How To Do Archaeology (April 2020)
Always wanted to try archaeology? We’ve decided to open up our Virtual Fieldschool so that archaeology-fans around the world can come together and learn the ins and outs of archaeological excavation for FREE!
With so many of us stuck at home, we wanted to make sure that all you have-a-dig-heroes can still get down and dirty with your archaeological field skills. There’s plenty of try-at-home activities to keep you busy, plus you’ll get to chat with the DigVentures team and join forces with other students around the world to work your way through the six stages of an excavation – from choosing where to dig, to what happens to everything you find.
It’s endorsed by the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists, so as well as having loads of fun, you’ll actually come away equipped with the basic knowledge that underpins every excavation!
Starts: Tuesday, 14th April 2020
Duration: Six weeks. Each week, you’ll get an email prompting you to start a new chapter and you’ll be able to access all the content until 31 May 2020.
Cost: FREE! Please note our booking system may still ask for payment details, but won’t charge you anything – we promise!
Learn Core Skills
What do you need to do before, during, and after your dig to ensure the proper standards and methods are used? What’s the point of drawing in the age of digital? What’s with all the string, and funny red and white sticks in the trenches?
Digging is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to doing archaeology, and this course will also provide guidance on pre-excavation research, planning an excavation, running your dig, and the all-important post-excavation responsibilities and long-term care of your site archive. There’s helpful videos, hints and tips in every chapter, plus a section to help you dig deeper into each topic.
You can access the course materials from your desktop, tablet or smartphone
What will I learn?
Endorsed by the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists and based on the Archaeology Skills Passport, this course is tailored to teach you the end-to-end process of actually doing archaeology. How do you get started? What happens on site? What do you need to do after the trenches are closed and you’re done in the pub? We’ll explain:
What happens before excavationhow to locate and identify archaeological sitesthe different stages of an archaeological projectwhat happens in pre-excavation planning and researchwhat should be included in an archaeological Project DesignWhat happens during excavationhow to set up a trenchwhich tools to use, and what techniques are best practicehow to identify and recording what you findhow to recover artefacts and take environmental samplesWhat happens after the digging is finishedanalysis of the data and archaeological materialsinterpretation of the sitemaking the archaeological record accessiblewhat to do with an archaeological archiveHow does it work?
This six week course begins on the course start date at the top of the page – that’s when we’ll unlock your first chapter, and send you details of how to login.
After that, we’ll unlock a new chapter every Tuesday, and nudge you when it’s ready. You can do your chapters in bite-sized chunks, or in one whopper weekend sitting – whichever you prefer! At the end of each one, you’ll be able to prove your newfound knowledge in a quick quiz.
To help you along the way, we’ve also set up a Facebook Study Group for everyone on the course – it’s where you can say hello to your fellow classmates, discuss what you’re learning together, share your ideas and even call on the DigVentures team for help. It’s entirely optional, but we recommend joining – it will help you get the most out of the course!
*This course is endorsed by the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists
Course chapters
The course is structured into six chapters, taking you from the initial research to the operation of the archaeological site, backfilling, and beyond!
Chapter 1 - First steps
Chapter 2 - Stratigraphy starter
Chapter 3 - In context
Chapter 4 - Section perfection
Chapter 5 - Fabulous finds
Chapter 6 - Are you ready?
https://digventures.com/shop/how-to-do-archaeology/
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