Work Experience 2025
19 minute reading time
This blog was written by four of our 2025 work experience students. If you are interested in work experience with The Vindolanda Trust, please visit our Work Experience page for more information.
This year Vindolanda Trust worked with Queen Elizabeth High School to give the students the opportunity to work with them during work experience week. Four of us worked together on a project documenting our experiences during the week; meet the group!
Meet the Students
Hi, I’m Emily and I am a 6th form student studying English Literature, History and Chemistry. I am interested in studying Archaeology at university as the uncovering and learning about the past is a subject that has always appealed to me. With Chemistry A Level I would say that I am more interested in the scientific aspects of the field, and I was very much inspired by the activities on this work experience that involved Geoarchaeology as well as the fieldwork. I found it especially interesting and concerning that Roman textiles, already a rare find, are slowly disappearing from contact with aerobic soil which is seen as a direct result of climate change. This work experience placement has allowed me to research all of the different jobs that come within the field of Archaeology and Heritage and I am hugely grateful for the wonderful opportunity!
I’m Amy and I am studying classics, psychology and maths at a level. I was immediately drawn to classics as I love learning about the ancient world and was excited to learn more. Having the opportunity to take part in this work placement has been an amazing experience to help me bring to life and humanise the people who lived almost 2000 years ago! I signed up for this placement because I love the Romans. Growing up near the wall I feel unbelievably lucky to have had the opportunity to take frequent family day trips to go and explore the wall and numerous Roman sites. I have always enjoyed visiting Roman sites and learning about their culture and the way they lived their lives almost 2000 years ago. I always find it fascinating how little has really changed since the Romans were here – they used spoons, wore jewellery and decorated pottery, all things which we do in the modern world! Being able to take part in this work experience and handle artifacts and learn more about the many roles which go into running a museum and ensuring the longevity of archaeological artifacts has been an amazing experience.
Hi, I’m Clarice and I’m studying Physics, Maths, and Classics at A-level. I haven’t got a plan for further education and Vindolanda’s work experience placement has been a great opportunity to explore many of the potential pathways of future careers; particularly focused on my Classics subject. I have been planning to take a gap year after A-levels, and during this time I was already interested in trying out some volunteering, and my time with Vindolanda has really motivated me to get myself out there and try things out. I tried to get a placement with the Vindolanda Trust because I felt like my subjects leaned too far into engineering and other more mechanical professions, while I have a lot more personal interest in history, writing, and stories, however jobs tailored to this are far less advertised. This work experience placement has informed me of many careers I not only hadn’t considered, but that I was completely ignorant about existing in the first place. I have learnt more about myself, which subjects I’d be more interested in working in, as well as the logistics and requirements for these positions. I am super grateful I got a placement with Vindolanda- especially being some of the first students to do work experience with them- and I would recommend making an offer when you get the chance!
My name is Hannah, and I am studying Classics, Psychology and English literature at A – level. I hope to study either Classics or Ancient History at University in 2026 as it is the most interesting and exciting subject for me and I love learning about how those who have lived over 2000 years ago still engaged in activities like athletic games and plays that we still do now. It feels like a great way to connect the past with the present and the future and how we are still impacted by work done by those in the ancient world today. For example, did you know that the philosopher Aristotle was considered to be the first biologist? It’s facts like this and the ability to learn about the lives of real people and debate the past that makes Classics so interesting to me. I think my work experience at with the Vindolanda trust has been greatly beneficial in learning about all the jobs that can be completed in a heritage site has been a really useful way of learning more about what I can do in the future, especially as it seems like the modern world is consistently prioritising Stem and Science subjects over Humanities which are also so important! Learning more about what it takes to run a sight like the Vindolanda trust with all of the specialists behind the scenes is really interesting as I find that when I simply go to a museum I focus on the artefacts and not the story as to how it got to where it is.
Day One
Fun fact: Archaeology is destructive so some people are opposed to it and believe we should leave the past in the past.
On day one we started by being introduced to the Roman Army Museum. We went round the museum in groups of four experiencing the trails set up for visitors and reading about all the artefacts. These trails increased the interactive elements of the museum as we focused on everything we saw around us which led to a deeper understanding. The collection was really exciting as it showed us that even the people living here 2000 years ago still owned combs, lots of shoes and even had a money system similar to ours with the emperors on the faces of the coins like ours with royalty. As most of us have never visited the Roman Army Museum before, it was really interesting to experience it with fresh minds and view new artefacts we had never seen before. In the second half of day one we visited the excavation site on Magna. We learnt about the fact that the soil will change colour due to the period being dug in and climate change which helped us get into an interesting subsection of Archaeology and the effects of climate change we had never learnt about before. Climate change also affects the quality of the artefacts that are found – only the thickest parts of sandals are being discovered due to disintegration in the soil. It was really interesting to learn that there is technology such as a 3D scanner that can help to record artefacts found. We also learnt that routes into archaeology vary as there are fields such as commercial archaeology that involve travelling and planning permission against Research archaeology that involves.
