Introduction

The aim of this field school is to give undergraduate and graduate students from any university an opportunity to earn 12 credits through a structured program of learning and practicing archaeological and heritage management skills in an Australian field setting. The research aims of the field school are to contribute to the understanding of the landscape archaeology of Australia’s inland sandy deserts.

We aim to teach students practical and theoretical details of walking survey, detailed site recording and collection and excavation in desert environments. We will also teach some post-fieldwork skills such as analysis, reporting and curation of data. We aim to combine teaching and practical experience in archaeological science and cultural heritage management. The field school will be part of the final phase of a long term archaeological project working at BHPB's Olympic Dam mine in central South Australia. 

Prerequisite

The prerequisite is five credits and pass grade or higher for ARCHY 205 Principles of Archaeology or equivalent. No other previous archaeology experience required. 

Cost

The anticipated program fee will be around USD 3500 for UW students (slightly higher for non-UW students). Other costs not included in the course fee are travel to Australia, passport and visa fees, health insurance and personal cash. Financial aid may be available and UW students may apply for IPE fellowships.

Academic vision 

The Australian deserts of this region are known to have a long history of Aboriginal occupation and archaeological sites typically have a diversity of tool types that is not found in many other parts of the continent. Our goal is to contribute towards understanding the patterns in the distribution of tool types and other site attributes. By analyzing the distribution of the sites that we record we will identify relationships between archaeological attributes and geomorphology and geology. By analyzing the material we excavate we will identify changes in these patterns and relationships over time. These data will be suitable for undergraduate research projects at UW and potential dissertation topics for honors and graduate students.  

Students will be deeply embedded in Australian rural and industrial cultures. These cultures are anticipated to be very different from what the students are familiar with, and exposure to them will broaden their understanding of the range of cultural variation, even amongst English-speakers. By working on a large mining operation students will experience the culture of this industry, especially by learning and following the strict safety procedures. Students will be accommodated directly with mine workers and will have ample opportunity to socialise and discover similiarities and differences between the local way of life and their own. Students will observe the dynamics of a small community that is made up of fly-in-fly-out residents and permanent residents.

The mine site was also the location of a major anti-uranium protest during the late 1980s and there are reminders of this event on the landscape. Students will engage with the ethics and politics of mining, especially of sensitive minerals like uranium ores. The team includes three archaeologically trained field assistants from the local Aboriginal traditional landowner groups who will be on hand to work with the students and introduce them to aspects of the local Aboriginal culture. The students' impact on the local community is expected to be minimal given the highly structured field school program, the low level of formal engagement with local community we will have and the strict condions imposed by BHPB on our activities.

Intercultural experience

The field school is closely affiliated with The Australian National University. Participants in the field school will receive instruction in geology, geomorphology and geoarchaeology from Drs Philip Hughes and Marjorie Sullivan (Visiting Fellows at the Australian National University). Dr Hughes is the director of archaeological work for the Olympic Dam Expansion project and has been working at Olympic Dam for thirty years. He is an eminent geoarchaeologist and archaeologist who has been involved all his working life in archaeological projects in Australia and the Pacific. Ben Marwick has been working directly with Philip since 2007 on Olympic Dam archaeology.

Participants will also receive instruction in Australian archaeology and stone artefact analysis from Professor Peter Hiscock (Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, The Australian National University). Professor Hiscock is an internationally regarded specialist in Australian and European stone artefacts and recently published an important textbook on Australian archaeology. The students will at times work alongside experienced archaeologists who have graduated from Australian universities. The language of instruction will be Australian English.

Orientation

Two predeparture meetings will be held at UW-Seattle to introduce the students and instructors, distribute documentation and answer questions. These meetings will highlight the major risks of the field school and instruct students in the tools we are using to minimise these risks.

In one of these meetings students will be instructed on the need to purchase steel-capped, lace-up safety boots and to wear them in before departure so that they do not cause problems in the field. Students will also need a sun hat with a wide full brim and sun glasses if they need prescription lenses. Ordinary sunglasses, high-visibility shirts, sunscreen, gloves and other personal protective equipment will be provided at Olympic Dam by BHPB.

Documentation is in preparation that will inform students of the basic details of Australian culture, language, social engagement and personal finance. We will be there during the winter, which is typically mild to cool (see here for annual temperature and rainfall data). Students will be given copies of BHPB's safety protocols to familiarise themselves with the strict safety procedures they will have to follow during the field school.

Students will be given a list of relevant readings, including scholarly articles, magazine and newspaper articles to provide extensive background historical and cultural information.

All documents will be hosted on Ben Marwick's faculty webpage for easy access. All students will have telephone numbers and email addresses for Ben and TA so they can call or write with any questions or anxieties.

Applications

Application forms are available by contacting Ben Marwick by email.

Brief notices of the fieldschool can be found at archaeologyfieldwork.com, Past Horizons' World Projects and the Archaeological Institute of America Archaeological Fieldwork Opportunities Bulletin.

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