Field training organised
by the Faculty of Archaeology, University of Warsaw
The Faculty publishes a list of field training locations organized during a given academic year. For field walking surveys, the list is announced each semester (at the beginning of the academic year and at the start of the summer semester). For excavation field training, the list is published once per academic year, in the summer semester, and is updated as confirmed applications from instructors are received.
Excavation exercises of any duration and field walking surveys lasting more than one week, taking place during the teaching period, require the approval of the Vice-Dean for Student Affairs at the Faculty of Archaeology (EUH – Head of the Educational Unit). Approval may be granted if the total duration of field exercises does not exceed three weeks in a semester. If students wish to participate in a longer field project, they must apply for an individual study organisation due to their participation in the research project. Further details should be discussed with the Vice-Dean for Student Affairs of the Faculty of Archaeology (EUH).
The list of field training locations includes information about the name of the site and its location, the names of the instructors, the date of the exercises, basic information about the organization, and contact details for the person responsible for registration (usually the instructor).
Students are responsible for contacting the individuals in charge of registration for field exercises in order to clarify the detailed organization rules of the selected groups and to express their interest in participating in the exercises. Instructors have the right to conduct a selection of candidates.
First-year bachelor’s students choose field exercises according to the following rules:
- As part of the study program, students may only participate in exercises conducted by the staff of the Faculty of Archaeology, University of Warsaw.
- They cannot participate in field exercises during the first two weeks of the summer exam session, and in the resit examination session, only if they have previously passed all courses. Absence from an exam due to participation in field exercises is not excused.
- As part of the first-year bachelor’s program, students may participate in a maximum of 150 hours of excavation exercises conducted outside of Poland.
Any deviations from the above-mentioned rules require written consent from the Vice-Dean for Student Affairs of the Faculty of Archaeology (EUH).
The list of participants in field exercises serves as the basis for obtaining funding for the organization of the exercises. Once student data has been entered into the USOS system by the dean’s office, withdrawal from a specific field exercise group is only possible with the approval of Vice-Dean for Student Affairs of the Faculty of Archaeology (EUH), by submitting a justified request through the USOS system. Withdrawal without the dean’s approval or failure to attend the exercises at the scheduled time results in failure to pass and the issuance of a Not Classified (NK) grade. Field exercises are an integral part of the study program, and repeating them requires payment in accordance with the fee schedule for educational services.
At the end of the field training, students and instructors complete: Field training form
Students are also asked to complete: Evaluation sheet of excavation field training or Evaluation sheet of field survey training
The instructor is required to inform participants that completed surveys must not be sent to the instructor. A student selected from the group collects all completed evaluation sheets and submits them together to wa.student@uw.edu.pl
Field training conducted outside
the Faculty of Archaeology, University of Warsaw
In accordance with the Field Training Regulations for the Archaeology programme, students in their second and third year of BA studies and MA studies may apply for permission to conduct field training outside the Faculty of Archaeology, University of Warsaw. Obtaining this approval requires:
- Receiving a positive opinion from an academic supervisor (typically the supervisor of a bachelor’s or master’s thesis).
- Signing an agreement between the Vice-Dean for Student Affairs of the Faculty of Archaeology (EUH) and the fieldwork supervisor.
- Obtaining final approval from the Vice-Dean for Student Affairs of the Faculty of Archaeology (EUH) based on the above documents.
To sign the agreement, the contact details of the excavation supervisor, along with detailed information, justification, and the opinion of the academic supervisor mentioned in point 1, must be submitted to the Vice-Dean for Student Affairs of the Faculty of Archaeology (EUH) (this can be done via email). After the agreement is signed, the student must submit a formal request for approval to conduct field exercises outside the Faculty of Archaeology, University of Warsaw.
After completing the field exercises, the research supervisor must issue a signed certificate confirming the student’s participation.
The certificate should include:
- The name of the site.
- The student’s participation dates and/or the number of instructional hours completed.
- A list of the student’s tasks/responsibilities and an evaluation of their performance (either in words or on a 2-5! scale).
- The supervisor’s signature.
The signed certificate must be attached by the student to the request for course recognition submitted in the USOS system. The final grade entry for the course requires a decision from the dean. For externally conducted field exercises, evaluation surveys are not required.
Recognition of previously conducted field training
If students wish to apply for the recognition of previously completed field exercises, they may submit a request for course recognition through the USOS system. The request must specify the course to be recognized, the number of instructional hours, and the ECTS credits they are applying for. Additionally, a certificate confirming participation in the specified field research must be attached.
The certificate should include:
- The name of the site.
- The student’s participation dates and/or the number of instructional hours completed.
- A list of the student’s tasks/responsibilities and an evaluation of their performance (either in words or on a 2-5! scale).
- The supervisor’s signature.
If the specified research meets the learning outcomes required by the syllabus of the respective course, students will receive dean’s approval, which serves as the basis for granting the course credit.