Daily Log
Emily: Day 1 included a talk from lead archaeologist, Rachel. This was extremely interesting to me as I am very interested in a career in archaeology. One of the most important factors of this talk for me was the discovery of the differences in opportunities that come from the two different Archaeology degrees: BA (Bachelor of Arts) and BSc (Bachelor of Science). Furthermore, I also found it extremely interesting to ask Rachel about travel opportunities within archaeology particularly to places such as Italy concerning the origins of the empire, which is of personal interest to me, and was informed that there would be plenty of opportunities to travel to active sites along with a university. On the more practical side of the talk, a surprising factor was the discovery of the impact of climate change on the quality of the artefacts. A shocking part of this is the fact that in 2017, 2 textiles were found, in 2019, 1 was found and none have been found since. This deterioration of roman textiles can be directly linked to climate change and the soil becoming increasingly aerobic leading to decay, a big problem that has limited awareness with the general public.
Day Two
Fun fact: A skeleton was identified as being 55 years old from analysis of the teeth.
On day two we learnt about the process of post excavation, geo archaeology and admin. We learnt about the process of washing pottery and bones:
- Bags are marked by the context of where they were found on the excavation.
- We had to use different sizes of brush and a pick to remove the mud from the artefacts.
- We started by first washing in warm water and removing the mud and then rinsing in cold water to remove the excess mud.
- The artefacts were then left in trays to dry out.
This was really interesting as it provided a side to archaeology that isn’t seen often but is also incredibly important in the care of artefacts. We learnt about the difference between bulk finds that consisted of Mortaria, Samian, teeth and bone alongside other finds such as lead and other metals. Volunteering can provide a useful way to get into heritage work and can also provide new and exciting experiences. We also learnt about the process of geoarchaeology that showed the more scientific side of archaeology that showed the effect of climate change upon archaeology alongside soil analysis and post excavation identification. There are more niche specialists within geoarchaeology that can provide interesting careers. By working with/ being taught by specialists we gained advice on the best way to get into working in these fields. We got advice such as volunteering is extremely useful for the future, patience and flexibility is essential, museum work can help with sharing and experiencing your passions and it is great to avoid being too rigid as valuable opportunities may be missed.
Daily Log
Amy: Day 2 was particularly interesting for me as I find the artifacts particularly interesting. In the morning, we cleaned pieces of pottery and bones (these are called bulk finds, as opposed to small finds which are specific items, for example a comb) which had been found on site. This was fascinating as these pieces would have belonged to everyday Romans who lived at the fort. The pieces we were cleaning were likely to have been discarded by the Romans as they were found in the ditches beyond the fort walls. I particularly enjoyed seeing the pottery as these pieces would have belonged to the Romans almost 2000 years ago and have since been lost under the ground and I am the next person to touch and uncover these artifacts. We found a fragment of a pestle and mortar which I thought was very exciting as we could still see the rough concrete on the pottery which would have been used for grinding as well as part of a spout which would have been used for pouring away any excess liquid, I love seeing pieces like this because they are so similar to things which we have today and helps bring to life everyday romans and makes them extremely relatable despite how long ago they lived. Additionally, when Hannah cleaned a piece of pottery which had hand painted decoration I thought this was beautiful as it was a more unusual find and also showed us how Romans made things aesthetically pleasing not just practical, just as we do today. On this day we also met with Franki, a geo archaeologist. I enjoyed sorting through the samples of dirt and finding pieces of charcoal or bones which display small fragments of their lives that still survive to this day. My favourite find from this was a small seed! I also enjoyed this as we learnt about the role of statistics in archaeology. As an A level maths student this was interesting to me as it meant I could see the real world and exciting applications for the maths I learn in the classroom. Additionally, the research carried out into the impact of climate change on the soil is invaluable for ensuring that artefacts yet to be found live to be discovered, particularly textiles and leather! Finally, an important takeaway from today which can be applied to all aspects of work was the importance of volunteering and ensuring you take advantage of every opportunity available to you as well as being flexible and open minded throughout your working life.
Day Three
Fun fact: Bit Rot is the to the gradual corruption of digital information.
On day 3 we were at Vindolanda learning about archivists, curators and the general site. We learnt about how data is categorised by an archivist through Collection – Series – File – Item, travelling down in specificity. We learnt the ISAD (G) archival standards and how they are used for the artefacts and data to be the most accessible. It was interesting to learn that work in archives is not necessarily focused on the Romans but on everything in the past that that provides information. We also learnt that there are other careers in the trust that don’t focus upon the Romans like a Contemporary Art Curator. Using contemporary art can bring people into the heritage sites as it adapts how the site is presented. However, many academics and locals can disagree with these installations, arguing it felt like a stunt for the public to come to the sites to make money. We also learnt about the role of the Curator and even got to handle some of the items which helped to humanise the Romans as to being very similar to us despite living 2000 years apart. While at the site we got to go on a guided tour of the fort in which we found out some fun facts such as the bath house was outside of the fort as it was such a fire hazard and the first surviving piece of writing by a woman was found here (Claudia Severa). We also got the chance to visit the museum which was really fun to learn about history so local to us. We thought the best items in the museum were: the leather mouse, the wig, the tile with the paw print on it and the graffiti.
