This four-week course, designed for students with some experience of archaeological excavation, seeks to develop their on-site skills to a high level and provide them with an opportunity to become proficient excavators. Working alongside novice students under the close supervision of the site director, students undertaking this course will be given responsibilities commensurate with their experience and these will include the excavation of discrete archaeological features, the recording of such features using the three-part record system (i.e. written, drawn and photographic records), the recording of finds and environmental samples and the analysis of the stratigraphic evidence within their work area. This module will allow students with some excavation experience to develop significantly as archaeologists and, though focussed on Irish medieval archaeology, will teach them a range of transferrable skills which can be applied on professional research excavation and survey projects around the world.

This course is open to students who have completed Course 2, or those who can show that they already have sufficient excavation experience from other archaeological sites. Students on this course will be involved in practical excavation, but will also gain valuable experience of a range of on-site recording techniques and will, where possible, take leading roles in on-site tasks including photography, drawing to scale, stratigraphic interpretation and finds recording. They will also be expected to assist in tutoring novice students in basic excavation techniques and so will make considerable progress towards appointment as site supervisors in future years.