Theresa Bowsher

In this role, I worked in the laboratory at Cardiff University, inputting data and helping to conserve finds from the 2015 and 2014 excavations at Caerau Hillfort. The work included: making digital copies of data taken on site, inputting the data into Microsoft Excel, sorting through soil samples in order to find tiny artefacts that would have been missed on site, and making digital copies of on site drawings, using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator and a Wacom tablet in order to do so. I also gave a brief talk to prospective students about working in post-excavation in the department. This was a voluntary role as part of my degree.

While working at the Caerau Hillfort Excavations, I took part in various archaeological tasks as part of the investigation of the site. Duties included excavating certain features, as I was stationed in a trench excavating postholes of an Iron Age house, recording finds and features that were excavated, photographing features, and creating site drawings of various features of the excavation. A smaller part of my duties included finds care, and interacting with the public who visited the site during excavations. This was a voluntary role as part of my degree.

As part of the Welsh Baccalaureate qualification, I was required to take part in some form of community service, which I completed as a classroom assistant for a Chemistry teacher at Tonypandy Community College. My duties included helping the students (GCSE Level and below) in their classroom tasks, marking work, and assisting in the Health and Safety of the classroom, such as ensuring that the students were kept safe during scientific experiments.

I worked at Maes Glas Veterinary Group for one week as part of my Welsh Baccalaureate work experience. My duties included cleaning the practice, assisting the vets with patients, organising medicines, and helping to clean the equipment necessary for operations.

I worked at Robin Lewis’ veterinary practice for one week as a volunteer assistant during the summer holidays after I completed my GCSEs. My duties included receptionist work, which included booking patients for appointments, inputting details of new patients into the practice’s system, and answering telephones, organising the practice’s medicines, and overseeing operations and appointments.

Working at Budget Vets was my first work experience role, during the first year of my GCSEs. My duties included cleaning the practice, including the cages where animals would have recovered following operations, overseeing operations, cleaning equipment, and assisting the receptionist.

First Year Modules: Archaeology of the Greek and Roman World, British Prehistory, Environmental & Economic Archaeology, Great Discoveries in Archaeology, Human Origins: Complexity & Civilisation, Introduction to Ancient Greek History, Introduction to Archaeological Skills, Introduction to Roman History, Post Roman & Medieval Britain Second Year Modules: Archaeological Fieldwork, Archaeological Science, Early Rome: History & Archaeology, History of Archaeological Thought, Independent Archaeological Study, Medieval Archaeology, Museums Collections Management, Viking-Age Scandinavia Third Year Modules: Archaeological Dissertation, Archaeological Fieldwork, Archaeological Illustration, Death & Burial in the Roman World, Houses in Roman Italy, Life in Ancient Rome, Pharaohs of the Sun, Post-Roman Celtic Britain Dissertation title: Using pottery as an indicator of the wealth and commerce of Medieval monasteries, and their commercial relationships with their local communities.