UCL Institute of Archaeology

General information

The total fieldwork requirement for archaeology students is 70 days. This fieldwork must be completed to the satisfaction of the Tutor for Fieldwork, who will base his/her assessment on the project director's reports and the entries in the student's Fieldwork Notebook (see section Record of Completed Fieldwork and Assessment). The forms for fieldwork approval/grant application, director's reports (Student Fieldwork Experience Report) and student feedback are available from outside Judy Medrington's office; room 411a.

All students are normally required to attend the Institute's Experimental Archaeology Course, the Summer Field Training Course and the Archive Archaeology Course in their first year. The remainder of the required period of 70 days fieldwork must involve work on archaeological sites of different types and periods, to provide the student with a suitably wide range of expertise.

The Field Archaeology course (ARCL3056 Field Archaeology, counts as year three 0.5 unit core course) is a compulsory core course that students complete early in their final year.  It is based upon 42 days' fieldwork (see ARCL3056).

As well as the specifications set out for each year below, fieldwork associated with the preparation of the Third Year Dissertation can also be considered, as can approved Study Visits to Egypt (for BA Egyptian Archaeology only). Such fieldwork must be discussed and approved by your Dissertation Supervisor and the Third Year Tutor; both of whom should sign the Fieldwork Approval/Grant Form.

Please contact the Tutor for Fieldwork if, due to illness or other good reason, you wish to request a waiver of these norms.

ARCL3056: Field Archaeology

For completion of the compulsory Third Year 0.5 unit core course in Field Archaeology (ARCL3056) you are required to present two pieces of written work.  The details of these are currently are available in the course handbook.  It is therefore necessary for you to undertake the fieldwork element of this course during your First and Second Year vacations. The definition of 'fieldwork' for the 42-day requirement for Course ARCL3056 is: excavation or field survey or closely associated field
activities e.g., finds processing although alternative arrangements can be made in special circumstances in consultation with the course coordinator.

In addition to ARCL3056 Field Archaeology and the Field Training Course, all Institute undergraduates are required to undertake a range of further fieldwork as part of their degree requirement.  The definition of 'fieldwork' for the remainder of your 70 days is broad, in order to give students flexibility and to enable them to complete some work in the winter months if they wish.  Some of the categories of work described below can be undertaken at the Institute.  The following categories have been agreed:

• excavation/field survey
• underwater archaeology
• environmental work
• museum work
• reconstruction work/experimental archaeology
• interpretation/presentation
• work on collections/finds
• finds processing

Planning Your Fieldwork

Choosing a project

Please look at the details for every project carefully. Please be aware that many projects take place far from 'civilisation', with long work hours and minimal personal time. (Also see section Applications to Directors below). Please note that all non-IoA projects must submit a Risk Assessment before we can allow students to work on that project.  All projects advertised on this website will have done so.  The Fieldwork Tutor will not sign off on any project which has not done so. 

Consultation

Students should consult their Personal Tutors and the Tutor for Fieldwork before the end of the Spring Term regarding their plans for the coming summer.

Fieldwork approval and grant form

Since fieldwork comprises part of the requirements for the degree, all students must complete the joint Approval/Grant Application Form prior to undertaking any fieldwork.  Formal approval is needed for every project which is intended to count towards your 70 days (even those where grant aid is not requested); the student's Personal Tutor and the Fieldwork Tutor must approve the project and sign the form.  If the project is to count as fieldwork towards the student's Third Year Dissertation, then the Dissertation Tutor should sign to show her approval. (For details about grants see section Grants below).

Fieldwork schedule

All undergraduates are normally expected to complete at least 30 days fieldwork during the summer vacation of their First Year. Students are expected to have completed the full 70-day requirement by the beginning of their final year.

Core courses, field trips and dissertation work

Students wishing to take courses that include compulsory fieldtrips/fieldwork (e.g., Archaeological Surveying), or wanting to undertake fieldwork for their third year dissertation, should remember to keep sufficient days' grant available.

Fieldwork outside of the UK

In the first summer vacation, undergraduates should normally work in the UK, and will only be allowed to work abroad if the project is run by a member of Institute staff. Second year students who have failed to complete any fieldwork beyond the compulsory courses by the start of their second year are subject to the same restriction.

