Institute For Field Research Courses in Ireland: Experimental Archaeology
Institute For Field Research

Institute For Field Research

Courses in Ireland: Experimental Archaeology

Los Angeles, USA

Course

English

Full time

Sep 2026

On-Campus

Key Summary

    About : The Experimental Archaeology course in Ireland offers hands-on experience in understanding ancient technologies and practices. Students will engage in practical projects that reconstruct past techniques, fostering a deep appreciation of historical contexts. This program emphasizes a blend of theoretical knowledge and applied learning, allowing students to explore various archaeological methods while directly interacting with materials and tools used in ancient societies.
    Career Outcomes : Graduates of this program can pursue careers in various fields, including archaeological consultancy, cultural heritage management, and academic research. They may also find opportunities in museums, educational institutions, and conservation organizations, where they can utilize their skills in analyzing and preserving archaeological findings.

This program provides a practical introduction to the role of crafts, technologies, and construction techniques in Ireland throughout time. Focusing on both the built environment and materiality in the medieval period, students will actively participate in a range of bespoke, experimental archaeology workshops and projects. Students will be equipped with a general understanding of medieval society, with a specific focus on the role of technologies and materiality in people’s lives in that time period. In addition to archaeological knowledge, students will build more general ‘life-skills’ such as creativity, problem-solving, teamwork, time management, resourcefulness, and project design and implementation.

What makes this program especially unique is its collaboration with a leading archaeological research project – Digging the Lost Town of Carrig.Students will learn experimental archaeology methods adjacent to an authentic ringwork castle (the Carrick ringwork) within the confines of the Irish National Heritage Park (INHP) in Wexford, southeast Ireland. This ringwork is one of Ireland’s most important medieval monuments. It is crucial to the earliest stages of the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland, being the first Norman fortification built-in 1169 CE. Archaeological excavations were undertaken in the 1980s and by the IAFS since 2018 showed that significant evidence of the site’s medieval history is preserved below the ground – including remnants of a 12th-century fort with wooden structures, 13th century stone castle, and 14th-century hall and chapel. Students in the experimental archaeology program will not be excavated, but they will be actively partnering with the archaeologists. As part of the experimental archaeology program, students will be given in-depth tours of the site. They can expect to understand the archaeology intimately, as it is the archaeological features they will be replicating in workshops. As archaeologists uncover the history of both the site and buildings, the results will be communicated essentially in ‘live time’ to the experimental archaeology students, underpinning their projects with exceptional authenticity and increased significance.