UQ students and members of the wider community are currently being recruited for a unique archaeological fieldwork experience taking place in Africa in July.
Taking place in Karonga, Malawi, the course is a residential field school teaching practical core archaeological skills (survey, excavation, and public liaison) through participation in a real research setting.
Coordinated by Dr Jessica Thompson from the School of Social Science, this year’s program is attached to the Malawi Earlier-Middle Stone Age Project, which investigates the evolution of human behaviour in Africa.
“Integrating the field school with this project will give students an opportunity to learn while directly contributing to real archaeological questions,” Dr Thompson said.
After the formal field school period (July 2–16), students have the opportunity to stay on for up to a month as research volunteers, with food and accommodation covered by the project.
Dr Thompson said the program was not limited to UQ archaeology students, but open to students from all disciplines as well as volunteers from the community.
“This is a rare opportunity for interested members of the community to become involved with a real archaeological research team in Africa,” she said.
2011 participant Jordan Clarke-Vote said the course was a must-do for anyone serious about experiencing archaeological fieldwork.
“No classroom can convey the same amount of information as that from being in the field,” she said.
Dr Thompson said learning to live amongst different people and operate in a variety of work environments were key skills for archaeologists.
“It must have felt like a very foreign experience to most of them, but I was impressed with the dedication and cultural sensitivity of the students that last year’s course attracted,” she said.
The practical portion of the last field school, which took place along the shores of Lake Malawi, involved 20 students from around the world – 11 were from UQ.
2011 participant and UQ student Anna Weisse said the trip confirmed that archaeology was the career for her.
“It was a 100 per cent hands-on experience, and we had constant contact with local people which was great,” she said.
Applications for this year’s archaeological field school close on March 26. The cross-disciplinary nature of the project makes it of particular relevance for students interested in earth sciences, palaeoenvironments, and geography.
For further details contact Dr Thompson on jessica.thompson@uq.edu.au
Media: Dr Jessica Thompson; +61 7 3365 2765; jessica.thompson@uq.edu.au or Kristen Bastian (UQ Communications) +61 3346 9279 or k.bastian@uq.edu.au