Please be aware that you may need vaccinations and visas and will need insurance to work in countries other than the UK.  Students are responsible for their own health on any project.

Reporting Problems whilst on Fieldwork

If a situation about which you are concerned arises whilst you are on fieldwork, you should contact the Fieldwork Tutor, Mark Roberts (07803500321) for advice.  Please also email Mark Roberts, and Charlotte Frearson (02076791494) with details.

Record of Completed Fieldwork and Assessment

All grant-aided fieldwork, and any other fieldwork that the student would like to submit as part of the compulsory 70 days, must be recorded.

Fieldwork Notebook

• Guidelines for entries into the Fieldwork Notebook are given on two forms at the back of the Field Notebook, in the Student Handbook (provided at the start of each year).
• All students are required to keep a continuous record of fieldwork undertaken, as set out in the Guidelines. This should be done on site, preferably, although it is understood that some project directors would rather you filled in your notebook in your own time.
• At the back of the Fieldwork Notebook students are required to keep a Record of Practical Work detailing the type and length of fieldwork undertaken during the course of the degree.
• All Field Notebooks will be checked in the second year and must be handed to the Fieldwork Administrative Assistant on or before the last Friday before the end of Term 1.  They will also be submitted as part of ARCL3056.

Student Fieldwork Experience Reports (Yellow Forms)

It is the student's responsibility to ensure that a Student Fieldwork Experience Report (yellow form), is completed by the director, or site supervisor, of each fieldwork project.  The form should be submitted to the Tutor for Fieldwork.  Any fieldwork that is grant-aided, and any further fieldwork that is to be counted towards the student's degree, must have a corresponding yellow form.

A record of the fieldwork each student has completed is maintained by Fieldwork Administrative Assistant.

The Student Fieldwork Experience Report form is used to assess student's fieldwork experience in two ways:

1. On site experience and performance. The project director provides an overall grade for the student's performance, comments about the archaeological expertise acquired, and the student's general conduct.  All yellow forms are checked by the Tutor for Fieldwork.
2. These forms provide evidence to the UCL Board of Examiners that students have completed their fieldwork requirement.Failure to provide this documentation may cause a delay in the award of your degree.

Please be sure to take a yellow form with you to each project that you attend.

Student Feedback

Students are also asked to fill in a blue Fieldwork Report Form themselves for each excavation they attend. Please submit these to Charlotte Frearson.  The information provided on these forms help to build up a file about archaeological sites and student
opportunities (and experiences), for reference by staff and other students.

Tutor for Fieldwork

Mark Roberts, the Tutor for Fieldwork, is available during his office hours to discuss your fieldwork plans (tbc). Just turn-up during those hours or e-mail him to make an appointment at another time.

When applying to the Director of an excavation or other project it is essential that you outline your previous field experience and state clearly that you wish to attend the project as part of your required field training. Please also let them know of any medical condition that you have (medicines may not be always be available), as well as if you have any special dietary requirements, as the director, or the country, may not be able to support this. You will need to hand a Student Fieldwork Experience Report (yellow form) to the project Director on arrival, in order for your work on their site to be assessed.

If you find that, for any reason, you will be unable to attend a project to which you have applied, you should inform the Director of the project immediately.  This may enable them to offer your place to another student, and it may be important to their budgeting to know that they cannot rely on your fieldwork grant as a source of income for their project.  It is, in any case, a common courtesy to keep them informed, and it will avoid damaging future relations between the Institute and their project.  You should also inform the Fieldwork Administrative Assistant.

All BA and BSc students are eligible to apply for grants. Grants can be made towards the expenses of attending the compulsory fieldwork, up to a maximum of 70 days. Expenses can include maintenance (at a standard daily rate), travel costs, and the cost of health insurance (if travelling abroad), but the student must be able to show that these expenses are not already being paid by the director of the excavation or the museum. Please Note: If you wish to take an Institute taught course unit that involves fieldwork, e.g., surveying, please ensure that you hold sufficient days' grant in reserve.

Students enrolled for the BA in Archaeology and Anthropology may opt for ethnographic fieldwork as a proportion of their requirement, in consultation with the Degree Co-ordinators.  Fieldwork based on ethnographic research must be agreed in advance with the Co-ordinators. 

