Join Prof Stewart Ainsworth (Time Team’s landscape archaeologist) and Al Oswald (landscape archaeologist at York University) in the landscape surrounding Epiacum Roman fort in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty for a practical introduction into interpreting archaeological surface remains. 

Evidence of the past isn’t always hidden below ground. If you've ever noticed humps and bumps and puzzled about what they might mean, then this course is for you!

This Masterclass is aimed at anyone with an enquiring mind who wants to learn how to decipher surface traces of past human activity. We place a strong emphasis on the basics: close observation and thinking.

These simple skills can transform your understanding of a historic site or landscape, yet are often neglected, as people turn too quickly to hi-tech solutions instead such as lidar, drones and geophysical survey. This course is about learning how to look at evidence we can see around us ‒ without any need for special equipment. “We guarantee your walks in the countryside will never be the same again!"

What will this Masterclass teach me?

If you are a beginner, this Masterclass will give you the tools you need to start to read any rural landscape for yourself.

If you already have some experience, we will aim to stretch and improve your abilities. The outdoor teaching environment is informal and we encourage group discussions and independent thought, so please come prepared to work in teams, share ideas and defend your views.

The training will include

• How to recognise patterns in the rural landscape, identify key details and narrow down uncertainties till you reach an interpretation you feel confident about. 
• How to understand 'earthwork stratigraphy' to get an idea of the date of a particular feature, and read how landscapes develop through time. 
• How to use other sources of evidence, including lidar and old maps, to refine the interpretations you've reached. 
• How to record your observations through notes and sketches.

Where will this masterclass be held? 

The training weekend takes place on an upland farm at the spectacular Roman fortat Whitley Castle (known to the Romans as Epiacum), just a couple miles north of the small market town of Alston in the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Beauty. (Postcode CA9 3BG)

What will we be doing?

A fair amount of walking, looking and thinking! We will examine a whole range of lumps and bumps (earthwork) in and around the Roman fort. This landscape contains surface remains of many different periods, and you will learn how to decode them using simple human skills - observation and analysis.

When's the masterclass happening? 

Training will take place between the evening of Friday 12th August and the afternoon of Sunday 14th August. The Friday evening is an informal indoor presentation in a local community hall followed by two full days outside on the site.

What's provided? 

We will provide the teaching and all necessary materials plus an evening meal on the first night and lunches/snacks during the training. 

Where can I stay? 

Accommodation is not provided, so you will need to make your own choices (we can help by providing an accommodation list and it may be possible to stay on the farm in your own tent or campervan).

What should I bring? 

This is an outdoors course on the hills of the North Pennines. Above all,you should bring warm and wet-weather clothing and boots.