Program Reviews

Amazing experience. Considering we were living in tents in the desert, 30km from the nearest town, our quality of life was exceptional. The staff were incredibly knowledgeable and eager to teach all aspects of field work. Learned many things I never knew I would need to know. Along with working in the established trench, we also had the opportunity in teams of three to open up completely new trenches- from plotting the grid to excavating to filling it in at the end.

My experience studying and working in the UK Pennycloddiau field school through the Institute for Field Research was honestly one of the best academic experiences that I have had in my past three years of college. Going to Wales I was going to see if going further into the field of archaeology would be for me and something that I would want to pursue after I graduate from college. The program was outstanding from beginning to end. The information provided to me by IFR was extremely helpful and emailing their staff about questions I had before I left the United States was very easy and they responded promptly. Once in Wales and at our housing site, the fun and learning never stopped. Working with the site supervisors and directors was something that I will remember and cherish for the rest of my life. Every day I was learning something new, and how I could improve my technique and skills over the course of the four weeks. Being able to collaborate and work with students from the University of Liverpool as well as other international students was a wonderful experience, that I was able to learn more about different education systems and ways of learning. I made lasting friendships with people that I still speak to on a weekly basis. If I had the opportunity to go back to Wales and attended another IFR Field School as a student or as a supervisor, I would definitely do so. It was a rewarding and wonderful learning experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

This program is simultaneously academically rigorous and a ball of fun. There is so much to learn, see, and experience for students who want to fully immerse themselves in new countries. It's best place I've found to be academically challenged, culturally engaged, and constantly inspired! Truly an immersive experience, the Peru-Sondor field school is a great way be exposed to totally different ways of life and learn to think outside of one's "home bubble."

I left feeling so encouraged and motivated and look forward to visiting Peru again!

Penycloddiau prepared me in every conceivable aspect for future work and research in archaeology. My undergraduate archaeology classes now cover familiar ground, and I can safely say I am well versed in archaeological field methods. I attended field school to determine whether archaeology is a good career for me. Penycloddia allowed me to answer that question with a definiitive yes. In addition, I thoroughly enjoyed myself during the program. I made a great deal of friends, and the new location of the field school allowed for some truly memorable cultural immersion.

I had such a wonderful experience at Ribchester last summer. I'm actually back in the UK this term for a semester abroad, and I feel like field school last summer has definitely added so much depth to my courses both here and back in the states. I mean that mainly in the sense that I have a much greater understanding of how classroom archaeology/history/etc. applies in the real world and vice versa, and that it gave me a glimpse into the UK education system which has helped me adjust to classes this semester--and gave me an itch to get back into the field again. I would definitely recommend Ribchester to anyone interested in archaeology or classics or transitional periods in general, since part of what I found most fascinating was being able to see the interactions between roman and local identities in the late Roman period. Only thing to know going in is that you do live in a tent for a month, which I really enjoyed but isn't for everyone.

I attended the Appolonia Pontica field school in Sozopol, Bulgaria the summer of 2017. This was by far the most valuable decision of my academic and professional career, as there was much insight given in all corners of the archaeological process. The city of Sozopol is a beautiful seaside resort location, and a large amount of time was allowed to explore the city. The archaeological record is very relevant to the city, and every corner holds a piece of history that ties into what the field school taught me. Digging during the day and a lecture after a break period gave the perfect opportunity to indulge into the past and present culture, as well as several workshops and excursions to surrounding cities. The only downside to the experience as a whole is that my time spent in Sozopol became very captivating and made me forget sometimes that I was earning academic credit for my experience (only joking)!

The Cova Gran field school was an amazing experience for me. I learned a great deal about excavation and artifact analysis, to an extent that is impossible to achieve in a classroom. Overall, the atmosphere of the program and the people involved were very welcoming, which definitely contributed to the teams daily morale and fostered a desire to work hard and pursue knowledge throughout the programs duration. It was great to be a part of such a proficient project, where teamwork plays a vital role and methodology is held at a high standard. Cova Gran is perfect if you have an interest in Paleolithic archaeology, Neanderthal and early Homo sapiens, zooarchaeology, or lithics. And as a bonus, there are so many fun things to do on the free days!

They offered experience with photogrammetry, total station, architectural sketching, and of course field experience. The instructors there are the best and love to teach you. You may get a little intimidated sometimes because some, especially the ones in the field, like to be precise. However, you will thank them later and appreciate that they want you to improve.

I also loved the part of seeing rest of the country. Part of the program enabled us to visit Bitola, Skopje, and my personal favorite, Ohrid. We also went to see the so-called Tomb of Philip's grave in Greece. I am so thankful that I picked this field school. It was just a fantastic experience. I still carry many of the memories with me and appreciate learning so much about a culture that is hardly ever if ever in the American news. But above all, I am thankful that I had the chance to meet so many great people from the country, especially at the dig site. You really get a taste of the country itself.

Dr. Emily Holt and Davide Shirru were very on top of their timings and having everything ready to go. They were both welcoming, easy to ask questions to, and extremely knowledgable. The work was challenging but rewarding, and very much what I expected. The both also knew the local area well and were well connected to the local town. They made sure we were included in parts of the local customs such as festivals. Those who worked with us on meals were friendly and tried their best to make our time enjoyable. The food was very fresh and plentiful. The location was very hot, but hydration was not an issue and Dr. Holt worked to keep us out of the sun. Bathrooms were easy to use and I appreciated that we could do laundry on site. There was very little working wifi, which made it difficult to keep up with friends and family back home regularly. I enjoyed seeing other parts of the Sardinian landscape and the different beaches in the area. I greatly enjoyed this IFR Field Pran'e Siddi Landscape Project.

Highly recommend! You will be fully immersed in the archaeological experience - everything from excavating to lab work to lectures and field trips. The professors are exceptional and I still consider them some of the best educators I had in my undergraduate degree. In fact, one of them was a reference for my graduate program that I am currently completing. All of the credits transferred to my University and counted towards my degree.