Cranborne Chase, UK · August 27th – 31st 2026
An immersive 5-day field school in skyscape archaeology — designed to give you the practical skills to read and interpret relationships between sky, landscape, and archaeological sites. No prior experience required.
Only 11 Places Left · Limited to 30 participants · Early Booking Recommended
Not a Classroom Course
You won’t be sitting in lectures all day. You’ll be out in the landscape — observing horizons, recording orientations, working with real data, and developing the practical skills that define robust work in this field.
Expect long periods of time in the field, a variety of prehistoric sites, and the kind of insights that only emerge through direct experience.
What You’ll Gain
✔ Practical field methods used in real skyscape archaeology research
✔ How to create and analyse horizon profiles
✔ How to measure orientations using a variety of instruments
✔ How to identify celestial alignments
✔ Experience with real research workflows and data recording
✔ Confidence working in prehistoric landscapes
✔ A structured understanding of how sky, land, and culture intersect
✔ Direct experience contributing to active research in skyscape archaeology
This is training designed to move you from interest to capability.
Why is This Field School Different?
Most courses teach you about archaeoastronomy. This one trains you to actually do it.
✔ Most archaeoastronomy teaching is theoretical — this is field-based and embodied
✔ You are not just learning about research — you are participating in it
✔ Small group format → direct mentorship
Opportunities to gain this kind of focused, field-based training in skyscape archaeology are extremely rare.
Where Is It Based?
The Cranborne Chase is an official UK National Landscape, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and one of the most important prehistoric landscapes in Europe — and uniquely suited to skyscape analysis.
Set within the prehistoric landscapes of Cranborne Chase, this field school takes place in a terrain shaped by thousands of years of human engagement with the sky. Here, long and round barrows, earthworks, and other prehistoric structures are not isolated sites — they are part of a wider lived landscape.
In 2019, Cranborne Chase became the first National Landscape in the UK to be designated in its entirety as an International Dark Sky Reserve. In here one can enjoy exceptional starry skies, and be assured that they are protected for future generations.
The school will be headquartered in Down Farm, owned by archaeologist Martin Green, which is home to dozens of prehistoric sites, including part of the Dorset Cursus.
This outstanding natural and celestial beauty is no mere backdrop. It is the primary material you will be working with.
How the Week Works?
The week is designed to move you from learning → doing → contributing.The field school is structured in two phases.
During the first three days, you will learn the core methods used in skyscape archaeology — from observation and recording to analysis and interpretation. In the final two days, you will apply these methods in active research contexts, contributing directly to ongoing work in the landscape.
This is not simulated training. You will be working with real questions, real data, and real uncertainty. Contributions may feed into future publications and ongoing research outputs.
Day 1 (August 27th)
Welcome, orientation, and introduction to skyscape archaeology / archaeoastronomy.
This will include a tour of Stonehenge and its landscape, including private access to the inside of the stone circle, guided by Prof Clive Ruggles.
Days 2 (August 28)
Core training in field methods, measurements, and analysis.
Including fieldwork at Knowlton Church and Earthworks.
Days 3–5 (August 29-31st)
Application in active research contexts within the landscape.
Centred on Down Farm and the many sites it has to offer, including Wyke Down Henges and Neolithic buildings, the Dorset Cursus and the various Bronze Age Barrows nearby.
The typical day will unfold as follows:
8.30 am: Coach pickup from central Salisbury to School location
9.00 am: Coffee and Welcome
9.30 am: Lecture
10.30 am: Fieldwork
1.00 pm: Lunch Break (bring your own packed lunch)
2.00 pm: Lecture or Data Processing and Discussion
4.00 pm: Coffee Break
5.00pm: Guest Lecture and Social
6.30pm: Coach return to Salisbury
* The above programme is subject to change.
What to Expect in the Field
In the field, you’ll be actively engaged in hands-on landscape and skyscape observation and survey at a range of prehistoric sites. This includes learning how to identify and record alignments using compass, theodolite and GPS; taking measurements of horizons, mapping key features of monuments and their surrounding terrain, and working with simple but powerful techniques to understand how these places relate to the sky. You’ll also take part in practical “sighting” exercises—observing and reconstructing lines of orientation toward significant solar and lunar events—developing a direct, embodied sense of how prehistoric people may have engaged with the horizon and the heavens.
Here are some of the sites you will be working on during these five days.
In terms of working conditions, expect the following:
- Extended time outdoors (~ 3 hr) in varied weather conditions and without access to toilets
- Walking across uneven terrain, including steep, but short, hills
- Walking on potentially muddy terrain
Appropriate clothing and footwear are essential.
Who Is This For?
✔ Students of archaeology, history, anthropology, astronomy or related disciplines
✔ Professionals seeking field experience
✔ Independent researchers and serious enthusiasts
✔ Anyone wanting a deeper, experiential understanding of landscape and sky
Your Teachers
Dr Fabio Silva
An astronomer turned archaeologist, Fabio’s interests lie with how societies have perceived their environment (skyscape and landscape) and used that to time and adjust social, productive and magico-religious behaviours. His research is global, but in this field he has largely focused on Portugal and the United Kingdom (including Stonehenge). Fabio has been teaching archaeoastronomy / skyscape archaeology at university level for 15 years. During this time he also published dozens of research papers and edited volumes and co-founded the Journal of Skyscape Archaeology. His “outstanding contributions” to the fields of cultural astronomy and archaeoastronomy have led to him receiving the Carlos Jaschek Award from the European Society for Astronomy in Culture in 2016. He is a Visiting Research Fellow at Bournemouth University, and runs Stone x Sky a consultancy focused on skyscape archaeology activities.
