2024 UK: Cerne Abbey
Open
Jul 14-Aug 10, 2024
Archaeology
Dr. Hugh Willmott
$4,580
April 5, 2024
Apr 27, 2024 12:00pm Pacific Time
8 Semester credits
OVERVIEW
Founded in 987 CE by Æthelmaer the Stout on the site of an earlier Christian community, Cerne Abbey grew to become one of the most important monasteries in the Southwest of England. Shortly after its closure during the Dissolution in 1539, the site was comprehensively demolished save for a gatehouse, and the precise location of its buildings was lost until archaeological work started in 2022. The abbey sits at the feet of the famous chalk-cut figure of a club-wielding giant that dominates the village of Cerne Abbas. Recent dating of the figure by the UK National Trust has shown that the giant was an Anglo-Saxon creation, and it seems directly connected to the earliest monks residing there.
Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey undertaken by the University of Sheffield provided the first ever evidence for the medieval abbey, and potentially its Anglo-Saxon predecessor beneath. This survey clearly shows the location of the monastic cloister and its west, east, and north ranges. The GPR survey also demonstrated that a significant portion of the monastic church lies within an open area unobscured by later features and available for excavation. Not only do we now have an amazingly clear plan of the cloistral ranges, the survey showed that the buildings remained surprisingly intact with walls up to over 1m in places.
Excavations at Cerne Abbey begun in 2023 and are now expanding to start to answer a set of interrelated questions concerning the life of the abbey and its ultimate destruction in the 16th century. This field school will be part of the Cerne Abbey long term research project and potential Honor, Master & PhD research opportunities are welcomed and encouraged.
Arial photography of Cerne Abbey
Artifacts recovered in the 2023 expedition
Washing and tagging ceramics
Exposing the tiled floor
Portion of painted floor & wall stucco
Possible reconstruction plan of Cerne Abbey
Instructors
All field school directors are experts in their field and passionate about their work. To discuss the suitability of this program for your career goals – whether within or outside academia – you are invited to contact the directors directly. For a broader discussion which CFS program to choose, you are welcome to contact our staff directly – you can do that through our “Contact Us” page.
Dr. Hugh Willmott
University of Sheffield (UK)
Testimonials
This is a new program. There are no testimonials at this time
student fees (tuition)
what is covered
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DEPOSIT IS PART OF TOTAL TUITION COST
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Costs of Instruction
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Room & Board
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Cost of Academic Credit Units
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Health and Evacuation Insurance
read before you pay
- Application: You must apply online for this program – application is free
- Deposit: A $300 nonrefundable deposit (part of the total tuition cost) is required to secure a space in the program
- Credit Card Fee: Payments with credits cards incur 2.5% processing fee
- Late Fee: A $100 Late Fee will be added to the program costs if tuition is not paid in full by payment deadline
- Cancelation Policy: Carefully read our Cancelation Policy before committing to attend our programs
- Trip cancellation Insurance: Trip cancellation insurance is not provided by CFS. Such policies have changed due to Covid 19. If you wish to purchase an insurance policy that covers pandemic contingencies, explore Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) plans. Insuremytrip or Travel Guard are possible websites where you may explore different insurance policies
Accommodations
The project will be based at the local vicarage, a 10 minutes’ walk from the excavation site. Accommodation is in the form of camping in a private meadow to rear. Students must bring their own tent and bedding but will be provided a sturdy camp bed. There is access to electricity for charging, WIFI and large communal tents for socializing or sheltering in the case of rain. We also have access to a large room in the vicarage which will serve as a classroom and laboratory.
Diet
Three meals are provided every day (including the days off). Breakfast and dinner are at the campsite and students prepare their own packed lunch in the morning to take on to site. We are able to cater for all kinds of dietary requirements, and there is a well-stocked village store should students wish to purchase additional items. Cerne Abbas has three pubs which serve food and a tearoom. There will be a fulltime camp cook and campsite manager to ensure the smooth running of the domestic side of the project. However, students are expected to assist these staff in the preparation food, cleaning and general campsite duties.
travel information
We suggest you hold purchasing airline tickets until six (6) weeks before the program begins. Natural disasters, political changes, weather conditions & a range of other factors may require the cancelation this field school. CFS typically makes a final Go/No Go decision about six weeks before the field school begins. To protect students from potential financial loss, we urge students to purchase airline tickets only six weeks prior to program beginning.
Students will be met at in the parking area of Dorchester South train station on Sunday, July 14 at 5pm. There is a Costa Coffee on the opposite side of the small square where students can wait if they arrive earlier. There are direct trains from London Waterloo station to Dorchester South (journey time c. 2hrs 43mins), and students will be transported from here to Cerne Abbas by car, 20 minutes away.
visa information
Citizens of the US, Canada and EU countries do not require visas to enter the United Kingdom. You will need your passport to be valid for at least 90 days and will enter on a tourist visa. Citizens of other countries are asked to check the embassy website page at their home country for specific visa requirements
No vaccinations are required for entry to the UK but anyone working in archaeology in the country needs to have an up-to-date tetanus shot.
Meeting Point
| Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| July 14, 2024 | 5:00pm | Dorchester South train station, Costa Coffee on the opposite side of the small square |
Safety
Our primary concern is with education. Traveling and conducting field work involves risk. Students interested in participating in our programs must weigh whether the potential risk is worth the value of education provided. While risk is inherent in everything we do, we do not take risk lightly. We engage in intensive review of each field school location prior to approval. Once a program is accepted, we review and monitor each program annually to make sure it complies with all our standards and policies, including student safety.
Students attending our international programs are covered by a comprehensive Health Insurance policy that includes physical illness or injury, mental or chronic conditions. There are no deductible and 100% of costs are covered up to $250,000. In addition, we provide Political & Natural Disaster Evacuation policy, which allow us to remove students from program location if conditions change.
Students attending our domestic programs (within the US) must have their own health insurance and provide proof upon enrollment. Program directors are familiar with local authorities and if in need of evacuation, local emergency services and/or law enforcement will be notified and activated.
We have an explicit and robust harassments & discriminations policies. If students feel they cannot discuss personal safety issues with program staff, they are welcome to call the CFS emergency hotline and talk directly with CFS staff members.
Call (+1 562 584-0761) or email (info@fieldsciences.org) if you have questions about the safety of any program.