Outreach and Training Services

ORCA believe in taking archaeology into the community and using it to help develop projects that the local community want. Whether it is developing a local secondary school history curriculum on the historical growth of Kirkwall, using the latest archaeological techniques to find an old shoreline, or helping a heritage trust interpret a shipwreck, the ORCA Outreach and Training team can help realise a local communities heritage aims.

Terrestrial Community Projects

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We help communities develop their own ideas and the ORCA team are skilled at designing projects that involve local people and help create a heightened sense of community. We are currently working with the Kirkwall Townscape Heritage Initiative offering community training and memorable hands-on experience. This project aims to increase people's understanding of Kirkwall through archaeological research techniques. Initial building survey work will be followed by garden digs and a larger public dig in the town centre.

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Terrestrial Training Courses
The outreach team have particular experience in organising archaeology for schools. During the summer our team organised and ran `The Big Day Out" to the UNESCO World Heritage site in Orkney for the local grammar school in Kirkwall. This project is being extended this year to include cross- curricula elements.
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ORCA provides Continued Professional Development (CPD) training and evening classes including:
  • Introduction to Archaeology
  • Environmental archaeology
  • Introduction to GIS 
  • Archaeological field schools at the Ness of Brodgar and The Cairns
We can design a course tailored to your requirements in both theoretical and practical workshop sessions. We have a full video conference facility for distance learning.

Nautical Archaeology Society Courses
ORCA provides qualified instructors to deliver NAS courses  including recorder and surveyor skills days, mapping, GIS, ROV and side scan sonar surveys.

Marine Community Projects
ORCA help communities design and undertake coastal and underwater archaeological projects, involving local people, and helping create a heightened sense of community. ORCA work with communities to identify how they can develop their own ideas and investigations incorporating all aspects of coastal and marine archaeology including diving, coastal walking, GIS mapping, peat and wood recording.