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I've Graduated!

Finishing university for me was a steady series of finals. Finally submitting my dissertation. Attending the final lecture and seminar for each of my modules. A final (slightly sleep-deprived) deadline cluster. Slowly saying goodbye to staff and friends over a number of weeks as events in which we would see each other trickled away. Gradually going into the department less and less as fewer of my friends were working there, or I had fewer books to return to the library. It was lovely to have the time to explore Manchester in a way I had not been able to before, but there was a sense of melancholy in many of these experiences as I was unsure when I would next be back in this city or seeing these people.  I had a wonderful time at home enjoying the sun of late June whilst waiting for my final degree marks. Once these came in I was also (finally) able to set into the motion of starting to York as the submission of my transcript changed my offer from conditional to that magical status of u
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Post-Degree Summer

I may have finished my degree, but archaeology has still been a central part of my summer so far.  Along with several friends, I attended a brilliant workshop on 'flint' knapping (we used glass) delivered by one of my teachers from Manchester. This was part of the Chorlton Arts Festival and was in the beautiful location of a plant nursery. I definitely still have a way to go with my knapping skills, but I ended the workshop with a lovely glass arrowhead that now sits pride of place on my bookcase. I also stumbled across an amazing food market and had quite possibly the best arancini I've ever had (it was filled with pesto and delicious).  At the beginning of June, I went down to Cambridge to attend the Prehistoric Society's Europa conference in honour of this year's Europa prize winner Professor Marie Louise Stig-Sorrensen. In recognition of her work, this conference focused on 'Peopling the Past', with papers ranging from pioneering genetics studies to expl
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My Degree Has Come to an End

My time as an undergraduate at Manchester has come to an end. I had my last formal teaching last week and handed in my final assessments today. I have completed my degree. And now all that is left is to receive my final results and graduation.  These last three years have absolutely flown by. There have certainly been challenging moments, most certainly starting in the middle of the lockdowns and spending my first year online. But I have also had an amazing time, making wonderful friends and meeting some of the most inspiring people. I will most certainly be staying in contact with these people who have inspired and supported me.  I have also learnt so much, both academically and personally. My love for archaeology has only grown and I now feel confident that this is the career path I wish to pursue. And this is not the end of my involvement, either with academia or these amazing people. I will be speaking at a conference with my amazing supervisor on the findings of my dissertation an
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Easter in Final Year

  My final Easter break as an undergrad! With several assignments and a dissertation due within a month, it was certainly going to be a busy one. But we had officially entered spring and I had a variety of playlists and types of tea to keep me focused. (And a cat sleeping on your lap certainly makes you sit at your laptop for a while!) My Easter break started off wonderfully with a lovely family get-together for the weekend outside of Llangollen. We walked lots, and ate even more! I then popped back up to Manchester for a couple of days for some trips that were part of my heritage module.  The first of these trips was to the amazing Jodrell Bank, radiotelescope and UNESCO World Heritage Site owned by the University of Manchester. Here we got to debate the concept of universal heritage, look at some of the 'behind-the-scenes' areas of the site, and tour around their new First Light Pavillion. This had some really interesting (and interactive displays), such as using some of the
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Third Year Here I Come

 If blackberries picked wild from the hedgerows are the taste of autumn, for me then the smell of autumn is definitely that of elderberries cooking on the hob. My mum has made a medicinal drink packed full of vitamin C and antioxidants for years and years. This 'magic medicine' as it is called in my family is great for boosting your immune system and fighting off colds in the dark and damp of winter. I have helped make this every autumn for as long as I can remember, and for the last two years, I have taken a bottle with me to university. This year I am continuing this most favoured autumnal tradition of mine and bottling some more up. Making this is a sure sign that the seasons are turning and I will soon be back in an educational setting. The fact that this year is my final year as an undergraduate is genuinely mind-blowing! It has definitely been an interesting journey, and I cannot wait to dive back in. This year I have some fascinating modules looking at everything from Ne
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Searching For Stones- Another Summer of Archaeology

 Searching for stones is definitely a good way to describe my summer. I have been incredibly lucky this year to have had the opportunity to go to the west coast of Scotland three times over my summer. The first was a lovely family holiday, which included getting lost in a bog looking for the remains of an old clachan (pre-clearance township), and just making it to Iona to see the famous abbey before the ferry was stopped for the only day we were on Mull! Later in the summer, I had the privilege of attending a 'String Ceilidh' on Skye, which was an amazing way to meet the local community that exists beyond the tourist sites and shops. This evening of insights into people's deep lived experience and connection to the and they called home as well as talks by prominent textile archaeologists is one I will not soon forget! Whilst on Skye I also had the chance to visit the Museum of Island Life, which gave a fascinating window into the life of island crofters over the last couple
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End of Second Year

Hello! I am writing this entry up in the strange hazy space that sits at the end of every academic year. Suddenly, all the pressure of deadline season has fallen away and your days are without as regimented a timetable. This is usually when I ask myself, what now? How do I fill this expanse of time? How do I spend it meaningful? The usual response is to take a nap and read a book and focus on the rest another day. Today was ever so slightly different. Once the summer is over I will be entering the final year of my undergraduate degree in archaeology. And so, with my final coursework due in at 12pm, I also had a workshop on preparation for my dissertation at 12pm. Out with the old and in with the new, I guess. This has given me a major focus for my summer as I am hoping to get a large chunk of reading done. I am also very excited about going on fieldwork again this year- this time I am going up to the remote west coast of Scotland and I cannot wait to be back in one of my favourite regi
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