The field school | TIME OF MAGAN

THE FIELD SCHOOL

Time Of Magan Field School programs are an excellent opportunity for BA and MA students, of archaeology and related disciplines, to gain experience in the field of Arabian Archaeology, and more broadly in settlement archaeology (excavation and documentation) and artefacts/ecofacts processing and recording. We provide a range of expert-led research focused training designed to introduce students to practical archaeological field methods, and to build and expand on knowledge and experience gained during your university studies.

PREREQUISITES

No prior excavation experience is required to participate in this field school. Students must be enrolled in BA/MA/PhD programmes in anthropology, archaeology, cultural heritage, history, geology, or related fields.

They must also be motivated and willing to seriously engage in field activities. Participating in an archaeological campaign is exciting work, but it is also sometimes tiring and challenging.

It is important to be ready and fit for outdoor physical labour. The typical day starts early in the morning and runs until late-afternoon (6:00 am-19:00, with a pause half-way in the morning and a pause for lunch + a short resting time before afternoon lab activities).

COURSE OBJECTIVES

The programme will introduce students to the archaeology of South-Eastern Arabia and to the major research themes related to regional prehistory and sites in the area. They will understand the specificities of civilizations that developed and flourished in desertic environments and gain knowledge about the resilience and ingenuity of human populations coping with harsh environmental conditions.

Guided visits to regional sites will support and enrich the learning based on required readings and lessons provided by the trainers.

The students will also understand and practice the key methodologies of settlement archaeology concerning both excavation and documentation and become familiar with the basic methods of artefacts and ecofacts processing and recording.

This knowledge will be achieved through a range of individual and collective training modules designed to introduce students to practical archaeological field methods (stratigraphic excavation, SU sheets, graphic documentation, Total Station) and to build and expand on knowledge and experience gained during their university studies (computer-assisted recording and management of the finds, photogrammetry, GIS, 3D).

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon completion of the course, students will acquire knowledge of the rise and development of local cultures during recent prehistory and of the major theoretical debates focusing on the regional socio-economic dynamics. They will understand site-formation processes and develop an all-round range of skills to conduct archaeological excavations:

mastering different methods of excavation, allowing them to work in a variety of contexts and soils conditions, and adapted to the type of excavated evidence.

understanding stratigraphy and documenting stratigraphic relationships.

documenting the evidence in the field through journaling, pictures, in-situ recording of finds (total station).

classification and database recording of artefacts and ecofacts.
a basic knowledge of digital tools enhancing archaeological research (photogrammetry, GIS, 3D).
learning to write a final excavation report and generate a Harris matrix.

The programme will also foster students’ critical thinking and interpretation skills, and stimulate their creativity and problem-solving capacities, as well as their adaptation skills.

Students will learn to work in teams and cultivate a healthy team-player aptitude and interpersonal competencies (listening, communication, cooperation). The geographic, cultural, and social diversity of attendees and the contact with the locals will also nurture their capacity to embrace different perspectives and respect individual and cultural diversities.

OUR HQ

Students and most staff members will be staying in a dedicated house in a quiet neighbourhood in the city of Sur, in the Sharqiyah region or in the city of Qurayyat in the Muscat governorate.

The accommodations are shared bedrooms, with three to five persons per room, and usually a basic shower and toilet in each room. Sheets and pillows will be provided, but participants should bring towels and sleeping bags.

THE FIELD WORK

Once we start field work, the day is fairly full. We have breakfast at 6:00 am and we leave the house for the field at 6:30 am – arriving there by 7:00 am.

We have a break at around 10:00 am with a quick snack. Work in the field ends each day at 1:30 pm.

After the lunch-break, the afternoons are reserved for lab activities, which can be followed by core and thematic lectures. Around 8:00 pm we eat dinner as a group at the house.

Thursdays are dedicated to core lectures and experimental archaeology projects such as mudbrick making, bead making, etc.

Weekend is from Thursday afternoon to Friday night and sometime could be extended for trip purposes. It is advised to arrive in Oman on Thursday to start the field work at the beginning of the working week (Saturday).

The training includes:

In-field methods and post-excavation procedures

Digging different types of features with the adapted trowelling and excavation techniques.
Basic principles of stratigraphy and Harris Matrix.
Recording and documenting the data during the excavation.
Survey.
Monitoring test trenches.
Practice on the recognition of archaeological materials .

Basic procedures for sample collection.
Use of Electronic Total Station.

Post-excavation laboratory activities

Sorting out and classification of archaeological objects: ceramics, faunal remains, metals, lithics, shells and stone ornaments.
Digital recording of finds (data-base and photography)

Principles of:

Zooarchaelogy
Malacology
Ceramology
Analysis of lithic artefacts

Experimental archaeology

Principles of:

GIS
3D imaging

Photogrammetry
Computer Aided Drawing

But please note! Participating in an archaeological campaign is an exciting work, but it is also sometimes tiring and challenging. It is important that you are ready and fit for outdoor physical activity. The typical day starts early in the morning and runs until late afternoon.