Norman's Questions and Answers


If you have any questions about YAC or archaeology then email them to me at this address: yac@yac-uk.org and I will try to answer as many as I can...bookmark this page and check it regularly for NEW questions and answers!

Frequently Asked Questions about YAC...

What is the difference between YAC UK and YAC Branches?

YAC UK

YAC UK is a magazine subscription package for young people aged up to 17 who are interested in archaeology. Membership costs £12 a year for an individual child and benefits include:

To find out more about the different membership categories click here. Please remember that joining YAC UK does not mean that you will get automatic access to a YAC Branch if there is one near you.

YAC Branches

There are over 70 YAC Branches all over the UK. Most meet about once a month, on a Saturday, and they are a great way to learn more about archaeology in your area. YAC Branches are run by teams of volunteers and there is a strict limit on how many members can attend a Branch. Click here to find a Branch near you and to discover details of how to contact them. The Branch Leader will be able to tell you if there are any spaces available at the Branch and give you details about what they get up to. If you are aged over 16 and would be interested in volunteering at a YAC Branch please contact yac@yac-uk.org


How do I join YAC UK?

It's easy to join YAC UK! Click here for more details.


How much does it cost to join YAC UK?

YAC UK is great value for money, with an Individual Child membership costing just £12 for a whole year! We also cater for families who love archaeology, through our Children in the Family membership! Up to five young people can join YAC UK, for just £15 for a whole year! If you join through our Children in the Family membership, members will share 1 copy of Young Archaeologist, and receive a YAC Pack each! For all our different membership categories, prices and how to join YAC UK, just click here.


I live abroad; can I still join YAC UK?

Yes, you can! We have YAC members from all over the world, including Australia and America! The easiest way for you to join YAC is through our secure online shop. This means you don't have to pay for sending your application to YAC UK! To cover postal costs, membership fees for overseas YAC UK members are slightly different.


How old do I have to be to be a member of YAC UK?

YAC UK individual membership is available to anyone aged up to 17 years old. YAC UK is aimed at young people aged between 8 - 16 years old, who are interested in archaeology and all things historic. However, there is no minimum age limit for YAC UK membership. For more information on the brilliant benefits of YAC UK membership, just click here!


What do YAC UK members get?

YAC UK membership includes lots of great goodies and benefits for you to enjoy throughout the year! We will send a YAC Pack that includes: You will receive 4 copies of Young Archaeologist magazine during a year's membership! You will also be the first to hear about our amazing activities, like the Festival of British Archaeology and Scottish Archaeology Month.


What is the YAC Pass and where can I use it?

The YAC Pass is a great scheme that gives YAC UK members free or discounted entry (and sometimes discounts on merchandise!) to some of the top historic attractions throughout the UK! There are hundreds of amazing places you can visit, click here to find their locations! It's easy to use your YAC Pass! Simply look up the attractions in your YAC Pass booklet or online here and show your YAC membership card when you visit! You can actually save the money you spent on your YAC UK membership by using your YAC Pass! There are also exclusive offers for YAC PASS holders with the British Museum Press, Cotswold Outdoors and the Professional Divers Association (PADI)!


Where is my nearest YAC Branch?

There are over 70 YAC Branches all over the UK. Most meet about once a month and are a great way to learn more about archaeology in your area. Click here to find a Branch near you.


How much does it cost to join a YAC Branch?

There is no set cost for joining a YAC Branch. Some Branches charge a yearly membership fee ranging from £4-6. Other Branches ask you to pay for every session you attend, most Branches charge between £1-2. At some Branches there is no charge at all for normal sessions. To find out how much it costs at your local YAC Branch contact the Branch leader. You can find their contact details by clicking here and finding your nearest Branch.


How old do I have to be to go to a YAC Branch?

For most YAC Branches you have to be 8 years old or over to attend sessions. However, some YAC Branches state you have to be 9 or over to attend. Please click here to find contact details for your nearest Branch, so that you can check whether they have spaces available and to find out what age you need to be.


Will I definitely get a place at a YAC Branch if I am a YAC UK member?

YAC UK membership does not mean you will get an automatic place at a YAC Branch if there is one near to you. To find out more about the differences between YAC UK membership and the YAC Branches go to the top of this page.


What activities might I be able to do at a YAC Branch?

