Bamburgh Research Project

Location: Bamburgh, NBL, GB

Season: June 21, 2020 to July 24, 2020

Session Dates: Stay anywhere from 1 to 5 weeks. 2 week minimum recommended. Week 1: June 21st- June 27th Week 2: June 28th- July 4th Week 3: July 5th- July 11th Week 4: July 12th- July 18th Week 5: July 19th- July 24th

Application Deadline: July 24, 2020

Deadline Type: Rolling

Website: http://www.bamburghresearchproject.co.uk

Program Type:
Field School

RPA Certified:
No

Affiliation:
Bamburgh Research Project

Project Director:
Graeme Young B.Sc.

Project Description:

Bamburgh Field School runs between the 21st of June and the 24th of July in 2020. Work starts Sunday the 21st of June. Apply via our website! Price £280.00 per week if paying by cash or cheque (advance payment necessary) or + 5% if you wish to pay via PayPal.

The project is open to ANYONE – as full training will be provided. Students book using the online booking form on the ‘Field School’ section of our website or email the project director or coordinator:

graemeyoung@bamburghresearchproject.co.uk

For year round updates please go to our blog: http://bamburghresearchproject.wordpress.com/  [full details of last season on there if you look back through posts]

Archaeological Research

Bamburgh Research Project has been excavating at Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland, UK since 1996. The castle is one of the most stunning locations in the UK, with an extensive archaeological legacy. In its heyday Bamburgh was the principal Palace-fortress of the early medieval Kings of Northumbria a role for which it has become increasingly famous in recent years through Bernard Cornwell’s Uhtred books and TV series.

Participants will be excavating within the castle ditch at Bamburgh Castle in a multi-period excavation. Survey of the main gate and defences of the castle will be undertaken as well as a comprehensive series of post-excavation tasks covering periods from the Roman to the modern with an emphasis of the exceptional early medieval deposit excavated from the West Ward of the castle.

Training

Students are given the option of booking our combined Excavation and Post-Excavation programme or our Post Excavation only programme.

Students working in the trench will receive tuition in excavation techniques, such as trowelling delicate contexts, defining and excavating cut features and undertaking sampling deposits. As you excavate we will also teach you the fundamentals of recording what you find. This can include:

• undertaking archaeological photography
• preparing and undertaking scale drawings of plans and sections
• survey techniques, such as setting out the site grid and measuring surface levels using a dumpy level. A total station will also be in operation at certain times throughout the season but is not guaranteed.
• contribution towards the various paper records that allow archaeologists to describe what they see and combine all the data they gather into one coherent record.

All those excavating will also be taught how to record archaeological finds as they are unearthed in the trench and will have the chance to undertake the post-excavation activities outlined below.

Our post-excavation tuition covers a variety of areas, as we have an active on-site finds department. Participants will have the opportunity to:

• undertake environmental sampling techniques
• wet-sieving and sorting residues and flots (search for ‘environmental’ on our blog to see lots of info about this element of the project)
• clean and sort bulk materials such as animal bone and small finds, such as metalwork and worked bone.
• prep finds for long-term storage
• undertake cataloging, including database and archive management
• together this will aid in developing your identification and assessment techniques for a variety of material assemblages

Period(s) of Occupation: Anglo Saxon and Medieval.

Notes:
Our annual field school provides comprehensive training in archaeological excavation and post excavation skills, and the training is conducted by professional field archaeologists and researchers. Bamburgh Research Project has been excavating at Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland, UK since 1996. The present castle is one of the most stunning locations in the UK, with an extensive archaeological legacy. Participants will be excavating within the castle ditch at Bamburgh Castle in a multi-period excavation. Survey of the main gate and defences of the castle will be undertaken as well as a comprehensive series of post-excavation tasks covering periods from the Roman to the modern with an emphasis of the exceptional early medieval deposit excavated from the West Ward of the castle.

Project Size: 1-24 participants

Minimum Length of Stay for Volunteers: 1 week

Minimum Age: 18

Experience Required: No experience necessary as all training provided

Room and Board Arrangements:
Accommodation must be booked separately. There are many options for accommodation in the area to suit every budget and we are happy to offer suggestions. However, we do encourage all participants to stay in close proximity to BRP staff, as this allows staff and students the opportunity to get to know one another in a social setting and there are friendly faces around should you need a helping hand. This year our staff will be staying at Budle Bay Campsite. Transportation to site will be offered from Budle Bay Campsite. Cost: £280 per week if paying by cash or cheque otherwise + 5% via Pay Pal

Academic Credit:
We do not provide specific accreditation, as we are not affiliated to any one university. However, we assess all participants individually and provide a report based on their experiences and skills on site. We can liaise with your institution and come up with a program to meet your needs and will attempt to meet all reasonable requests. We will write individual assessments of each student who requires fieldwork appraisals for their university or college. We encourage students to use data from Bamburgh as the basis for continued study, and we will make every effort to assist anyone wishing to take their studies further.