SMELT/Low Birker 2002 Summer Field School
A Joint Project of the PAST Foundation and Michigan Technological University
Project Dates
July 10-30, 2002 (tentative).
Partcipants
Places are available for up to eight high school juniors, seniors and first-year
college students.
Project Location
The 2002 Field School will be held at the SMELT/Low Birker Project. The focal
point of the field investigation is Low Birker Farm located in the Upper Esk
Valley, Cumbria, England. The valley lies about 75 miles north-northwest of
Manchester in northwest England. The Upper Esk is within the western boundaries
of the Lake District National Park, one of the most scenic and unspoiled areas
in all of England. For this reason, the Valley has suffered scarcely any impact
from modern development and is, therefore, an area of rich archaeological
resources. Relatively undisturbed cultural layers dating from the Norse period,
beginning c. AD 900, lie just 2 to 3 cm. under the modern surface.
Background
The SMELT/Low Birker project is a portion of the overall SMELT project which
originated at the University of Minnesota. SMELT/Low Birker is an archaeological
research project that is exploring Viking Age, c. AD 1000, iron production and
life in the Upper Esk Valley, Cumbria, England.
SMELT/Low Birker is housed in the Social Sciences Department at Michigan
Technological University. The project also involves scholars, students and
volunteers from across the United States and from the U.K.
Project Director
Carl Blair is an European archaeologist who studies early, large scale
production, especially that of iron. His present research interests include an
on-going experimental program, SMELT, in which replica iron smelting furnaces
are built and operated in full production campaigns.
Project Tuition and Fees
US$2,000 exclusive of airfare to and from the United Kingdom. Fees include room
and board, local trips to historic or educational sites, and instructional
materials. Students should bring a small amount of additional money to cover
telephone charges, laundry and other small out-of-pocket expenses.
Transportation
Air transportation from the United States to the United Kingdom and back will be
arranged by the PAST Foundation. Students will travel as a group from a central
meeting location in the U.S. Airfare to the United Kingdom and back is not
included in the project tuition listed above, and must be borne by the students.
Students must also arrange for transportation from their homes to the central
meeting location at their own cost. Group transportation upon arrival in the
U.K. will be provided by the SMELT project at no additional cost.
Insurance
Student participants must provide proof of health insurance upon submitting
their applications for the project. Students (and, if minors, their parents)
will also sign waivers of liability for the PAST Foundation and the SMELT
Project.
Accomodations and Meals
Field crew members will stay in the Bunkhouse, a modern addition to the Woolpack
Inn. The Bunkhouse is a private youth hostel-style accommodation providing
dormitory-style rooms housing from 4 to12 people. Bunk beds and reasonable
storage (bins under the beds and many wall hooks) are provided. The entire
facility is well-maintained and cleaned by the innkeeping staff.
Meals are prepared for the crew by the Woolpack kitchen staff, and are uniformly
excellent. Breakfast and dinner are eaten at the Woolpack; lunch is bagged and
eaten at the site. The inn is also an eating and gathering place for many local
people as well. Vegetarian diets can be accommodated; vegan diets cannot.
The Workday
The normal workday for the crew starts at 8:15 with breakfast and a morning
briefing. Senior staff have been working for up to an hour by then. We try to be
on site and working at our assigned tasks by 9:00. There is a morning and
afternoon break, and lunch is allowed 45 minutes. We end fieldwork at 4:30 and
are back at the Woolpack by 5 on most days. Dinner and an evening briefing take
place at 6:30, followed on 3 or 4 nights a week by some activity, such as an
informal talk or a visit to a local site of interest such as the local Roman
fort.
Field school students will participate as full members of the field crew, and
will be involved in all aspects of the project. Students will excavate, survey,
assist with lab work, take notes, and generally do all the work that
professional archaeologists do.
Applications
Application forms may be obtained from the PAST Foundation, listed below.
Qualified students will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, but all
application materials are due no later than May 15. A non-refundable deposit of
US$500 must accompany the application to hold a place on the field school
roster. Total tuition and fees, including airfare to and from the U.K., must be
submitted no later than June 15.
For further information on the field school or application process, contact:
Dr. Annalies Corbin
The PAST Foundation
4326 Lyon Drive
Columbus, Ohio 43220
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http://www.pastfoundation.org
For further information on the SMELT Project, contact:
Dr. Carl Blair
Dept. of Social Sciences
Michigan Technological University
1400 Townsend Dr.
Houghton Michigan 49931
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http://www.ss.mtu.edu/smelt/index.html
The PAST Foundation is a U.S. nonprofit organization that promotes and
facilitates historical and cultural education, protection, and advancement.
Through highly interactive work in K-12 schools, the rich archaeological
heritage of communities is explored with Foundation assistance. Public exhibits,
lectures, and new research are supported as well.
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