Length of Internship: 3 days per week for 12 weeks to be taken in one block between August and November

The assignment will be administered through the University of Cambridge’s Temporary Employment Service and the position will be based at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (MAA)

Reports to: Outreach Organiser, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.

About the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology

The Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, part of the University of Cambridge, houses around one million artefacts made by people across the world and throughout human history. The collection, covering nearly two million years of human history, has been open to the public since 1884. The Museum attracts visitors from all over the world, but also from the local area. Staff teach groups from preschool to postgraduate level, alongside family activities, adult courses and lifelong learning.

Purpose of the role

MAA is seeking a recent graduate or postgraduate interested in a museum career to assist with the interpretation of its Anglo Saxon collections for a primary school audience. Within this role, the intern will gain first-hand experience in a wide range of education duties and have the opportunity to develop knowledge around different aspects of interpreting the collection for particular audiences. Mentoring will be provided by the Outreach Organiser at the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and the Opening Doors Project Coordinator for the University of Cambridge Museums.

Project background

In 2011 an archaeological excavation took place in Trumpington Meadows, just outside Cambridge. During this excavation, the burial of a teenage girl was found. She had been buried with a beautiful gold and garnet cross. In 2017 the landowners, Grosvenor, generously donated The Trumpington Cross to the Museum. This Anglo Saxon cross is one of only five similar crosses found in Britain. A display about the grave this artefact was found in was opened in early 2018 and has proven to be very popular with visitors.

The Museum currently offers an Anglo Saxon teaching session for primary schools, focusing on learning from objects which have been excavated from burials and settlements.

As the Trumpington Cross is now a highlight of the Museum’s collection, we would like to re-write this session to focus on this burial. The new primary school session would better reflect local excavations and finds.

Activity and Outputs

  • Evaluate MAA’s current Key Stage 2 Anglo Saxon teaching session
  • Research the objects that were excavated locally, including the Trumpington Cross and associated material.
  • With the help of other staff members, write new Key Stage 2 session notes.
  • Create new handling session using handling collection artefacts
  • Write new trail for use in the teaching session
  • Check session against the National Curriculum and teacher requirements
  • Source materials and replicas for the new teaching session as necessary

The Person

  • Recent graduate or postgraduate in Archaeology or relevant subject
  • Commitment to working in museums
  • An interest in museum education
  • Enthusiastic and self-motivated
  • Excellent spoken and written communication skills
  • Excellent organisational skills with an ability to work to deadlines, prioritise own workload and adapt to changing situations
  • Experience of processing information and presenting it in a clear understandable format
  • Enjoys working flexibly as part of a team but can take responsibility and initiative when required to do so

Benefits

Payment:        £8.21 per hour

Holiday:          Pro-rata entitlement based on 28 days holiday per annum including Bank Holidays

Additional Information

This internship is conditional upon the satisfactory outcome of a Security Check via the Disclosure and Barring Service. Whether an outcome is satisfactory will be determined by the University of Cambridge.

  • Deadline for applications: Monday 15 July 2019, 12 noon
  • Candidate discussions: Thursday 25 July 2019
  • Start date: August 2019

Nothing herein shall constitute a contract of employment between the University and the intern.

To apply

Please submit a CV and cover letter, outlining your suitability for the role to the Opening Doors Project Coordinator

opendoor@hermes.cam.ac.uk

Equal Opportunties

The University welcomes diversity and is committed to equality of opportunity.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all workers are eligible to live and work in the UK