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Field Schools

Anthropology Field Schools

Anthropology field schools provide hands-on, immersive experiences that take students out of the traditional classroom and into the heart of anthropological research. These programs bridge theory and practice, helping students build real-world skills while exploring complex social, cultural, and environmental questions.

Interested in field school? Contact us to learn more

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Why Choose A Field School?

Field schools are one of the most engaging and rewarding ways to study anthropology, combining hands‑on experience with real‑world discovery.

  • Hands‑on fieldwork experience
  • Cultural immersion
  • Interdisciplinary collaboration
  • Skill development in research and analysis
  • Networking opportunities
  • Real-world applications and academic credit

Current Field School: Sealey Village

Collaborative Archaeological Field School – Reconciling Sealey, Rewriting Attawandaron: Expected to run again summer 2027.

McMaster’s first fully collaborative archaeological field school at Sealey, an Attawandaron village site near Brantford, Ontario.

This project was launched in Summer 2025 by Dr. Scott Martin, Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN), and colleagues at McMaster University.

This six-credit course provides all the required experience needed to work as an archaeologist in cultural resource management. Students also develop laboratory, analytical, and research skills.

A New Kind of Field School

This field school offers a unique collaborative approach, where students work alongside Indigenous communities and researchers to shape how archaeological research is carried out.

Through partnerships with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN), the Six Nations of the Grand River Archaeology Department (SNRAD), and the Haudenosaunee Development Institute (HDI), the program has evolved into a fully collaborative model.

In this approach, key decisions – including site selection, excavation strategy, and research methods – are made collectively by all partners involved.

Site Background

Dating to approximately 1630–1650, Sealey Village (AgHa‑4) may be one of the final Attawandaron (Neutral) settlements. The site is located north of the Grand River between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie and is believed to be associated with the Walker Site, a historically significant political centre.

Although originally identified in the mid‑1800s, the site experienced looting until the late 1980s, when the current landowner established protections.

Current work, supported by Indigenous partners and academic collaborators, is contributing to a renewed understanding of Attawandaron history.

What You’ll Do

Students participate in the full spectrum of archaeological research, including:

  • Survey and mapping
  • Excavation and documentation
  • Artifact collection and analysis
  • Laboratory work and cataloguing
  • Exposure to techniques such as GPR, LiDAR, and soil coring

A Day In The Field

Fieldwork typically runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with scheduled breaks and lunch.

Students work in pairs on excavation units and complete tasks such as:

  • troweling and screening
  • artifact collection
  • field documentation

Additional experiences may include:

  • laboratory work at McMaster
  • visits to local sites and research facilities

Students should be prepared for physically demanding work in outdoor conditions.

Registration and Costs

  • Registration is completed through MOSAIC
  • Registration typically opens in March
  • Tuition is equivalent to a standard six-credit course

Non‑McMaster students should contact the Instructional Assistant before April.

Students are responsible for basic field supplies (boots, gear, etc.).

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Funding Opportunities See AwardSpring for current opportunities

Funding is available to support field school participation.

Questions? Contact:

Melissa Dunham
Instructional Assistant, Anthropology
dunham2@mcmaster.ca
Kenneth Taylor Hall (KTH) B128A

Past Field Schools

Archaeological Field School: Unraveling Centuries of History

The archaeological field school took place on the north shore of the Cootes Paradise marsh within the property of the Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG). Undergraduate students from McMaster, directed by Dr. Scott Martin and Dr. Meghan Burchell explored this site from 2006 to 2023.

Although the precise date of the earliest occupation of the site remains unknown, it is believed that the site is at least 3,000 years old based on the presence of Archaic-style projectile points. The area was also occupied during post-European contact era, and as a farmstead prior to the establishment of the RBG in 1930.

Bioarchaeological Field School in Puglia, Italy: Unveiling Roman Stories

The McMaster bioarchaeological field school took place from 2009-2019 at the site of Vagnari near the modern city of Gravina in Puglia, Italy. During Roman times it was likely situated close to one of the main highways (the Via Appia) that connected the City of Rome to the southern coast of Italy.

Professor Alastair Small first discovered the site in 2001 and identified substantial architectural remains. Excavations by Professor Small, and later Professor Maureen Carroll, identified buildings associated with industrial activities, including areas related to iron working and kilns associated with pottery and tile production. Archaeological evidence from the site suggests that Vagnari and the surrounding territory was likely part of a large Imperial estate.

Dr. Prowse started excavations in the cemetery at Vagnari in 2003, and as of 2019 over 150 burials were excavated. The burials mainly date to the 2nd – 3rd c. CE. Archaeological and bioarchaeological analyses of the burials are ongoing.