I decided to partake due to the feedback and advice I had got from tutors in my department regarding the quality of the placements Grampus Heritage provide. It gave me an inexpensive taste of international work in my area of study which provides useful experience for future employment.
Tutor Recommendation
Applications were submitted online and through the post. We had to outline previous Archaeological experience and suitability. In addition a cover letter was provided, outlining our reasoning for application.
Our responsibilities were both Academic and practical. We were in charge of trench excavation and site surveying but also find cataloguing and mapping of excavation sites and the surrounding areas. Scale drawings, maps and labelled sketches were drawn for each area which we excavated, later to be included in a PhD thesis for one of the Slovakian students who was also on site.
A typical day would start around 6am to arrive on site for 6:30. The majority of the placement consisted of excavation, recording and classifying in order to build a picture and record of the site.
I really enjoyed experiencing the different climate and starting work early to avoid the heat. It was a very different to Britain.
Obviously the heat was a major challenge, temperatures rose to around 34 degress Celsius most days and it rarely rained. Manual work in this heat was very difficult. In addition the area we were excavating was much larger than any excavation I had been on prior in Britain which was also challenging.
All of the practical skills I have learnt through partaking in fieldwork at the University of Sheffield were put to use during this placement. Surveying (Geophysical), excavation techniques and scale drawing especially.
To some extent, I had gained an appreciation for how hard professional archaeologists have to work.
Placements do not have to be boring or expensive, if you get the opportunity you should go!
Form completed: 21 Sep 2017