PORTFOLIO OF PRACTICAL WORK (Joint Honours ARCH4003)

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1 PORTFOLIO OF PRACTICAL WORK (Joint Honours ARCH4003) Convenor: Dr Michael Given and Dr Kenneth Brophy Outline The portfolio is a compulsory 20 credit module for all Joint Honours students in their Junior Honours year. The portfolio is designed to allow you to demonstrate and practice a range of skills in some of the core practical aspects of archaeology as well as reflect on a range of field experiences. Much of the work for the portfolio will potentially be carried out in the field, giving you the opportunity to develop a range of basic fieldwork skills. The 20 credit portfolio is sometimes known as the mini portfolio and you can choose from a range of options for the non-core elements. The portfolio is a great chance for you to demonstrate your practical skills to prospective employers: you will have the chance to add to your skill set, with feedback and a grade to demonstrate how well you can do, and also will develop through time an online portfolio of materials you can keep beyond graduation. Glasgow archaeology graduates are well-known for their field skills, and the portfolio is your chance to evidence this. Intended Learning outcomes (ILOs) Upon completion of the Portfolio you should be able to: Demonstrate, and appreciate, the formal presentation of a variety of small-scale specialist projects with descriptive and interpretive elements. (This is assessed by all elements of the Portfolio); Show competence in a number of different practical archaeological skills. (This is assessed by all elements of the Portfolio); ILOs for each individual element of the Portfolio are listed below. Teaching and preparation The portfolio is essentially a series of individual pieces of practical work. Practical sessions, both formal and informal, will provide you with basic preparation, during the summer field school, the orientation week, semester 1 and the Easter vacation. A support session will also be provided on 20 th November (date to be confirmed). Staff members responsible for teaching each element of the portfolio will offer assistance and advice as needed. Collaboration with other students on mini-portfolio elements in not permitted. Presentation The portfolio should be word-processed and fully illustrated where practicable, and the usual referencing standards expected for essays apply. Each chosen element should be separately prepared and specific guidelines for each are listed later in this handout. Put your matriculation number and the title of the item being presented on a separate page at the beginning of each element. Place these within a folder if possible to keep them together. Only one copy of each item needs to be submitted and these will be retained in the Department. Marking and assessment The portfolio forms an important part of the degree as the credit levels suggest. Each individual component will be marked by the member(s) of staff responsible for that section of the portfolio. Pro forma sheets will be used by markers at all stages of assessment for each element of the Portfolio, and copies will be given to you after marking. There is a different pro forma for more or less every element of the Portfolio, and copies of these will be posted onto the Honours Information Moodle; it is worth checking these as they show what the

2 marker will be focusing on. We will normally return the grade and feedback sheet from the first marker within two weeks of the submission deadline. The marking of the Portfolio will subsequently be moderated as a single large piece of work by a second internal marker after the Easter vacation. A selection of Portfolios will also be passed to the External examiners for further moderation. You will be informed of the final Portfolio grade with the rest of your exam results, although it should be possible to work this out for yourself based on the weighting of each element. A prize will be awarded by the examiners to the best portfolio this will be awarded at the end of your degree. Submission deadlines and your responsibilities All work for the portfolio is to be submitted and assessed as part of the Junior Honours year, and deadlines for the elements are staggered through the session (see summary table below). As with other pieces of coursework extensions will not be given, and new deadlines can only be given in exceptional circumstances in agreement with the Honours Convenor. Late submissions for each element will be penalised in accordance with the new University regulations and this will be indicated on returned coursework: Up to 5 working days: 2 points per day / More than 5 working days: Grade H awarded (zero). This penalty will apply to the individual element(s) as appropriate rather than the whole Portfolio. It is important that you gain enough material and experience within the summer vacation to complete various elements of the Portfolio (notably the excavation archive elements and fieldwork report). It is your responsibility to make sure that you have covered all relevant training and work in the summer vacation, whether at SERF or, in exceptional cases, another project. Dr Brophy is your main point of contact throughout the fieldschool. Further information and help will be available through relevant staff, and the Information for Current Students webpage. Core Mini-Portfolio elements (15 credits) Credits 2015 Deadlines Teaching delivery Fieldwork Report 10 a) Fieldwork Journal 5 28 th September SERF Field School b) Reflexive report 5 11 th December SERF Field School Easter Fieldtrip Exercise 5 Final day of the Easter Easter Fieldtrip Fieldtrip (2016) Optional mini-portfolio elements (5 credits) Credits 2015 Deadlines Teaching delivery Aerial Photograph Transcription 5 2 nd November Orientation week / online tutorial in semester 1 OR Excavation archive 5 10 th July* SERF Field School Portfolio element Staff member responsible Air photo transcription Dr K Brophy Excavation archive Dr K Brophy Fieldwork Report Dr K Brophy Easter Fieldtrip Exercise Fieldtrip staff, Easter 2015 *You will be able to scan, and upload your excavation archive work to the moodle, during the fieldschool in one of the teaching rooms

