Visit Memorial’s Harlow campus in the UK and immerse yourself in the Empire and the Colonial Process program—an academic journey comprising four courses offered by the Department of Archaeology and taught by Memorial University’s esteemed faculty, Dr. Lisa Rankin and Dr. Barry Gaulton.

This six-week program in the Spring of 2025 combines the excitement of learning with the opportunity to visit historically and culturally significant landmarks in the UK. Explore sites of archaeological and cultural importance, engage with expert faculty, and connect with a diverse group of participants in a transformative experience.

There are no prerequisites at all, so, non-degree students are welcome to apply to this exciting program without having to commit to a full degree program. All you need is a valid passport and a desire to learn and explore. Make this trip of a lifetime a part of your lifelong learning journey!

Program Details

Name: Empire and the Colonial Process

Duration: 6 Weeks (May 5 to June 13, 2025)

Location: Week 1 - St. John's Campus; Week 2 to 6 - Harlow Campus in Essex, England

Cost: 

Program cost is estimated at $4200 and will cover - return airfare from St. Johns, airport transfers to Harlow campus, 5 weeks shared accommodation on Harlow campus, coach trips (including 2 overnight stays), train tickets for 7 fieldtrips to London, museum entry fees, and a 16 day English Heritage Overseas Visitors Pass. The final program cost can be confirmed once everyone makes their down payments and all the services have been booked.

Additional costs include tuition for the 4 courses, food while in the UK, and spending money. Learn more about tuition fees.

Courses Taught:

• From Colony to Empire I: Colonizing Britain to 1066 (ARCH 3710)
• From Colony to Empire II: the British Empire to 1945 (ARCH 3711)
• Collecting the Colonies: The Past and Future of British Museums (ARCH 3712)
• British Landscapes Through a Post-Processual Lens (ARCH 4360)

Program Information:

This program will engage and challenge participants in thinking about the diverse expressions of empire and the processes of colonization that occurred throughout Britain over the last two millennia: from subjugation under the Roman Empire, to Norse rule in the 9th century, to Norman Conquest in 1066, to early modern British expansion and colonization throughout many parts of the world. The latter event has left an indelible mark on modern society, particularly for Indigenous peoples and descendants of enslaved Africans. Empire and the Colonial Process delves into the social, economic, and cultural linkages between the concept of empire and its expressions through colonization.

Fieldtrips to museums, historic buildings and archaeological sites – based out of Memorial’s Harlow Campus – will provide students the context to understand the temporal and spatial depth of a place repeatedly colonized to later become the principal colonizer of North America, Africa, India and Australia. Students will learn about life under Roman rule, Norse occupation, Norman expansion, and finally, the development of the British Empire and its myriad expressions through art, architecture, landscapes and literature. Othering, enslavement and patriarchal collecting practices will be explored through museum collections, extant buildings and archaeological remains.  

There are NO prerequisites for this program. However, there are only 4 spaces available to CALL applicants, so don’t miss out on this once in a lifetime learning opportunity to spend 5 weeks touring England with two of Memorial University’s most experienced archaeologists!

For more program information, check out the Detailed Program Guide PDF. It has application form, fieldtrip schedule, and course syllabi that may interest you.

Instructor Bio

Lisa Rankin is a Professor in the Department of Archaeology and the Memorial University Research Chair of Indigenous and Community Archaeology.  She is a member of the Royal Society and received the Smith-Wintemberg Award from the Canadian Archaeological Association for her contributions to the discipline. She works primarily with Inuit to understand their deep history and is particularly interested in the earliest stages of contact between Europeans and Inuit. Her interest in the contact era has led her to explore the collections of many British museums and walk the streets of the London looking for traces of Inuit who visited the capital between the 17^th and 19^th centuries.

Contact: lrankin@mun.ca

Barry Gaulton is a Professor in the Department of Archaeology at Memorial University and current Editor of the journal Newfoundland and Labrador Studies. His research interests include early modern fisheries (and other extractive industries), European settlement, mobility-movement, vernacular architecture, material culture, historical graffiti and conflict archaeology. He is principal investigator of the Ferryland Archaeology Project, a 30-year community-university research partnership with the not-for-profit Colony of Avalon Foundation. Barry is an alumnus of Harlow Campus, learning under Drs. Gerald Pocius and James Hillier during the winter of 1993.

Contact: bgaulton@mun.ca

How to Apply

Check out the Detailed Program Guide PDF – it contains the application form and contact details. Fill out the form and send to lrankin@mun.ca or bgaulton@mun.ca

Deadline: The last date to apply is January 15th, 2025 (or until the program is full). However, there are only 4 spaces available to CALL applicants, so apply early!

Got questions? Email us at – call@mun.ca for prompt support!