Get Involved in Archaeology

You may have watched Time Team, followed the Waterloo Uncovered project, or seen an archaeological excavation taking place close to where you live, but what do you do if you want to get involved in archaeology yourself?

Volunteering

There are many opportunities to volunteer in archaeology throughout the UK. The voluntary sector consists of a large, varied and often highly motivated body of people who undertake considerable research into the historic environment. Many local archaeology societies and groups welcome young people along and may have field projects that you can get involved in.

There are also many commercial archaeological companies – it would be worth finding out which companies work in your area and keeping an eye on their websites, as some archaeological companies have open days and special events throughout the year where you can get involved in what they are doing. Some commercial units will accept volunteers and this can provide a great opportunity to work alongside a team of professional archaeologists, although the work is usually of a very fast-pace and short-term nature.

Check out these resources to find volunteering opportunities around the UK:

Formal Education and Employment

Many volunteers develop their skills and interest to the extent that they would like to seek formal education and a job in archaeology. At university, the archaeology curriculum will be focussed on delivering knowledge about the past, how it is interpreted, methods and theory. Although practical experience is recognised to be important, universities only have limited time and resources to devote to this. If you are certain you want to be a field archaeologist, consider choosing a university that has a good field school, which will provide digging experience to put on your CV. A graduate job in archaeology is likely to be a fixed-term contract doing archaeological fieldwork. These get you into archaeological employment; from there, it is much easier to get a permanent job.

The following online resources provide up-to-date information on job vacancies in UK archaeology and heritage:

British Archaeological Jobs Resource
CIfA Jobs Information Service
Earthworks Jobs
Past Horizons

Battlefields Uncovered

In collaboration with Waterloo Uncovered, Utrecht University runs an annual entry level course on Battlefield Archaeology, open to veterans, serving personnel and military family members alongside students and members of the public.

The three-month online course provides a fascinating introduction to the topic, and will cover some of the most dramatic turning points in world history through the lens of military history and archaeology, through group activities, workshops and lectures, led by leading conflict archaeologists and experts.

Learn more