Feedback

The sixteenth season of work on Insula IX at the Roman town of Silchester will take place between 2 July and 12 August 2012.

The Sichester excavation was a nominee for the Research Project of the Year category of the prestigious Current Archaeology Awards 2012.

The 2012 Field School is now full. If you would like to be added to a waiting list for 2013 please email a.s.clarke@reading.ac.uk

Feedback from recent participants

The following are extracts from emails of thanks received from participants in 2011.

"Thank you for including me in your excavations this year. I have worked on some 40 sites since 1961 and none are as impressive as yours." Experienced digger

"I took part in the summer just gone and it was brilliant, it even inspired me to take mostly archaeology courses at University this year! " Second year at UCL

"I had such an amazing time at Silchester that I have just come back from a Neolithic dig in Damerham, I sense the beginnings of a trend! A-level student

"I learnt so much from everyone and had a brilliant time.
I shall be applying to come back next year and hopefully be lucky enough to work with Hen's group again (if she is there) as all her team were well organised,friendly, helpful and very patient with a first year student with only one weeks previous digging experience." Novice undergraduate.

"I have had such and amazing time, and I truly believe the opportunity you give novices like me is just incredible, I had expected to do a lot more cleaning and heaping spoil around, but was overwhelmed with the training I was given and the archaeology I was allowed to excavate was truly inspiring." A-level student

"We both enjoyed ourselves greatly, and learned a huge amount. For my part, I shall never look at a hole in the ground in the same way again.
It is a really well-organised dig, and the amenities made giving up home comforts much easier than I had expected (a high ratio of portaloos to bottoms helped in this regard).
The experience has certainly helped Ben in clarifying his thoughts on degree courses, and a theoretical interest in archaeology has hardened into a genuine enthusiasm." Father and son.