Format: Paper presentations with discussion
Convenors:
Andy Needham, Department of Archaeology, University of York, UK, andrew.needham@york.ac.uk
Stephanie Piper, Department of Britain, Europe and Prehistory, British Museum, UK, SPiper@britishmuseum.org
Outdoor learning is a fundamental part of archaeology, such as through excavations to teach students field skills. In recent years, outdoor learning has seen increasing diversification in its application, not only as part of formal university curricula, but also in public facing outreach settings. This session considers the value of outdoor learning in different contexts and how it interacts with different facets of learning, whether innovative pathways to engagement with otherwise challenging academic content, participation or engagement, and wellbeing, alongside many others. Papers are welcome on any of these topics and are equally encouraged from relevant themes beyond this remit. Where outdoor learning has posed particular challenges to learning, such as design and delivery, participation, logistics, health and safety, ethics, or other areas, this would also be a welcome addition to the contribution, or could act as a dedicated contribution in its own right.
This session warmly invites speakers from across the globe to share their perspectives about their own use of outdoor learning, whether in the context of undergraduate or postgraduate teaching, outreach and community participation and engagement, placements and voluntary programmes, or other applications. Projects which involve partnerships—such as museums, charities, or local community groups—or cross disciplinary collaboration are welcome.
Contributions will be 15 minutes in duration with 5 minutes for questions and answers, but alternative formats will be considered. Please specify your requirements in an email to the session convenors along with your submission.
Papers:
Outdoor Lectures and Seminars: Using Outdoor Teaching to Augment Lecture- and Seminar-based Postgraduate Modules
Andy Needham, Dept of Archaeology, University of York
The paper considers the efficacy of integrating outdoor teaching spaces into typical lecture- and seminar-based modules using two postgraduate modules as case studies. In Mesolithic Life and Death, traditional indoor lectures and seminars are augmented by outdoor walking lectures and outdoor seminars/workshops to help students understand the importance of landscape and technologies made from natural materials to Mesolithic societies. In Prehistoric Art: Origins and Transitions, indoor lectures and seminars are expanded through periodic use of outdoor seminars/workshops, which supports practical experience of selected materials and techniques used in making Palaeolithic-Neolithic art discussed in the module. In both cases, the York Experimental Archaeology Research (YEAR) Centre, a dedicated outdoor teaching and research laboratory located in a forest and adjacent to a lake on the University of York (UK) West Campus, was used to deliver these classes.
Module evaluation results suggest that students benefited from these teaching styles, supporting understanding of core concepts, providing first-hand experience that could be used within accompanying discussion, and increasing enjoyment. The use of outdoor green spaces may also have other benefits in teaching associated with promoting student wellbeing, as recognised in the wider pedagogical literature.
Healing Stories: Taungurung-led Archaeological Field School
Chris Antonopoulos, Ashley Wilkinson, Clay Law, Daniel Young, Jonah Honeysett, Alex Watson, and Katherine Thomas, Taungurung Land and Waters Council RAP, Australia
Georgia L. Stannard, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
Over the last thirty years, our discipline has increasing recognised that archaeological training must include not only vocational skills in the identification, recovery and interpretation of archaeological materials, but also skills in collaboration and cultural competency. It is through this learning that the next generation of archaeologists come to normalise and expect the application of braided knowledge approaches (Atalay 2012:27) in their everyday professional practice.
Being outside on Country, with the Traditional Owners as the leaders and teachers of their own culture, is both a highly meaningful and effective way for archaeologists to learn about the archaeological and cultural record of the First Peoples of this land. Taungurung Land and Waters Council Registered Aboriginal Party (TLaWC RAP) conducted their first field school on Taungurung Country this year, in conjunction with Dr Georgia Stannard of La Trobe University. The field school is part of a larger RAP strategy to promote Healing Stories for the Taungurung Nation and the wider community. On Country education provides the best environment to reset educational narratives and for Taungurung RAP to lead the narratives of space and place. This presentation will outline the evolution, implementation and future aspirations of the on-Country Taungurung Field School.
Experiential and Hands-on Learning in Archaeology: Whether It Is a Classroom or a Classfield
Dilshad Fatima, Ancient History Culture & Archaeology Department, University of Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
This research explores the importance of experiential and hands-on learning in the field of archaeology, focusing on creating dynamic and engaging learning environments, whether within a traditional classroom or through practical, field-like experiences. Rather than comparing the classroom and fieldwork, the study emphasises the possibilities and steps to integrate both settings for more effective student learning. The paper argues that departments of archaeology should develop innovative workshops and practical spaces that simulate real-world archaeological environments. These spaces could include rooms designed to replicate archaeological sites, complete with geological features and other relevant elements, offering students a chance to learn through direct interaction with the material culture they study. Furthermore, classes could be organised in actual field settings to deepen the learning experience by placing theory into context. By blending the classroom with field environments, students can gain comprehensive, hands-on exposure to archaeological methods and practices. The research calls for a shift towards an integrated, multidisciplinary approach where students can engage in both theoretical learning and practical application, creating a rich, immersive educational experience.
