From August 3 to August 28, 2026, the Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed, in cooperation with Museum Batavialand, is organizing the Field School of Marine Archaeology Flevoland. There is room for a total of 12 students with ambition in the field of maritime archaeology. Both newcomers and students who have previously participated in a campaign can register.
About the field school
Field school takes place in Almere, Oosterwold. We will start a new project this year: the research of a barge dating back to around 1800. The ship was wrecked with a cargo of peat. During the field school you will learn about ship archaeology, work with (digital) excavation techniques and get experience with all aspects of a ship excavation. During the excavation several workshops will take place at Museum Batavialand about ship carpentry, conservation, museology, the Batavia and the national ship archaeological collection. We conclude the field school with a cruise on a historic cargo ship on the Markermeer.
Practical
- Board and lodging and transportation to all locations will be provided by us.
- Transportation costs to and from the excavation site on Mondays and Fridays will be reimbursed.
- The field school is in Dutch.
- There is no internship stipend.
Requirements for new students
- Basic fieldwork methods in archaeology should be known.
- You must be available for the entire period.
Requirements returning students
- Participation in field school in one or two previous years.
- You must be able to demonstrate that maritime archaeology is an important part or the major of your studies.
- You must be available for the entire period.
Sign up
Because places are limited, we would like motivated students with ambitions in maritime archaeology. Therefore, we ask you to write a cover letter addressing your experience and what you hope to learn during field school. Senior students are required to formulate clear learning goals in this letter. This letter can be mailed to the field school coordinator through March 1, 2026:
Dr. W.B. Waldus: w.waldus@cultureelerfgoed.nl
In the first week of March, each applicant will be notified whether he or she has been accepted to the field school. The field school will be held annually, so if you don’t succeed this year, there will be another chance in 2027.
More information: Field School Ship Archaeology Flevoland | Maritime Heritage | National Cultural Heritage Agency
