Being an Archaeologist

A group of adult local history students from the Ennis campus of the Limerick Clare Education and Training Board recently took part in our first ‘Be an Archaeologist’ workshop of the year at Clare Museum. It is the first time that LCETB students have taken part in this programme, which is primarily targeted to support Transition Year programmes in Secondary Schools around the county.

Professional archaeologist Kate Taylor from TVAS Archaeological Services took the students through a power point presentation initially, and then gave them some practical experience of ‘digging’ in excavation boxes containing real artefacts. This taught the adult learners how to excavate, describe and record their finds. They also learned about radio carbon dating and how tree rings are used to date wood found in an archaeological context.

Although none of the students intend to be archaeologists in the future, the experience shed light a profession that often rouses curiosity and is frequently misunderstood. Kate also took the opportunity to discuss recent archaeological excavations and finds from around the county which was of particular interest given their area of study.

Feedback from the LCETB has been very positive, and there is a possibility of extending the programme to other adult education courses.

There are still workshops available for booking by Transition Year or community groups. Bookings for groups of up to 25 students can be made by emailing dhiggins@clarecoco.ie. These will be taken on a first-come, first-serve basis.