Overview
Zooarchaeological analysis of excavated faunal remains is an essential part of the post-excavation study in both academic and cultural resource management archaeological projects. Animals have always been integral to human societies, and faunal remains can provide insight into diet, economy, social inequality, trade, agriculture, religious beliefs, and more. Understanding how zooarchaeological analysis works is a necessary skill for pursuing robust archaeological research and for the successful completion of research and compliance projects.
This program provides a hands-on introduction to the basics of zooarchaeological analysis. Students will work with Dr Emily Holt, and Dr Hannah Russ, learning the theoretical foundations of zooarchaeological analysis and gaining practical experience with identifying, recording, and photographing zooarchaeological remains. Students will work with excavated materials from a variety of sites and time periods, drawing on information from lectures and lab work. Relaying on an extensive skeletal reference collection to identify and record species, students will identify skeletal elements, age, sex, pathology, and taphonomic alterations. Students’ work will contribute to ongoing projects being conducted by archaeology.biz, a Cultural Resource Management (commercial archaeology) outfit based at Barnard Castle.
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Worked bone fragment
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Sorting archaeological residue
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Students assessing faunal remains
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Refitting bones
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Ovicaprid mandible
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Dr. Holt with pig skull
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Organized faunal assemblage
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Dr Russ measuring bone
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Dr. Holt demonstrating bone analysis
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Dr Russ demonstrating reference skeletons
Instructor(s)
All field school directors are experts in their field and passionate about their work. To discuss the suitability of this program for your career goals – whether within or outside academia – you are invited to contact the directors directly. For a broader discussion which ARC program to choose, you are welcome to contact our staff directly – you can do that through our “Contact Us” page.
Testimonials & Program evaluation
Student Fees (Tuition)
What is Covered
- DEPOSIT IS PART OF TOTAL TUITION COST
- Costs of Instruction
- Cost of Academic Credit Units
- Cost of Accommodation
- Health and Evacuation Insurance
Read Before You Pay
- Application: You must apply online for this program – application is free
- Deposit: A $300 nonrefundable deposit (part of the total tuition cost) is required to secure a space in the program
- Credit Card Fee: Payments with credits cards incur 3% processing fee
- Late Fee: A $100 Late Fee will be added to the program costs if tuition is not paid in full by payment deadline
- Cancellation Policy: Carefully read our Cancellation Policy before committing to attending our programs
- Trip Cancellation Insurance: Trip cancellation insurance is not provided by ARC. Such policies have changed due to Covid 19. If you wish to purchase an insurance policy that covers pandemic contingencies, explore Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) plans. Insuremytrip or Travel Guard are possible websites where you may explore different insurance policies.
Accommodations
Students will stay in dormitory housing with shared bathrooms at the TCR Hub, a vibrant community center in Barnard Castle. The Hub is located in a beautiful natural setting that includes a pond and public access trails.
Diet
This program does not provide meals (with the exception of the Arrival Dinner, Welcome Dinner, and Traditional Sunday Roast). Barnard Castle is a thriving town with many options for groceries, fast food, takeaway, and restaurants for all price ranges.
Travel Information
We suggest you hold purchasing your airline ticket until six (6) weeks before the program begins. Natural disasters, political changes, weather conditions & a range of other factors may require the cancellation of a field school. ARC typically makes a final Go/No Go decision six weeks before program begins. To protect students from potential financial loss, we urge you to purchase airline tickets only six weeks prior to program beginning.
Students will be met at the Newcastle Airport arrival area on the first day of the program at 5:00pm and then will be transported to the TCR Hub by designated minibus transfer. If you plan to arrive from the Manchester or Edinburgh airports, you will be responsible for arriving at the TCR Hub on your own.
Visa Information
US citizens and most other visitors travelling to the UK need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to visit the UK. An ETA costs £16. Students must obtain ETA on their own and the cost is not covered by the program’s tuition.
Citizens of other countries are asked to check the UK Embassy website at their home country for specific visa requirements.
Meeting Point
| Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 18, 2027 | 5:00pm | Newcastle Airport arrival area |
If you missed your connection or your flight is delayed, please call, text or email project director immediately. A local emergency cell phone number will be provided to all enrolled students.
Safety
Our primary mission is student education. Traveling and conducting field work involves risk and students interested in participating in any field schools must weigh whether the potential risk is worth the value of education earned. While risk is inherent in everything we do, we do not take risk lightly. We engage in intensive review of each field school location prior to approval and continue to monitor conditions on the ground to ensure a safe and wholesome education experience.
Students attending our international programs are covered by a comprehensive Health Insurance Policy that covers physical illness or injury, mental or chronic conditions and medical evacuation – if needed. This insurance policy has no deductibles and 100% of the costs are covered up to $250,000 (for more, see here). In addition, we provide Political & Natural Disaster Evacuation policy, which allows us to remove students from program location if conditions change.
Students attending our domestic programs (within the US) must have their own health insurance. Program directors are familiar with local authorities and if in need of evacuation, local emergency services and/or law enforcement will be notified and activated.
We have an explicit and robust Harassment & Discrimination Policy, outlined on our Health & Safety page. If students feel they cannot discuss personal safety issues with program staff, they are welcome to call the ARC emergency hotline and talk directly with an ARC staff member.
Call (+1 323 740-1805) or email (admin@anthroctr.org) if you have questions about the safety of any program.