Apprentice Fieldwork Archaeologist

Under the direction of a mentor, Apprentices will work as part of a team to contribute to the investigation of archaeological sites through fieldwork excavations. The work is based outside, and we work in all weather conditions and in all seasons.

Initially, you will be working on a large excavation in Suffolk, where you will be uncovering archaeology from a range of different time periods. This is a physically demanding role. Starting at 8am and finishing at 4pm, you will learn to manually excavate small and large archaeological features using a range of tools including trowel, shovel and mattock.

You will also learn to interpret and record your features using a range of techniques including photography, context recording sheets and survey drawing techniques.

As well as contributing to site excavations, you will have the opportunity to learn how archaeological findings are processed and interpreted. You will work with our Finds Teams to help process and identify different types of artefacts to learn about the site’s inhabitants and to help date the site and its different phases. You will work with our Geomatics Team to process site surveys and other data to understand the extent and layout of the archaeology and build a picture of our findings.

You will work with our Environmental Team to process soil samples and find clues as to what people ate in the past, and how they lived.  You will also work with our Post Excavation Team, to learn the processes of bringing all this data together to create a comprehensive analysis of a site and its inhabitants, and to produce reports and publications.

Because of its rural location, your starting site in Suffolk is classed as ‘away work’, which means you will be provided with transport to the site in Suffolk from whichever office you’re based at (likely to be either Oxford or Cambridge) and be provided with live-in accommodation during the week, with the option to stay through weekends if preferred. Candidates will also be given a subsistence payment of £22.50 per night to contribute to food etc. There will be the possibility to work on ‘home-based’ sites which you can drive to using your own vehicle, or be transported to each day via a work vehicle from the office.

Because of the potentially wide geographical spread of our work, this apprenticeship will require you to be able to travel to our office and be flexible to work on away-based and home-based excavations.

Oxford Archaeology will provide all required PPE and tools for candidates.

Training:

Archaeological Technician Level 3 Apprenticeship Standard:

Whilst the majority of training will take place with the employer, you will be required to attend College classes on Teams every Friday during term time

Training Outcome:
Upon successful completion of the apprenticeship, candidates will be offered a full-time contract as a Fieldwork Archaeologist with Oxford Archaeology (assuming that the work is available) They will then be enrolled onto our Fieldwork Training Pathways; a training programme that provides the necessary knowledge and skills as they develop professionally in their fieldwork career Opportunities to move into other departments may be possible, subject to roles becoming available

Employer Description:
Oxford Archaeology delivers high quality archaeological and heritage services for our commercial partners and the communities in which we operate. We are one of the largest research-led archaeology organisations in Europe, with offices in Oxford, Cambridge and Lancaster. We provide a range of services for clients including (but not limited to) archaeological excavation and survey, heritage consultancy, landscape and building studies, heritage burial services, community engagement, research and archiving. As a registered charity, public benefit is at the heart of all our work at Oxford Archaeology. It is important to us to foster an appreciation for the past, make it meaningful to people’s lives today, and ensure it is accessible to everyone - now and forever. We offer a wide range of community focused services and activities to commercial clients, project partners, community groups, educational providers and curious individuals.

Working Hours :
Monday - Friday, 8.00am - 4.00pm, including 30 minutes morning tea break and 40 minutes lunch break.

Skills:
Communication skills,Attention to detail,Organisation skills,Problem solving skills,Number skills,Analytical skills,Logical,Team working,Creative,Initiative,Non judgemental,Patience,Physical fitness,ability to multi-task