Course Catalogue

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This module offers students the opportunity to build essential skills in archaeological fieldwork, in areas such as excavation, survey, geophysical and remote sensing surveys, field walking, sampling, geoarchaeological and paleoenvironmental survey. Students will gain hands-on experience in these critical techniques while learning to plan, conduct, interpret, and effectively communicate the results of their fieldwork.

Students will be required to spend at least two weeks (7 hours a day for 10 days) in the summer at an approved University of Glasgow field school. This hands-on, practical learning will be supplemented by an additional 130 hours of independent study supported by sessions on Health and Safety and risk assessment.

Available to all students fulfilling requirements for Honours entry into Archaeology, and by arrangement to visiting students or students of other Honours programmes who qualify under the University's 25% regulation.

None

N/A

■ 800-word practical skills assessments 40%

■ 800-word written method statement 20%

■ 800-word written execution statement 20%

■ 800-word written execution statement 20%

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. Where, exceptionally, reassessment on Honours courses is required to satisfy professional/accreditation requirements, only the overall course grade achieved at the first attempt will contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

This course aims to:

■ provide students with the opportunity to develop essential skills and build confidence in archaeological fieldwork, preparing them for professional practice and further academic research.

■ Provide students with immersive, hands-on experience, by engaging in a range of key field activities, such as archaeological excavation (including soil sampling, feature recording and drawing, photogrammetry, laser scanning, sample processing, artifact handling and cataloguing, and report writing) remote sensing, GPS, drone and geophysical survey; paleoenvironmental coring, and/or relevant and appropriate skills.

■ gain experience in their chosen field skills and develop the ability to plan, execute, analyse, and effectively communicate the outcomes of their fieldwork. These skills are invaluable for careers in archaeology, heritage management, and related fields, as well as for pursuing postgraduate studies.

■ Contribute directly to the development of key graduate attributes by encouraging independent professional practice.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Employ the aims, methodology and results of an approved field project

■ Demonstrate their ability in some of the key archaeological field skills

■ Employ some of the tasks expected of them in a professional or research archaeological setting, such as excavation, recording, surveying and coring

■ Demonstrate a knowledge of the conventions regarding archaeological field records, such as context sheets and other written records, plan and section drawings, or photography, for example

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.