Equivalent of field training
In accordance with the Field Training Regulations for the Archaeology programme, students may apply for partial recognition of field exercises through an equivalent internship at cultural institutions such as museums, open-air museums, archives, or heritage protection institutions.
The equivalent internship should generally not exceed 150 instructional hours during the course of BA or MA studies. In justified cases, primarily related to health reasons, this limit may be increased.
Decisions regarding the referral of a student to an internship are made on an individual basis by the Vice-Dean for Student Affairs of the Faculty of Archaeology (EUH) upon the written request of the student (application submitted in USOS with an attached Internship Referral Form PL). It is the student’s responsibility to contact the chosen institution and obtain permission for such an equivalent of a field placement by its management, as well as to obtain a written description of the responsibilities assigned by the host institution.
BA_Field walking survey_syllabus (PDF)
BA_Excavation exercises_syllabus (PDF)
MA_Field walking survey_syllabus (PDF)
MA_Excavation exercises_syllabus (PDF)
Field Training Regulations for the Archaeology programme (in Polish)
Field walking survey -“powierzchniówki”- is compulsory field training for all students of undergraduate and Master’s degree programmes. It consists of 30 hrs of classes, cumulated in one week.
Students interested in taking part in a field walking survey should report to the instructor, after the dates for the survey are published.
The conditions of participation vary depending on the group – detailed information is provided by the instructor.
For information on the field walking survey contact either the Instructor or the Head of Archaeology (Studies in English).
BA_Field walking survey_syllabus (PDF)
MA_Field walking survey_syllabus (PDF)
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Field walking survey – spring 2025
Site: Gorce Mountains
Instructor: dr hab. Katarzyna Pyżewicz, dr Michał Przeździecki
Date: 7- 11 April 2025
Limit: no places available
Contact: k.pyzewicz@uw.edu.pl
Excavations training is an essential part of the Archaeology study programme. Participation is obligatory.
At BA level, the requirement is 450 hrs (ca. 3 months)
At MA level, the requirement is 150 hrs (ca. 1 month)
For information on the excavations contact either the Instructor or the Head of Archaeology (Studies in English).
BA_Excavation exercises_syllabus (PDF)
MA_Excavation exercises_syllabus (PDF)
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Excavations training – summer 2024
Polish-speaking students may register for all excavations. Foreign students should contact individual instructors for detailed information (not all instructors accept non-Polish speaking students).
The list of excavations for students (constantly updated):
Site: Novae – Bulgaria (Roman legionary fortress and late Roman town)
Instructor: dr hab. Agnieszka Tomas, prof. UW
Date: 5/08-31/08/2024
Number of places: 6 (for 4 weeks) – 1 place for 3 weeks and one place for 2 weeks (first half of August) are still available
Information: own transport; accommodation in double rooms and houses; the cost of food and accommodation is fully covered by the student allowance granted by the Faculty.
Contact: agnieszka.tomas@uw.edu.pl
Place: Dudka, gm. Wydminy, pow. Giżycko, Mazury
Instructors: dr hab. Witold Gumiński, dr Karolina Bugajska
Date: 30 June – 27 July 2024
Limit: 10- 12 students
Contact and registration: w.guminski@uw.edu.pl
Place: Jaskinia Raj, woj. świętokrzyskie
Instructors: dr hab. Małgorzata Kot, dr hab. Claudio Berto
Date: 28 June – 25 July 2024
Limit: 5 students
Contact: m.kot@uw.edu.pl
Place: Zwoleń, woj. mazowieckie
Instructors: dr hab. Katarzyna Pyżewicz
Date: 1 July – 26 July 2024
Limit: 8 students
Currently no places available.
Contact:k.pyzewicz@uw.edu.pl
Place: Puck
Instructors: dr Michał Starski, mgr Maciej Miścicki
Date (July) 1-26 July 2024
Date (August) 5-30 August 2024
Limit : 15 students for July and 15 students for August
Contact: m.starski@uw.edu.pl
Place: Zaborów, gm. Leszno, woj. mazowieckie
Instructors: dr hab. Adam Cieśliński, prof. UW, mgr Marek Baczewski
Date: 29 July- 23 August 2024
Limit: 12 students
Contact: m.baczewski@uw.edu.pl
Place: Ciepłe, pow. gniewski, woj. pomorskie
Instructors: dr Sławomir Wadyl, mgr Weronika Bałdyga
Date: 30 June-27 July 2024
Limit: 12 students
Contact: s.wadyl@uw.edu.pl
https://cieple.edu.pl/, https://www.facebook.com/Cieplepkp
Place: Itac, Chuquibamba-Arequipa Peru
Instructors: dr Maciej Sobczyk
Date: from August 26 to the end of September
Limit: 4 students
Contact: m.sobczyk@uw.edu.pl
Condition: knowledge of basic Spanish
Place: Podlesie st. 6, gm. Oleśnica. woj. świętokrzyskie
Instructor: mgr Artur Grabarek
Date: 1 – 28 July 2024
Limit: 10 students
Contact: a.grabarek@uw.edu.pl
More information in Polish you can find here