MA in Field Archaeology

Course Placements

Each student will undertake a placement with a relevant project or organisation in the course of both the first and second terms. This may take the form of one day per week throughout the relevant term, or can be consolidated into a ten-day block over the Christmas (Term 1) or Easter (Term 2) vacations.

Aims and objectives:

To provide experience of the organising of archaeological fieldwork and interpretation of results within a professional environment.
To consolidate knowledge and understanding of data gathering or analysis as developed in one or more of the taught modules.

It is the responsibility of the placement provider to:

provide specific learning opportunities
provide support and supervision
be responsible for the health and safety of students whilst on placement

It is the responsibility of students to:

take due regard of the needs of the placement provider and its customers, clients and employees
record their activities so that they can provide a verbal report on their placement (see below)
alert the placement provider and the Director of Studies to problems that might prevent the satisfactory completion of the placement.

Students will discuss placements with the Director of Studies at the beginning of the Autumn and Spring terms. Particular placements cannot be guaranteed but we will try to satisfy needs as far as possible. In Term 1, normally, you will work on a fieldwork project within the Department under the guidance of our experimental and technical staff. In Term 2, further possibilities open up, with opportunities to work with other in-house projects, or with professional bodies elsewhere. These might include:

a local government organisation such as the City of York Council
Departmental fieldwork projects
a commercial unit such as OnSite Archaeology, Field Archaeology Specialists or York Archaeological Trust
an archaeological consultant in the region
Internet Archaeology, an electronic journal developed in the Archaeology Department at York
Archaeology Data Service, also housed within the Department
the Council for British Archaeology, which has its headquarters in York
the York branch of Royal Commission on the Historic Monuments of England or with English Heritage, with which the RCHM(E) has now been amalgamated.

For further information, consult Departmental Code of Practice for Placement Learning.

Information supplied by SPR; last updated July 2007