3 for core mini portfolio elements Fieldwork Report (10 credits) Enquiries: Dr Kenneth Brophy The Fieldwork Report draws on your participation in fieldwork of one kind or another during the vacations and forms an important record of your engagement with, and experiences of, archaeology outwith traditional teaching environments. In order to meet the submission deadline, you must undertake the practical work for the Fieldwork Report in the summer between Level 2 and Junior Honours, preferably at the Departmental Field School. Eligibility The Fieldwork Report represents 10 credits of the Honours degree and is compulsory for all Single and Joint Honours students as part of their Junior Honours year. Presentation The Fieldwork Report allows you to demonstrate your participation in, and critical understanding of, a number of different field activities. The Fieldwork Report consists of two equally weighted elements: a Fieldwork Journal and a Reflexive Report. 4a. Fieldwork Journal (5 credits) This should be submitted in the format of a journal or diary written in a A4 or A5 notebook hardbound during the course of the field project / fieldwork placement. This should be illustrated where appropriate with sketches and photographs. This journal should be used on a daily basis to include information such as: Details of work done by you during the day and evening; General comments about the progress of the excavation and interpretations of the sites you have been working on including your own ideas and opinions; Strategies and methodologies you have direct experience of; Personal comments reflecting on your overall experience; Questions you would like answered through the project. Guidance on keeping a diary during the field course will be provided at the Field School 4b Reflexive report (5 credits) This is a short word processed written reflexive report to contextualise the journal and should be in the order of no more than 1500 words. This written report should consider a variety of issues that may not have explicitly been covered in the journal eg. The location and context of the site; The research strategy involved: what is the background to the investigation? What are the questions or problems to be solved? What methodology is employed?; A brief summary of the main results of the Project, together with an assessment of the strategies employed; The implications of the work in a wider archaeological context. This is especially important because it shows you can contextualize your experiences in the wider archaeological world; A critical evaluation of the Project aims and outcomes in light of your experiences. Above all, this should be a REFLECTIVE work. It should not read as a summary of the fieldwork, or the DSR, but should heavily feature your own insights, understanding, and learning gained through fieldwork, applied to a discussion of the project from YOUR point of view.

4 Intended Learning outcomes Upon completion of the Fieldwork Report you should be able to: Demonstrate an understanding of the Project Design within which you worked, and the technologies and methodologies used within that project; Understand you role within the fieldwork itself; Critically evaluate the value and the quality of the fieldwork experience; Demonstrate your active and useful participation in an archaeological fieldwork project or within an archaeological organisation. All of these will be assessed through the Fieldwork Report. Advice The Fieldwork Report forms an important part of the degree. It carries the weighting of half an Honours module. It will usually be marked by the member of staff responsible for coordinating and monitoring fieldwork or a member of staff knowledgeable in the field area. Choose your project with care. For most students the Departmental Field School is the key to accomplishing the Fieldwork Report and attendance is strongly recommended. If you are undertaking fieldwork other than excavation, advice will be offered on the content of the Field Report before the summer vacation. Regardless of the type of fieldwork you take part in during your vacation, it is important that you keep a record of what you are doing, through photographs and notes. It is useful to let whoever is overseeing your work know that you are working towards this report, and they may allow you to borrow or copy material relevant to the fieldwork for inclusion in your report. Please acknowledge such help. Easter Fieldtrip Exercise (5 credits) Enquiries: 2016 Field Trip staff The Easter Fieldtrip involves a series of visits to archaeological sites and landscapes. Such experiences are a vital element of being an archaeologist, and this element of the Portfolio is intended to allow you to demonstrate your understanding of a site to be visited in the field, and also to assess your ability to read sites and their landscape context. The exercise is based on two distinct elements: a handout or leaflet prepared in advance of the fieldtrip regarding one site to be visited, and a short worksheet based on the visit to that site during the fieldtrip. Intended Learning outcomes Upon completion of the Easter Fieldtrip Exercise you should be able to: Demonstrate an engagement with an archaeological sites or an archaeological landscape through a field visit; Summarise key points of an archaeological site or monument for the benefit of visitors to the site, and be able to discuss this site in front of the class.

