological surveying and excavation methods. They will learn to understand archaeological stratigraphy on a real archaeological site, how to uncover, record and analyse the site’s stratification. Tasks will include all aspects of digging (removing turf and topsoil cover, cleaning surfaces, sectioning and excavating features, recovering finds, soil and paleoenvironmental sampling) and recording (drawing of plans and sections, 2D and 3D photography, surveying with a total station and GPS Rover, producing written records), processing archaeological finds and samples (finds processing and recording, wet sieving soil samples), and post-excavation record production (plan digitization, finds drawing and photography, report writing). Another important aim is to raise awareness of health and safety regulations and precautions taken on site to avoid accidents and minimize health risks.

Daily practicals from 9-5, 5 days a week; training provided in digging, cleaning of surfaces, sectioning of features, on-site archaeological recording by drawing, photography, context sheet and other written records, total station and GPS Rover and other relevant field archaeology skills like sampling, on-site finds processing, health and safety on archaeological excavations etc.; and preferentially on rain days post-excavation skills like wet-sieving of samples, finds post-processing, plan digitization, report writing and other off-site archaeological skills.