ARCS2060 Archaeology Field School

The Archaeology Field School will run for one week from 13-19 July 2025.

The one-week field school will involve a combination of academic study and field practice. Providing training in landscape archaeology, it will focus on understanding how people have engaged with landscapes over the past, and how these landscapes have been modified through natural and cultural processes. The focus will be on documenting Aboriginal cultural landscapes on the Macleay Valley on the mid North Coast of New South Wales. The Clybucca Historic precinct contains the largest temperate midden complex in Australia, and we will remap these sites to help better understand their significance with the aim of laying the initial groundwork to undertake a longer-term research project. A heavy emphasis of the course will be working closely with Aboriginal Traditional Owners from the Macleay Valley, particularly the Ngambaa Traditional Owners. Students will develop field and investigative skills that will enable them to record and interpret the archaeological record and to ultimately tell the story of the landscape. An important part of the project is learning how to write a site report and gaining experience working with and learning from Aboriginal people in the field. These are excellent skills to develop for anyone wishing to work in contract archaeology.

FEES and COSTS:

In addition to usual tuition fees, Students will be required to pay an estimated fee of approximately $900, which is subject to change. This fee will cover logistical costs such as transport to and from the site, accommodation and some meals. This fee will be due by Monday, 23 June 2025 and enrolment in the course will only be facilitated once final payment is made.  

Students need to provide their own dinners, stationery (pens, pencil, ruler), appropriate outdoor wear for hiking and field work - including for wet weather (e.g., rainjacket) – sturdy closed-in walking shoes (steel caps are not required), hats, sun block, water bottles.

FOOD & ACCOMMODATION:

During the field school, we will be staying in self-contained cabins at Stuarts Point.

The cabins are open-plan and are 2-bedroom. Each cabin contains a small kitchen and bathroom.

Some meals, notably breakfast and lunch will be provided. Students will be required to provide their own evening meal.

TRANSPORT:

Travel between The University of Queensland and the field site will be arranged by the School of Social Science. Method of travel will be by road on departing 9am from UQ Sunday 13 July 2025 and returning on Saturday 19 July 2025.

Compulsory Seminars at St Lucia campus in July

There will be two x 3-hour seminars in July that all students will be required to attend in order to have the skills required to successfully complete the field work. These seminars will be on campus; it is not possible to attend these workshops via zoom. The Seminars are scheduled for 9^th and 10^th July 2025.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Places are capped at 24 students. EOIs are due by Friday, 16 May 2025. Successful applicants will be notified by Friday, 30 May 2025 It is at this time that we will be able to provide the exact cost of the trip so that you can facilitate payment by Monday, 23 June 2025.

To apply, please write a 1-page cover letter/expression of interest addressed to Prof Michael Westaway explaining why you would like to be part of this course. Please email this EOI to student.socsci@uq.edu.au. Students will also be required to include details of courses already completed towards their major in archaeology.    

Students must also have completed the course pre-requisites of ARCA1000, ARCS1001 and 4 units (#4) of 2^nd level archaeology (ARCA/ARCS) courses.

Priority will be given to:

1. final year students studying the BA Extended Major in Archaeology;

2. second year students studying any Archaeology plan;

3. all other students.

Please be aware the Field Trip work is physically demanding, involving hiking through thick vegetation to the site each day.  Students should have a good level of fitness to ensure full participation in the field work. Groupwork and teamwork is also a critical requirement of this course.