Daily Log
Clarice: Day 3 was the only day we spent on the Vindolanda site, with the rest of the week being based in the Roman Army Museum at Magna. We joined a tour around the fort, looked around the museum, and had some extremely fascinating, and very helpful, conference-style talks with the Curators and Archivists working at Vindolanda. The Archivist role in particular stood out to me as a potential career path. The Archivist, Bethany, explained how perfectionism, patience, and compassion (as you have to discuss with people what happens to their belongings after they pass) are some of the most important parts of the job- these traits really spoke to me! We were taught the importance of archiving everything- even boring everyday objects- and the most appealing aspect to me; how the profession wasn’t exclusively museum based but also present in other companies and job areas. As well as this, the role felt a lot less intimidating, being a mostly desk-based job, without the need to know everything about the Romans. Additionally, it was interesting debating with the Curator about the nature of incorporating modern art into historical sites. Personally, I’d never even considered the work done to attract the public towards the site and the nuance involved to influence people into visiting and keeping the Trust running.
Other than learning a great deal about the behind-the-scenes professions, the site itself was stunning, visually and academically. The guided tour was fascinating, and I learnt far more about the fort and the lives of the Romans. I loved how the museum humanised them, showing that they were normal people too. One of my favourite examples of this was the evidence of pets, with pieces of cement and clay with paw prints embedded into them- very cute!
Day Four
Fun fact: 14% of people who visited the Trust would class themselves as having a disability. This is why accessibility is so important.
On day four we learnt more about the process of management of the Trust. We were taught by the Deputy CEO about the finances of the Vindolanda Trust and the effort that goes into the running of the Trust. It was really interesting to learn about the income and outcomes of a larger business. We also had a talk on marketing in which we learnt about the effects that branding has upon our perspective of a product. We did this by blind tasting Diet Coke and Pepsi Max. It was found that while a majority of us said we would buy a Diet Coke, we all preferred the taste of Pepsi Max when tasted blind. This was a really interesting workshop as none of us had never considered the effects of branding, this helped to emphasise how important it is for the Vindolanda Trust to have good and effective branding to bring in visitors. On day 4 we also completed accessibility training in which we learnt about guiding those who are visually impaired, sensory bags and basic BSL.
Visual impairment awareness:
- Introduce yourself clearly and talk directly to the visitor.
- Ask if they would like to be guided and if so, how they would like to be guided.
- Tell the visitor about steps or ramps and if they go up or down.
- Mention any hazards in the path and where they are.
- Don’t walk away without saying so.
This was so important to learn about as it helps to make the Trust as accessible and inclusive as possible and to create comfortable experiences for all visitors. We also completed an accessibility audit of the building to ensure experience in a job in accessibility.
Daily Log
Hannah: While Day 4 focused more upon how the actual sites of the Vindolanda trust run and not the historical perspective (which is the main reason I chose this work experience) it was still incredibly interesting as I found myself learning about and considering careers I had never thought of before. We learnt about marketing with Sonya which was a really fun session as we learnt how branding can influence how we view a product. It also showed me that a job in communications/ marketing would be aided by my English literature A – level as it is useful in being able to emphasise a point and engage the general public in an artefact found here or an event that is happening. This was an interesting way to learn about utilising my skills in many different and diverse ways.
On day 4 we also learnt about accessibility training which is useful in pretty much every job. We learnt how to say ‘Hello, Welcome, How are you? and My name is…’ in British Sign Language. It was so exciting to pick up a new skill that I had never tried before that I feel will be useful to me going forward. We also learnt how to appropriately guide someone who is visually impaired if they would like to be guided. We split into pairs and attempted to do this down to the excavation. The chance to get hands-on experience in something so important was a really useful opportunity that I don’t think I would have been able to get otherwise. As someone who is completely able-bodied, I had never appreciated the challenges it takes for those who are visually impaired or d/Deaf to be able to experience a museum or a heritage sight to their greatest ability. This is why I feel very lucky to have learnt how to aid people who would like to be and how there are important measures in place for people to have the best experience possible with the Vindolanda Trust. In the accessibility training, we also learnt about the sensory bags that can be provided at the Vindolanda Trust. Items such as cuddly toys, fidget toys, day plans and magnifying glasses and more were provided in these bags to help visitors feel as comfortable as possible and to help them enjoy the museum to the greatest level as everyone deserves to learn about and take part in the experience. I had never truly appreciated the effort that goes into making a space like this accessible and the importance of this as it can have such an incredible impact upon a visitor’s experience.
Thank you to the Vindolanda Trust for this wonderful opportunity!