5 Mini Portfolio optional elements Option 1: Excavation archive (5 credits) Drawing of a section, plan or artefact This element of the portfolio should include evidence to demonstrate the recording process associated with a particular feature you have excavated. This will be in the form of on-site paperwork and drawings and should include: EITHER: a Section drawing You should submit a scan or photocopy of the original drawing which should have been done at 1:10 scale. The section should include all normal conventions, including a drawing number and context numbers. OR: a Plan drawing During the course of the excavation, you will have had the opportunity to plan a single feature, or perhaps part of the trench pre- or post-excavation, at 1:20 scale. You should submit a scan or photocopy of a plan that you drew on-site, and the plan should include all normal conventions, including a drawing number and context numbers. Context Sheets and Photography This element of the portfolio should include evidence to demonstrate the recording process associated with a particular feature you have excavated. This will be in the form of on-site paperwork and photographs, and should include: Context sheets - You will be expected to submit completed SERF-style (or equivalent) pro forma context sheets for the feature you excavated. The number of sheets is dependent on the feature, but should be no less than two. The sheets should be filled in with as much useful information as possible, including sketches where appropriate, and be correctly tied in with other site paperwork (eg sample, photo, drawing numbers, small finds, related contexts and so on). As well as a description, an interpretation of each context should be offered in the space provided on the sheets. Photographs At least two digital photographs should be submitted that record the excavation of the feature, including pre- and post-excavation shots, and any sections or other significant stages of the process. These should be correctly composed, with information board and scale. Intended Learning outcomes By completing this exercise, you should be able to: appreciate the importance of detailed recording during, as well as after the excavation of a feature; demonstrate basic excavation skills; understand better the process of excavation and post-excavation processes. Further reading Barker, P 1993 Techniques of archaeological excavation, 3 rd edition, Batsford. Hawker, JM 1999 A manual of archaeological field drawing. Copies in Portfolio boxfile

6 Option 2: The transcription and interpretation of an aerial photograph (5 credits) A suitable aerial photograph will be provided by, or approved by, Dr K Brophy. Presentation 1. A transcription to standard scale (normally 1:2500) of the archaeological features, indicating and clearly identifying all the modern fixed points employed in the transcription process on both map and photograph. Either manual (Riley 1987, 66-69) or computer methods may be employed, but in both cases you must first obtain the appropriate base map at 1:2500 scale. Practical guidance on transcription methods is provided by Dr Brophy. You should include a high quality (e.g. laser) copy of the photograph used (the original should be returned to Dr Brophy, if supplied by him), the working drawing illustrating clearly the methodology employed (either computer printout or manual transcription), and a redrawn inked version or a printout of the final transcription, to publication standard OR screengrabs and working data if using computer methods. 2. A commentary on the transcription, with reference to any methodological problems encountered and details of error readings if computer methods used. 3. A description of the archaeological features on the photograph, offering wherever possible some identification, including alternatives if appropriate, and quoting analogies. This is a piece of individual work where collaboration with another student would be inappropriate. Intended Learning outcomes On completion of this element, you should be able to: Identify and transcribe archaeological data from aerial photographs and appreciate its potential significance; Demonstrate an understanding and competence in either a manual or computer method of transcription of an aerial photograph. Reading Riley DN 1987, Air Photography and Archaeology, London. Wilson DR 2000, Air photo interpretation for archaeologists, Stroud (2 nd edition).