ACADEMIC PROGRAM

Archaeological Field School (Summer)

Note: this program will not run in Summer 2007, but may be available in Summer 2008

The University at Buffalo is pleased to offer the Summer 2007 Archaeological Field School: Archaeology and History of the Vikings and their Predecessors in Thy, Denmark. This six-week, six-credit hour program consists of 5 weeks in the field and 1 final week in the US to complete a final paper on individual topics. No background in archaeology is necessary.

This field school provides an intensive experience of North European archaeology, allowing students to learn survey, laboratory and excavation techniques with direct supervision and instruction from a team of experienced archaeologists. You will experience firsthand an international project, interact with specialists, and experience many phases of a modern field project, as well as visit museums and archaeological sites to get a sense of settlement history and traditional agriculture.

Our research on how decentralized societies become states is set in the Late Iron Ages?Early Medieval periods of Denmark, where between AD 700?1200, several autonomous chiefdoms were transformed into a single, unified polity.

During the second week of fieldwork each student will select a topic relating to our project, the area’s archaeology, or the Iron Age or Medieval time period, for which they will keep a notebook, keeping track of their field experience, reading, discussions with staff, and site/musuem visits which relate to the topic. After our return to the USA, students will have one week to do further reading or research, write up their topic, and turn in a short paper. Participants will be evaluated on the basis of participation in the field, the term project, and grasp of the course readings and Danish archaeology by project’s end, and perhaps most importantly, how good a “team-player” they are.

Archaeological field schools involve moderately strenous work and long hours. The work week is normally 5 days, with 2 days for your leisure. Any group field trips will be scheduled during the work week. The normal working day is 9a.m. - 4p.m., though weather may either shorten or lengthen the day. The sites are in planted fields and we work among the crops. Be aware that soil sampling, opening test units and excavating is hard, hands-on labor with shovel, trowels, and wheel barrow.