Prospectus

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MA internship Historical Archaeology

Course
2013-2014

Historical Archaeology comprises Provincial Roman Archaeology, Early Medieval Archaeology and Urban Archaeology.
Examples of research-related internships are:

  • Provincial Roman Archaeology offers a wide range of material culture for individual projects. Depending on current excavations, staff research topics and availability, finds such as pottery (various sites, but also focusing on particular types or fabric), construction material, metalwork, fibulae and other small finds, leatherwork and other organic finds may be considered.
    There is also scope for developing skills in recording (drawing and photography) with reference to particular find groups. Re-interpretation of old excavations also belongs to the possibilities.
    Current projects include the material from the Roman forts at Velsen and Nijmegen. (Contact: M. Driessen and C. van Driel-Murray).

  • Two projects concerning Early Medieval Archaeology, one on Merovingian cemeteries and burial rituals and the other on developments in rural society in the Carolingian age.
    These projects offer the possibility of participation through studying material culture of cemeteries and settlements. Cemeteries commonly yield wide ranges of pottery, weapons, jewellery, and various other types of objects. In settlements, finds of pottery dominate the spectrum, but we will also incorporate metal finds and imports such as tefriet, used for the production of hand-mills. You will learn how to identify objects (typology), date them, draw them and how to enter them correctly into catalogues and databases. Moreover, we will seek out similar objects in literature in order to enable a discussion on the distribution and exchange of such items (Contact: F. Theuws).

  • Cesspits are probably the best known features from Urban Archaeology. Often the research focus is on ceramics and glass only, in this cesspit-project however (Old cesspits, new questions) we also address the structure, the stratigraphy (layers and backfill) and the location in the yard. To put it in other words: a contextual analysis will be at the centre.
    We will visit a municipal archaeological service and will delve into numerous past excavations. As the investigated material will be included in a publication, we are aiming at a mid-year planning (January with reservation).
    Please note: it is highly recommended that you have attended the course Projectgroep Middeleeuws aardewerk (BA3, on Thursdays afternoons, in Dutch) before taking part in this internship.