Walking the Past



Overview

There are archaeological sites all around us, such as hillforts and stone circles, Roman towns, ancient fields and roads. During this course, we will venture out and look at the archaeological landscape, to help you pick out and identify sites on the ground.

We will visit some of the best sites that have been visited during the previous 12 Walking the Past courses: Avebury, Wilts; Silchester Roman town, Hants; Lambourne, Berks; Knap Hill and Adams Grave long barrow, Wilts.

The first and last sessions will take place in Oxford, at Ewert House, from 10-12am. 

The next four sessions are four hours out in the field from 10am to 2pm and we will meet at agreed points at 10am. The field trips will not be too strenuous, but some sites have restricted access and agility will be required. Students should come equipped for rain (as this is an all-weather course) and bring packed lunch/coffee.

Please note: students will need to arrange their own transport for the field trips, however those without transport will be able to arrange lifts with fellow students during the first session at Ewert House.

Programme details

Course starts Friday 24 April 2026

This is an in-person course which requires your attendance at the weekly meetings each Friday at the times outlined below.

Week 1: Introduction at Ewert House 10-12am

Week 2: First trip, 10am-2pm

Week 3: Second trip, 10am-2pm

Week 4: Third trip, 10am-2pm

Week 5: Fourth trip, 10am-2pm

Week 6: Conclusion, at Ewert House 10-12am

Digital Certification

Academic credit

Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme (CATS Points)

Please note, students who do not register for assessment and accreditation during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun. If you wish to gain credit from completing this course you must register to do so before the course starts.

Only those who have registered for assessment and accreditation will be awarded CATS points for completing work to the required standard. Please note that assignments are not graded but are marked either pass or fail.

Learn more about the Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme.

If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education at the Department you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee for assessment and accreditation.

Digital certificate of completion 

Students who are registered for assessment and accreditation and pass their final assignment will also be eligible for a digital Certificate of Completion. Information on how to access the digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course attended. You will be able to download the certificate and share it on social media if you choose to do so.

Fees

Description Costs
Course fee (with no assessment) £300.00
Assessment and Accreditation fee £60.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. See details of our concessionary fees for short courses. 

 

Tutor

Dr Jennifer Foster

Jennifer Foster is an archaeologist who has specialised in the study of artefacts. She has worked at the British and Ashmolean Museums. She has been teaching archaeology to continuing education students for 30 years.

Course aims

The course aim is to take us out of the classroom into the field, to look at archaeology within a landscape context.

Course objectives:

  • to gain first-hand experience of archaeological sites in the field;
  • to identify a range of prehistoric and later archaeological site types;
  • to consider archaeological sites in their landscape contexts.

Teaching methods

This course is very much a voyage of exploration: it is never possible to predict what you might find.

There will be plenty of discussion, with handouts for each trip (eg where sites have been excavated and published).

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will have been given the opportunity to learn how to:

  • give descriptive and interpretative accounts of the sites visited;
  • be able to recognise the remains of past human activity in the landscape;
  • assess landscapes from an archaeological viewpoint.

Assessment methods

Only those students who have registered for assessment and accreditation, in advance of the course start date, can submit coursework/assignments for assessment.

Assessment

Assessment will be by the submission of a field notebook.

Application

How to enrol

Please use the 'Book now' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an enrolment form.

How to register for accreditation and assessment

To be able to submit coursework and to earn credit (CATS points) for this course, if you wish to do so, you will need to register and pay an additional £60 fee. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. 

Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process will not be able to do so after the course has begun.

If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education at the Department you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

Level and demands

The Department's Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, ie first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support