Archaeological Fieldwork Project
| Module title | Archaeological Fieldwork Project |
|---|---|
| Module code | ARC2003 |
| Academic year | 2025/6 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Dr Susan Greaney (Lecturer) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 10 | 10 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 15 |
|---|
Module description
This module will enable you to put into practice the archaeological skills you have gained in your first year. You will complete at least 16 days of placement in archaeology/museum/heritage work either in the UK or abroad, allowing you to demonstrate and build on your practical competence in archaeological techniques, recording methods, collections documentation and management, and/or post-excavation work. The experience will be assessed through a host placement form, and a reflective journal about your work. This practical experience will provide invaluable employability skulls, particularly for those pursuing archaeological careers. You will develop these skulls and gain a broader understanding of how archaeological research projects are conducted by designing your own hypothetical archaeological project.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims to provide practical experience of field archaeology/museum/heritage work, giving competence in archaeological techniques, recording methods, collections documentation and/or post-excavation work. These workplace skills will be invaluable in future careers and will provide experience of archaeology both in the field and beyond (e.g. in post-excavation, conservation, public interpretation). You will consolidate methods learned at Level 1 and during fieldwork placement to research, design and plan your own hypothetical archaeological project.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of various techniques of practical archaeology/post-excavation tasks/museum or heritage-related work
- 2. Understand how the methods of excavation, survey and finds documentation are put into practice to meet the aims of a particular archaeological project
- 3. Gain experience of an excavation or museum/heritage work away from the department
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Use appropriate archaeological terminology
- 5. Undertake research into a specific archaeological site and plan an excavation project
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. Write a comprehensive report, deploying visual and written material
- 7. Interpret a variety of information forms and synthesise data from disparate sources
- 8. Work in team structure, and co-operate with and learn from peers
Syllabus plan
Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:
Workshops:
- Briefing on the module contents, practical arrangements and nature of assessments
- At least 16 days of practical work experience
- Guidance and training to complete your reflective journal.
- Workshops on approaches to designing archaeological field research
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | 164 | 128 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 8 | Four 2hr workshops (one before and three after fieldwork) |
| Guided independent study | 164 | Reading, preparation for workshops and assessment research and writing |
| Placement | 128 | At least 16 days, or around four working weeks of practical archaeological experience (excavation, museum/heritage work or survey) |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 70 | 0 | 30 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment of skills, performance, attitude, team skills during work placement by the project director/ line manager. | 30 | At least 16 days Four week field or museum experience | 1-4, 8 | Mark and written comment |
| Reflective fieldwork journal | 30 | 2000 word report | 1, 2, 4, 6, 7 | Mark and written comment |
| Project design relating to the conduct of archaeological field research | 40 | 3000 words | 1-2, 4-7 | Mark and written comments |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment of skills by host | Assessment of skills by host | 1-4, 8 | Referral/Deferral period |
| Reflective fieldwork journal | 2000 word report (30%) | 1, 2, 4, 6, 7 | Referral/Deferral period |
| Project design relating to the conduct of archaeological field research | Project design relating to the conduct of archaeological field research | 1-2, 4-7 | Referral/Deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
If you do not complete a work placement of at least 16 days, you will be required to defer the placement and the two related assessments (assessment of skills by host and reflective fieldwork journal) to the following year. This will not affect the project design assessment, which can be completed in Level 2, Term 1.
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Core reading:
- Carver, M. O. H. (2009) Archaeological Investigation. London: Routledge
- Collis, J. (2004) Digging up the past: an introduction to archaeological excavation. Sutton: Stroud.
- Drewett, P. (2011) Field archaeology: an introduction. London: Routledge.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
- ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=11093
- See ‘Useful Resources’ for guidelines and websites relevant to project planning
Key words search
Archaeology, excavation, fieldwork, museum, survey
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | none |
| NQF level (module) | 5 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | June 2009 |
| Last revision date | 07/02/2025 |