Dr Erica Ellingson
Erica completed degrees at MIT and the University of Arizona and for several decades has been a professor of astrophysics at the University of Colorado, specializing in using multi-wavelength observations of quasars and galaxy clusters to trace invisible dark matter and dark energy and determine how they control the evolution of the Universe. Her work and travels took her around the world and her curiosity shifted to understanding how people see and connect with the sky. In 2015 she began her work as a consulting astronomer for US National Parks in the southwest and in 2019 she joined the editorial team at the Journal of Skyscape Archaeology. Along with her work with the Skyscape Academy, Erica continues to teach at the University of Colorado, host astronomical events and create planetarium shows and other educational materials in archaeoastronomy / skyscape archaeology.
Guest Lecturers
As part of the wider learning experience, the Field School will also include guest lectures from specialists in the archaeology of the Cranborne Chase.
These sessions are designed as opportunities to engage directly with the experts — to ask questions, discuss ideas, and gain insight into how different researchers approach the relationship between landscape, sky, and archaeology.
Prof Clive Ruggles (August 27th)
Emeritus Professor of Archaeoastronomy, widely recognised for his foundational role in the development of the field. He will deliver a lecture and lead a guided visit to Stonehenge and its surrounding landscape, exploring its archaeological and skyscape context.
Martin Green (August 28th)
Archaeologist and long-term researcher of Cranborne Chase, whose work is rooted in decades of excavation and close engagement with the landscape. He will speak on the prehistory of the region and guide a visit to key sites.
Dr Mike Allen (August 29th)
Geoarchaeologist specialising in environmental and landscape archaeology, with extensive experience in the region. He will discuss the environmental context of the prehistoric landscapes in which the fieldwork takes place.
Prof Richard Bradley (August 30th)
Emeritus Professor of Archaeology, whose work has been transformative to our understanding of prehistoric landscapes and monuments. He will contribute a session exploring how archaeological evidence, landscape context, and skyscape can be brought together in the interpretation of prehistoric sites.
Investment
This is a specialist, small-group field school with direct access to active research methods, datasets and leading practitioners.
Clear, methodical, and grounded in real field practice — exactly what’s missing from most archaeoastronomy training.
Early Bird Price: £1,095 / €1,250* / $1,450* (until May 31 June 5)
Full Price: £1,250 / €1,430* / $1,650* (after June 5)
A £500 / €570* / $660* deposit secures your place. Remaining balance due July 15th.
Payment plans also available on request
Includes:
– 5 full days of specialist training
– Certificate of completion
– Signed copy of Martin Green’s book on the archaeology of the Cranborne Chase
– Other pre-course materials
– Participation in active research
– Access to the experts
– Access to resulting data and publications
Does not include accommodation or meals. We recommend attendees to stay in central Salisbury (Wiltshire, UK) where a private coach will pick them up in the morning and drop them off in the evening each day. Attendees with their own vehicles will be given location details and timings. Information pack on dinner options and places where you can buy packed lunches to take with you will be provided after booking.
* Non GBP prices are subject to market fluctuations
Limited Places
To ensure a high-quality experience, places are strictly limited to 30 participants.
You’ll be part of a small group of participants with a shared interest in archaeology, landscape, and the sky — creating a focused and collaborative working environment.
What Happens Next?
1. Secure your place with a deposit or pay in full
2. Book your own accommodation and travel
3. Receive your welcome pack and pre-course materials
4. Pay remainder (if needed) by July 15
5. Join a preparatory live Zoom session in July (date TBD)
6. Arrive prepared and ready to begin fieldwork
Ready to Join?
Places are limited, and booking is now open.
You can either secure your place with a deposit or pay in full.
Further details, including preparation and logistics, will be provided after booking.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do I need prior experience in archaeology or astronomy?
No — the first part of the week is structured training covering both astronomy and archaeological fieldwork. The Field School is suited to both the absolute beginner and the experienced practitioner. - What should I bring?
Appropriate clothing and footwear are essential. Your own laptop and a notebook will also be beneficial. Other than that all the field equipment (e.g. compass, clinometer, GPS, total station) will be provided for you. If you have your own field kit you are welcome to bring it and use it. - Is accommodation included?
No — accommodation, lunches and dinners are not included. We recommend attendees to stay in central Salisbury (Wiltshire, UK) where a private coach will pick them up in the morning and drop them off in the evening. Attendees with their own vehicles will be given location details and timings. - How physically demanding is it?
Moderate to low — see “What to Expect in the Field” above.
Photo Credits
Photo of winterbourne in Down Farm by David Abram. Photo of Hambledon Hill by Marilyn Peddle (CC-BY-2.0). All other photos by Fabio Silva.