PALEOSCHOOL India: A Decade of Outdoor Learning in Prehistoric Research and Community Engagement
Prabhin Sukumaran, Dr K. C. Patel Research and Development Centre, Charotar University of Science and Technology (CHARUSAT), Gujarat, India
Parth R. Chauhan, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Punjab, India
Outdoor learning is a cornerstone of archaeology, providing hands-on experiences that enhance field skills and public engagement. Over the past decade, Paleoclimate Ecology and Heritage Research (PALEOHER) has pioneered outdoor learning in India. One of its flagship initiatives, PALEOSCHOOL, started as a self-funded field expedition in the Narmada Valley, with a small group of motivated students. Today, it has evolved into one of the most anticipated field training programs, integrating interdisciplinary scientific research. PALEOSCHOOL offers an innovative model of outdoor learning that bridges the gap between academic training and public outreach. It provides students with hands-on experience in prehistoric fieldwork while fostering scientific communication, cultural heritage preservation, and sustainability awareness. The program also emphasises the role of outdoor learning in enhancing student engagement, well-being, and critical thinking beyond traditional classroom settings. This paper will discuss the challenges and opportunities encountered in designing and delivering outdoor learning experiences in geoarchaeology. Issues such as funding, logistics, participation, ethics, and health and safety will be explored, along with strategies to address them. Additionally, we will highlight how PALEOHER’s growing global collaborations aim to expand the impact of outdoor learning in archaeology.
Learning on Country: Certificate IV in Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Management Training
Maddy Maitri and Christina Pavlides, First Peoples State Relations, Department of Premier and Cabinet, Victoria, Australia
Learning on Country is an essential element of the Certificate IV in Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Management, a course delivered in partnership between the Victorian State government, La Trobe University and Traditional Owner organisations. This paper illustrates how on-Country learning can re-engage and reinforce students’ knowledge and skills in culturally and professionally meaningful archaeological and heritage management contexts. We will share examples of how the integrated delivery and assessment of course units can be achieved effectively on Country, particularly when considering archaeological and cultural heritage places at a landscape scale. Inviting Elders and other Traditional Owner community members as teachers and facilitators supports engagement within and across communities, as well as the development and reinforcement of respectful protocols in how archaeological and other heritage places are considered and managed. We will also discuss practical aspects of on-Country course delivery such as cultural safety, respectful conduct, permissions and logistics.
Reprobates, Relics and Recluses – Historic Walking Tours Following in the Footsteps of Others
Kieran Hosty, I AM Archaeology: Habitat & Heritage, Sydney, Australia
Irini (Renee) Malliaros, Director & Chief Archaeologist, I AM Archaeology: Habitat & Heritage, Sydney, Australia
In 2003 Hyde Park Barracks Museum* in Sydney, commenced a series of convict themed walking programs based around the Museum’s nomination for UNESCO World Heritage status as an Australian Convict Site.
Concentrating on the Old Great North Road (another convict site proposed for World Heritage listing) the walks explored a section of the road where over 500 convicts from Number 25 Road Party and Number 3 Iron Gang constructed a 2.0km road up a steep escarpment using local stone to build 10-metre-high buttress retaining walls and an elaborate drainage system.
Drawing on experience from the 2003 walking tours and other public engagement and educational programs, in 2025 the authors are developing immersive and engaging heritage walks that incorporate historic sites, relics, public buildings and cemeteries, in a concentrated effort to highlight local heritage and promote a sense of ownership and pride of place for local participants. These trails allow attendees to walk through stories such as those associated, for example, with the 1857 shipwreck of The Dunbar off Sydney Heads, and another with Dr Eric Payten Dark and his family who occupied a series of caves in the Blue Mountains during the Great Depression.
Beyond the Classroom: Engaging Students in Learning Archaeometallurgy through Traditional Metal Craft Practices in Bangladesh
Sabikun Naher, Associate Professor, Dept of Archaeology. Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh
In Bangladesh archaeology, archaeometallurgy is still a neglected discipline, and students are frequently reluctant to learn technical skills in this area. Since 2013, I have been teaching a course entitled “Archaeometallurgy of South Asia” at the graduate level in the Department of Archaeology, Jahangirnagar University—the only course of its kind in Bangladesh. Apart from a historical overview of metallurgy and theoretical details of various archaeometric tools in archaeometallurgical research, such as XRF, XRD, and SEM techniques, this course frequently offers the chance to visit traditional metal craft centres in Dhamrai and Vakurta in the Savar region and Islampur in the Jamalpur region, as well as roadside blacksmiths, and collaborate with local artisans. Students therefore gain practical experiences about some crucial technical details of metallurgical practices, like type of furnace, functions of bellows, as well as various casting techniques, e.g., cire perdue (lost-wax casting). This kind of outdoor learning encourages students to participate while improving technical proficiency and heritage awareness. This research will explore the impact of this approach on student engagement, skill development, and the role of traditional craftsmanship in archaeometallurgy education and safeguarding metallurgical heritage of Bangladesh.
Phenomenology of Fieldtrips: Outdoor Fieldtrips in Undergraduate Education in Archaeology
Katherine Patton, University of Toronto, Canada
Fieldtrips are a common part of undergraduate education in archaeology. Archaeological theorists and educators consider fieldtrips to be at the nexus of archaeological pedagogy, heritage tourism, public archaeology, and philosophy. Visits to many historic sites get students out of the classroom, and in many cases, outdoors. In these instances, students have the opportunity to experience places in their current landscapes, but also to consider the possibilities of ancient ones. In this presentation, I present preliminary results of an analysis of a small group of student assignments that stem from visits to historical sites in the United States that were a part of two courses on the Indigenous archaeology in North America. The results suggest that the fieldtrip experience was meaningful in several ways that extend beyond the curriculum.