Archaeology - from Dig to Lab and Beyond

Overview

We’ll show you around our field school at the Vale of Pewsey, a relatively untouched site compared to its famous neighbour, Stonehenge.

An excavation is more than just digging with a trowel. You’ll investigate how and where to dig, collect, record and store precious finds and take a closer look at what you can learn from a discovery once you’ve found it.

One of the most intriguing finds of all is a burial site and you’ll examine the archaeological methods employed in the study of the dead. How can you recreate the life, health and occupation of an individual just from their skeletal remains?

By the end of the Archaeology - from Dig to Lab and Beyond course from University of Reading by FutureLearn, you'll be able to:

• Explain how an archaeological dig works, from the planning stages, through excavation, to the analysis and storage of artefacts

• Summarise the basic characteristics of all archaeological periods from the Mesolithic to the post-medieval period (c.8000 BC–AD 1900)

• Describe the main ways in which archaeologists analyse human skeletons

• Debate some of the key issues facing archaeology today

• Understand the transferable skills you will acquire from studying archaeology