Session: #443

Round table (without formal abstracts, only list of confirmed discussants / session co-organisers to be provided)

Round table of the community on the teaching and training of archaeologists.

The training and skill development of archaeologists is traditionally delivered in tried and tested ways, usually starting at university. In 2020, as the profession, like the rest of the world, tumbled into safe-COVID working practice, much of these training opportunities were either disrupted, adapted or cancelled.

2020 has seen our sector change. Like any large world-wide event, the COVID-19 pandemic has shifted our working practice and brought into sharp focus our working methodologies. Never more so than how we develop, train and upskill archaeologists. We ask if this could be a watershed moment with how we deliver this? Is this an opportunity for our profession to reflect and look for innovative solutions or working practices throughout Europe and beyond and consider how they could be adapted for our own training frameworks.

We are keen to hear from a range of organisations and practitioners (at all stages of their careers) who have considered these questions and either aspire to or have created new training mechanisms. We are also keen to hear about the adaptation of the delivery of skills and training in 2020 to minimise disruption or who have identified innovative ways to deliver training opportunities that the sector could potentially continue utilising once this immediate crisis has passed.
Ultimately, we ask if we were starting from scratch, what would be our ideal mechanisms for creating and developing archaeologists?

Training, Skills, Innovation, Teaching

no

yes

no

no

no

Community on the teaching and training of archaeologists

Kate Geary (United Kingdom) ¹

Cara Jones (United Kingdom) ¹
Raimund Karl (Austria) ²