Students enrolled for the BA in Classical Archaeology and Classical Civilisation should consult Jeremy Tanner about their fieldwork plans.

The Institute will make block applications on behalf of all students for funding of compulsory field courses, including three days at The Experimental Archaeology Course, twelve days on the summer Field Training Course and three days on the Archive Archaeology course. When calculating the number of days grant to which you are entitled, please remember to include these days.

How and When to Apply for a Grant

• The student must complete a fieldwork approval and grant form for each project.

1. The student's Personal Tutor, and the Fieldwork Tutor, must approve the project and sign the form.  If the project is fieldwork towards the student's Third Year Dissertation, then the Dissertation Tutor must sign the Approval Form.
2. Please make sure that you include a contact address and telephone number for the project, so that you can be contacted in emergencies.
3. Students are asked to submit their forms as soon as they have been accepted for a project. Please hand your completed form to the Fieldwork Administrative Assistant and contact them if you have any queries.

• If you are applying for a grant please bear in mind that it can take up to six weeks for a cheque to arrive, therefore apply earlier if necessary. Please also ensure that you are not claiming for days in excess of your 70 days.
• It is not possible to claim grants in retrospect.  Grant applications should always be made before you commence your fieldwork.
• Fieldwork grants are not normally available for work undertaken during term time.
• In order to be eligible for support for the cost of a flight, outside of Europe, trips abroad must be of at least 21 days duration.
• In order to be eligible for support for the cost of a flight, inside of Europe, trips must be of at least 14 days duration.
• The College has limited funds for fieldwork so students may be unable to obtain the full amount they would like for fieldwork. Students are advised, wherever possible, to arrange to go to sites where subsistence is paid or provided by the organiser of the excavation.  Should a student intend to apply for excavation outside the UK it should be remembered that the grant will probably not cover the full cost of living abroad.

Rates of Grant

In the 2011-2012 session it is expected that fieldwork claims will be paid at the following rates:

• Maintenance:  £20 per day
• Travel: £230 (maximum per trip) for Europe, UK, Cyprus and Turkey; £335 (maximum per trip) for long haul travel.
• Health insurance: free from UCL (please email Charlotte Frearson)
• If students choose to travel by car, they may claim 10p per mile up to the equivalent of the cost of public transport.  Students who are living at home whilst undertaking fieldwork may not be eligible for maintenance payments.

Insurance

All students must have individual health and public liability insurance for each project that they join.   Charlotte Frearson will arrange this for  the Experimental Archaeology Course and Field Training Course and for other projects for which you submit a grant form.  If you do not submit a grant form it is essential that you request insurance from Charlotte in advance of your trip (please allow at least 14 working days).

Students may apply to the Wheeler Memorial Fund which is administered by the Society of Antiquaries of London.  Applications must be submitted by mid-December.  Please bear in mind that only a limited number of applications are successful, and it is important to take great care over presentation of your application.  Please show any application to your Personal Tutor and the Tutor for Fieldwork before you apply.

Archaeology Abroad Fieldwork Awards offer modest financial assistance towards the cost of taking part in projects found in their bulletins. See the Archaeology Abroad website  for information.

British Institute of Archaeology in Ankara offers travel grants to students interested in travel to and in Turkey and the region of the Black Sea littoral. Applicants should note that travel grants are not intended to support participation in archaeological projects. Applications should be submitted by end of January (Information is usually emailed to IoA students in advance of this annual deadline).

Other funding bodies and schemes are advertised periodically on the basement notice boards and by email to all students.

If you are planning to work abroad it is essential that you consult your doctor well in advance of departure, and take her/his advice with regard to vaccinations and other medical precautions (e.g., against malaria).  You must also seek the advice of the Foreign Office if you are planning to travel to an area of the world which has experienced recent unrest.  If you are working within the European Union, and are an UK or EU citizen, remember to obtain an EU Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and take it with you when you go. Also see Appendix XV of the Student Handbook: Guidelines for Safety on Fieldwork.

Insurance

All students must have individual health and public liability insurance for each project that they join.   Charlotte Frearson will arrange this for  the Experimental Archaeology Course and Field Training Course and for other projects for which you submit a grant form.  If you do not submit a grant form it is essential that you request insurance from Charlotte in advance of your trip (please allow at least 14 working days).