IFR: United Kingdom Field Schools - Wales, Lancashire & More

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.

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 was a great experience for me. I learnt various tools on an archaeological dig and how to process the materials led by professional and passionate archaeologist. The view on the hill is beautiful and it was great to chat with the student from ULiverpool. The teachers and site assistants were all very knowledgeable people with great amount experience of archaeology. They all love to share their stories and help the students to build their career in archaeology. You can also learn the process of archaeology and heritage-communication. The open day was brilliant, a lot of people came, locals and those from academia. The public has shown great interest to the project and wanted to learn about the site. I felt what I was doing was important in the sense to contribute to people's understanding of their homeland.