| Unit name | Work placement in Archaeology/Cultural Heritage |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ARCH30046 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Prior |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of Anthropology and Archaeology |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
This unit will provide students with an exciting opportunity to gain practical and professional skills in the archaeological or cultural heritage sectors. You will undertake an off-campus placement with an external partner such as a museum, commercial archaeological unit, archive, local authority or national heritage organisation, gaining first-hand experience of working in a vibrant, innovative and diverse industry. You will enhance your skillset and employability by gaining valuable work experience and developing a network of contacts in and beyond your placement providers. Placements may include opportunities to develop skills in archaeological fieldwork and recording, cultural heritage management, education and outreach, collections-based research, conservation planning, significance assessments and site management, cataloguing and digitisation. You will gain experience of the working environment, as well as behind-the-scenes access and careers advice from professionals. You will become familiar with organisation- and/or industry-specific requirements and standards and you will learn about the particular challenges and opportunities facing the archaeology and cultural heritage sectors in the current economic and political climate. This will be an opportunity to put into practice the knowledge and skills you have learnt in first and second year (such as data analysis, presentation, time-management, documentation and group-work) and to help you develop professional networks.
You will be offered a placement with one of our existing partners in the Bristol area, facilitating engaged learning in a setting that reflects longstanding links between the University, city and wider region. The work you carry out during your placement will help you to tailor your CV for a range of possible career paths as well as to develop a variety of transferrable skills. By supporting you to work independently under the guidance and supervision of professionals in the archaeological and cultural heritage sectors, the unit will help you to reflect on the relationship between your chosen degree and the workplace. Please note that whilst every effort will be made to accommodate students’ preferences regarding placements, a specific hosting organisation cannot always be guaranteed.
By the end of this unit, students will be able to
1. demonstrate an advanced awareness of how the skills and knowledge that they have developed over the course of their degree programme to date can be applied in the workplace;
2. reflect critically on the range of professional contexts in which archaeology and anthropology might be relevant;
3. demonstrate detailed knowledge of a specific workplace environment including key challenges and opportunities in the sector;
4. work competently and confidently within a professional environment, both independently and as part of a team;
5. understand operational aspects of that environment such as risk assessments, ethics, health and safety in the workplace, etc;
6. demonstrate key employability skills including data recording, analysis and interpretation; different modes of writing and presentation; creativity and problem-solving skills; collaborative work; and engagement with the public;
7. make informed decisions regarding potential career paths and opportunities for employment related to your degree.
6 x 1-hour workshops (including student presentations), plus work placement during term time subject to University policy.
Summative assessment:
3000-word essay, related to the placement tasks/project (50%) ILOs 1-3, 5
1500-word reflective journal, describing the activities undertaken and the skills and knowledge acquired over the course of the placement (30%) ILOs 1, 4-7
Credit for the unit will be subject to a satisfactory report from the placement provider.
Ambrose, T. & Paine, C. 1993. Museum Basics, 1st Edition. London: Routledge
Baker, D. and Chitty, G. 1999. Managing Historic Sites and Buildings. London: Routledge.
Blockley, M. and Hems, A. 2005. Heritage Interpretation. London: English Heritage.
Bond, S. and D. Worthing. 2016. Managing Built Heritage: The Role of Cultural Values and Significance. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell
Gherardi, S. 2006. Organizational Knowledge: The Texture of Workplace Learning. Oxford: Wiley.
George, A. 2015. The Curators Handbook. London: Thames and Hudson.
Lucas, G. 2001. Critical Approaches to Fieldwork: Contemporary and Historical Archaeological Practice. London: Routledge.
McKercher, B. and Du Cros, H. 2015. Cultural Tourism: The Partnership between Tourism and Cultural Heritage Management. New York: Routledge.
McManamon, F. and Hatton, A. 2000. Cultural Resource Management in Contemporary Society. London: Routledge.
Schofield, J., Carman, J. & Belford, P., Archaeological Practice in Great Britain: a heritage handbook, London: Springer.
Szczepanowska, H. M. 2013. Conservation of Cultural Heritage: Key Principles and Approaches. London: Routledge.
