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AY3514: PROFESSIONAL ARCHAEOLOGY II: POST-EXCAVATION ANALYSIS AND EMPLOYMENT (2015-2016)

Last modified: 25 Mar 2016 11:36


Course Overview

Lectures and laboratory practicals will provide experience in the techniques used to process and analyse archaeological artefacts and samples. We will introduce analytical basics for lithic, ceramic, faunal and historic artefact analysis as well as techniques for conserving, cataloguing and curating archaeological collections.  This course also introduces practical skills required to obtain employment and placement in an archaeological workplace through practical exercises in writing CVs, job cover letters and job interview skills.

Course Details

Study Type Undergraduate Level 3
Term Second Term Credit Points 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Campus None. Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Dr Rick Knecht

Qualification Prerequisites

None.

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

  • Any Undergraduate Programme (Studied)
  • Either Programme Level 3 or Programme Level 4

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

This course aims to provide practical experience in the techniques used to process and analyse archaeological artefacts and samples. Lectures and laboratory practicals will introduce analytical basics for lithic, ceramic, faunal and historic artefact analysis. Techniques in conserving, cataloguing and curating archaeological collections will also be introduced. This course also introduces practical skills need to obtain employment and placement in an archaeological workplace through practical excercises in writing CVs, job cover letters and job interview skills. By the end of the course students will have acquired:
- a knowledge of the basic techniques used in the laboratory analysis of archaeological artefacts.
- an understanding of the basics in proper handling, conservation and curation of archaeological collections and data.
- an understanding of the range of archaeological workplaces and the skills needed to write a CV, cover letter and conduct oneself at a job interview. 

This course will provide practical experience in the processing and analysis of archaeological artefacts and other data. Lectures and laboratory practicals will be used to introduce the techniques for process and handling lithic, ceramic, faunal and historic assemblages. Artefact conservation and curation skills will also be introduced. The final weeks of the course will be co-taught by Careers Advisers and introduce a range of archaeology-related professions and possible summer work placements in archaeology. This will provide guidance and support for student job applications and the course will cover practical skills such as how to write curriculum vitae and cover letters, and how to conduct effective job interviews.

Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

1st Attempt: Continuous assessment (100%), consisting of laboratory notebook (50%), lab worksheets (25%), completed CV, cover letter and mock interview (25%). Resit: No resit is possible.

Formative Assessment

There are no assessments for this course.

Feedback

Formative feedback on CVs and cover letters is provided by Careers Service Advisors in person or over email (e.g. for distance learners). Detailed feedback forms are provided for submitted CVs, cover letters, and the mock interview, and some specific comments may also be written on the CVs and cover letters themselves. Immediate oral feedback and anonymous peer-review feedback forms are provided in the mock interview practical session. Detailed written feedback will be provided for the laboratory notebook/laboratory work sheets.

Course Learning Outcomes

None.

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