Battlefields Uncovered

Description

This course brings together former and serving military personnel and university students to explore the archaeology of Waterloo and other iconic battlefields together. Students join from around the globe. Sharing interests and insights, no matter what people’s background, age or experience, is at the heart of Waterloo Uncovered.

The course will take place online. 

What do battlefields have to tell us about the past and about ourselves?

Battlefields Uncovered studies some of the most dramatic turning points in World History through the lens of Military History and Archaeology. See how groundbreaking archaeological techniques can shine a light through the fog of war. Discover the complex issues to be considered when preserving and presenting places of past armed conflict. Consider what stories should be told. And by whom? Discuss different perspectives on these questions with a diverse group of people including world-leading archaeologists and historians, museum experts and military veterans. 

You can begin following the course from 28 October 2024. There will be an online graduation on 19 February 2025.

Between those dates, an engaging mix of theory, research and focus on practical techniques will be released in the form of lectures and workshops. You can mostly follow them when it suits you best. You will also take part in and online discussions and assessed seminars in small groups in October and November. 

If you are interested in military history; wanting an introduction to practical archaeology; intrigued by narratives and representations of conflict; excited by the idea of learning alongside people from a military background or from such a background yourself and wanting to develop new skills, then this is the course for you!

Teaching is in English, and you will be placed in an online group for interactive seminars and discussions.

An impressive list of guest lecturers includes:

Professor Tony Pollard, Director for the Centre of Battlefield Archaeology at the University of Glasgow, and lead archaeologist for Waterloo Uncovered;
Professor Ben Schoenmaker of the Dutch Institute for Military History, and Leiden University;
Dr Tobias van Gent, Associate Professor of History at University College Roosevelt and Member of the Dutch Parliament.

Lecturers

Senior lecturer and archaeologist from Waterloo Uncovered

• Vicki Haverkate

An impressive list of guest lecturers includes:

• Dr. Stuart Eve
• Dr. Helle Hochscheid 
• Professor Tony Pollard, Director for the Centre of Battlefield Archaeology at the University of Glasgow, and lead archaeologist for Waterloo Uncovered;
• Professor Ben Schoenmaker of the Dutch Institute for Military History, and Leiden University;
• Professor Nick Thorpe, Head of Archaeology at Winchester University;
• Dr Tobias van Gent, Associate Professor of History at University College Roosevelt and former member of the Dutch Parliament;
• Social Historian of Black Britain S. I Martin.

Target audience

This course is aimed primarily at:

• Undergraduate students
• Postgraduate students new to the field of conflict archaeology
• Serving and former military personnel wishing to learn about battlefield archaeology or indeed archaeology in general.

It is not necessary for participants to have taken university courses in archaeology or history before but some familiarity with and interest in the topics should be demonstrated.

Because some participants may be vulnerable, Waterloo Uncovered will interview participants and be selective about admissions.

Aim of the course

To develop the following:

• Specific knowledge of past conflict from a range of geographical and temporal contexts;
• An understanding of the interplay between historical and archaeological sources;
• The ability to discuss knowledge and perspectives about the past;
• An understanding of issues around the preservation of sites of conflict;
• An understanding of issues around the presentation and or commemoration of conflict;
• An understanding of archaeological methods and techniques.

Crucial to this course is that participants will also experience working with others from very diverse international and social backgrounds, in particular military personnel and veterans.

Study load

This course will take around 60 to 80 hours in total (including all contact time and reading) spread over 16 weeks. This is roughly three to five hours a week. There will be options to extend this, should you wish.

Online seminar groups have various times and are flexible to suit an international group.

This course has a gentle pace and built-in catch up times to increase inclusivity.

Tags

• Archeology
• Battlefield
• battlefield excavation
• memory of war
• Napoleon
• Waterloo