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Centre for Archaeological Fieldwork (CAF)

The Centre for Archaeological Fieldwork (CAF) is a research and teaching unit based within the School of Natural and Built Environment at Queen’s University Belfast comprising 9 professional archaeologists. The unit was established in 2002 and our mission is to record the past, interpret what we discover, and present the results to the public through our reports, books, monographs, academic articles and general reader texts. We have completed over 400 archaeological projects over the past 15 years with the results of our work are produced as Data Structure Reports, Geophyical Survey Reports and Monitoring Reports. These reports are in PDF format and they can be downloaded from this website.

The CAF is committed to enriching the public’s appreciation of our heritage through community-led fieldwork projects, and we have led the way in pioneering public involvement in archaeological projects throughout Northern Ireland. These projects have been undertaken through our partnerships with a range of government and non-government organisations, including the Belfast Hills Landscape Partnership, Derry and Strabane Council, the Heart of the Glens Landscape Partnership, Mid Ulster Council, and the Ring of Gullion Landscape Partnership. By engaging with local communities we have been able to facilitate members of the public - of all ages, backgrounds and abilities - to participate in genuine archaeological research projects. 

Current Projects

We work with a wide range of groups to make archaeological research accessible to all

Photo: Community excavation at Cornahove, Co. Armagh

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Staff

Meet our team of researchers

Photo: Student training excavation at Dunluce Castle, Co. Antrim

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Reports

All our excavation and survey reports are available to read and download

Photo: Excavation at Retreat Castle, Co. Antrim

Contact us

For enquiries or to find out more, get in touch

Photo: Bone toggle from Struell Wells, Co. Down

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News

To keep up to date with our work and with other university projects, follow 'Archaeology at Queen's' on Facebook

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