YAC Branches cover a huge range of different activities. One month you might be looking at how archaeologists excavate, the next you might be trying your hand at spinning and weaving, then you could move on to visiting an archaeological or heritage site or you might even end up trying out food from different periods of time! Each Branch will organise a programme of events in advance that cover both activities local to you and activities using skills from across different time periods and from different cultures. To find out more about YAC Branches and to discover where your nearest local YAC Branch is click here.


Who runs YAC Branches?

YAC Branches are run by volunteers who generously give up their free time to run brilliant sessions for you! Some of them are professional archaeologists, some of them work in museums, and others are just interested in archaeology in their spare time. Each YAC Branch has a Branch Leader who is in charge of the Branch and keeps YAC HQ up to date with what's going on. There are Assistant Leaders who help the Branch Leader to run sessions and there are Helpers who come along occasionally to help out. Email us at yac@yac-uk.org if you are interested in volunteering with YAC. Parents and guardians might like to know that all YAC Branch Leaders and Assistants have gone through Criminal Records Checks, and have been vetted by our own YAC Approvals Panel.


How do I know that my child will be safe at a YAC Branch meeting?

YAC HQ asks all volunteers at YAC Branches to complete an application form, which tells us about them and their background.

Branch and Assistant Leaders
Volunteers who wish to be Branch or Assistant Leaders have to complete an application form which asks for the details of two referees. These referees are contacted confidentially to find out about the individual's suitability to work with young people. Branch and Assistant Leaders also undergo a Criminal Records check. When the volunteer has two valid references and a criminal records Disclosure certificate, their paper work is passed on to our Approvals Panel. It is the Approvals Panel's job to ensure that the person meets our strict suitability criteria. If they think that they do, the volunteer will be 'approved' and notified in writing by YAC HQ. They are then free to work in that YAC Branch. Branch and Assistant Leaders also undergo training organised by YAC HQ which covers areas such as child protection and First Aid.

Helpers
People applying to become Helpers with a YAC Branch complete a Helper Registration Form but they do not provide references or complete a Criminal Records check. Due to this Helpers are only allowed to attend a maximum of three YAC sessions a year, must only work alongside Branch and Assistant Leaders and are never allowed to be in sole charge of young people. Helpers who wish to become more involved with the Branch must complete the approvals procedure outlined above before they can do so.

N.B Every YAC session must be attended by at least one first aid trained volunteer, and YAC applies a 1:8 adult child ratio, meaning that for every eight children at a session there must be at least one approved volunteer. Every session is completely risk assessed. YAC HQ also provides each Branch with public liability and employer's liability insurance as well as a Leaders' Handbook that sets out good practice and standard procedures that the Branch must follow.


How do I volunteer to help at a YAC Branch?

YAC Branches rely on teams of volunteers to run them so we are always looking for new adults to get involved! Volunteers come from all walks of life and YAC HQ provides training events for YAC Leaders. If you would like to consider volunteering with a YAC Branch then you will need to contact the YAC Network and Events Officer stating which Branch you are interested in volunteering at and at which level (see above). You will be invited by the Branch Leader to attend a session and then, if you decide to volunteer, the Branch Leader will give you the relevant form to fill in.


Can I set up a new YAC Branch?

YAC Branches only exist in areas where there are teams of volunteers in place to run them! YAC HQ does open new Branches during the course of the year, with it taking a minimum of six months from a proposed new Branch submitting its formal paperwork to it holding its first meeting. New Branches will need to have a minimum of three adult Leaders, will need to have a suitable venue to meet in, will have to put together a proposed six month programme, will have to undertake First Aid and child protection training, will have to open a YAC bank account and will go through our Approvals Process. Branches are expected to meet for at least ten sessions a year with a session lasting a minimum of two hours in length. It is estimated that running a Branch will take at least seventy, seven hour work days, per year. YAC HQ appreciates that this is a big commitment and we do ask new Branches to consider how they will be sustainable in the long term. To discuss further what is involved in setting up and running a new Branch please contact us.


Frequently Asked Questions about archaeology...

What GCSE's do I need to help me study archaeology?

