Fieldwork
At Exeter, we think that fieldwork is an important part of your archaeology degree. All students have the opportunity to spend time in the field, usually over the summer between the first and second year. This will often take place on a university-led excavation, but students may also register on approved external digs.
Excavation may take you far from home, or just around the corner; over recent years Exeter students have experienced fieldwork in as diverse locations as Argentina, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, South Dakota, Texas and here in Devon. In some cases, fieldwork may consist of archaeological work in a museum rather than excavation.
The majority of students carry out fieldwork in relation to research being carried out by academic staff and details of fieldwork locations vary each year.
We also run a field school in South Devon, which is open to current students and external participants, Digging Roman Devon at Ipplepen. We are grateful for financial support for Ipplepen from the British Museum and Devon County Council.
Recent fieldwork
- Excavation in prehistoric ‘Plains Indian’ village in Mitchell, South Dakota
- Experimental archaeology project involving the smelting of metals in wind-powered furnaces in Sri Lanka
- Geophysical survey of ceremonial site of Taquara/Itarare people near El Dorado, Argentina
- Survey of antique buildings at World Heritage Site in Butrint, Albania
- Expedition to Gault, Texas, to examine one of the oldest sites of habitation in North America
- Survey and excavation at medieval manorial complex at Stokenham in Devon
- Exploration of early iron working on Exmoor
- Excavation and survey work in Kazakhstan to explore early domestication of horses