To study archaeology at university you will need at least 5 GCSE's at grade C or above. The most useful subject for going on to an archaeology degree is geography. Physical geography has a lot in common with archaeology in terms of its methods and understanding of landscapes. For studying archaeological sciences, physics and chemistry would be good. History is not very useful as it mainly covers modern history. Generally universities will be more interested in which AS and A levels you do. They are unlikely to say that you must have particular subjects but a mix of arts subjects like geography and sciences like physics or chemistry would be most useful.


What is Archaeology?

When you think of archaeology, most people think of buried treasures or lost cities, and yes some archaeologists have discovered these things. But archaeology isn't about fame and fortune. It is a way of learning about people who lived in the past, where they lived, what they ate, what they believed and the effects they had on the environment. Archaeologists study these by looking at the physical remains left behind by these people. The evidence can include artefacts (an artefact is a man-made movable object) such as pottery, tools or jewellery which can be made from materials like clay, bone, stone, wood or metal. Fixtures, such as evidence for site occupation, standing buildings or the remains of buildings that have later been buried underground, evidence of farming, and environmental remains such as plant remains.

Archaeology only deals with the human past. We call the family of species we belong to hominids and the earliest remains of hominids are about 2 million years old. Archaeology does not deal with dinosaurs or other similar fossils. Dinosaurs became extinct about 65 million years go. Fossils of plants and animals other than hominids are the subject of palaeontology (itself part of geology). From the beginning of the human race millions of years ago to the remains of 20th century industry, archaeology provides us with information such as the beginning of agriculture, the origin of towns, or the discovery of metals and often these can only be understood through the examination of physical evidence.

Archaeologists divide time into periods in order to make it easier to understand. Since the last Ice Age ended (about 10,200 years ago) the most important of these periods in Britain are:

The Mesolithic or Middle Stone Age began around 10,000 years ago

The New Stone Age or Neolithic began around 6,000 years ago

The Bronze Age began around 4,000 years ago

The Iron Age began around 2,500 years ago

Roman Britain began around 2,000 years ago

Medieval began around 1,500 years ago

Post-medieval began around 500 years ago


Do archaeologists just go round digging holes into the ground?

No, excavating a site is just one way of retrieving the information an archaeologist seeks. But it can also be destructive, so lets look at other methods of retrieving the information we want. Surveying and field walking: a careful study of land surfaces and ploughed fields can help to locate sites by finding earthworks (ditches and banks) and finds brought to the surface by the plough.

Aerial photography: some sites are only visible from the air. Crops form different patterns if over buried sites, for example crops built over buried walls do not grow as well as those in the surrounding area, while crops growing over pits and ditches will be noticeably taller.

Archaeologists using a resistivity meter to survey a prehistoric Cursus monument in East Yorkshire The written record: while it is not a comprehensive source of information the archaeologist can use historical writings, maps and place-names to identify areas for further research.

Building survey: the survey of upstanding buildings can provide us with information not always accessible from the written record.

Geophysical survey: archaeologists can map the features underground by measuring electrical resistivity or the magnetic field (see picture, right). The data can be plotted to provide a plan of underground features such as hearths or ditches.

There are many books available describing the methods archaeologists use to retrieve the information they want. Your local library will be able to help.


How can I get started?

Join YAC! The Young Archaeologists' Club is a great way to get into archaeology. Loads of our ex-YAC members have gone on to get jobs in archaeology.

Most archaeologists have also undergone special training and have gained practical experience working on sites and projects with other archaeologists. Most of them are professionals and work for universities, local authorities, charitable trusts, government agencies or private companies. Some archaeologists are amateurs who may not have formal training but have become very experienced. The three main areas of work in archaeology are teaching, fieldwork and curation (looking after the historic environment to ensure that remains of the past are not needlessly destroyed). Archaeologists will tend to specialise in a particular period or will study a topic which involves several periods.

If you want a taste of the subject, there are several things you can do straight away. One is to visit your library, and take out one or two introductory books. You can also visit some of the museums and archaeological sites in your local area, they often have introductory information, publications and details of events. And, of course, join YAC!

You can find out more about Archaeology as a career on the Connexions website. They have lots of practical information about what being an archaeologist entails and how you become an archaeologist. Click here to go to their site.

You can also contact Don Henson, Education Coordinator, for information on current courses in Archaeology. You can email him at education@britarch.ac.uk or phone 01904 671417. There are also some useful factsheets on the main Council for British Archaeology website that might answer some of your questions. Click here to find out more.

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