ARCHAEOLOGY FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Case study:
The University of Winchester and Archaeology for Wellbeing
CASE STU d Y
How the University of Winchester is helping to uncover the benefits of archaeology for the wellbeing of military veterans.
Project: Heritage for Heroes veteran studentships, the Nokalakevi veteran wellbeing programme, and the AMPHORA project
Collaborating Organisations: Southampton Solent University, Operation Nightingale, Help for Heroes, Breaking Ground Heritage, Waterloo Uncovered, Georgian National Museum, Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve Project Timescales: Ongoing
Since 2015, Dr Paul Everill of the University of Winchester has been working with partners to develop the application of archaeology to support mental health and wellbeing, particularly for military veterans. Key projects resulting from this are the Heritage for Heroes veteran studentships, a pioneering initiative to help former service personnel develop new skills and careers; the Nokalakevi veteran wellbeing programme; and the AMPHORA guidelines, a series of toolkits to support the delivery of heritage-related activities for mental health and wellbeing.
Context
Heritage for Heroes scheme, a fee-waiver studentship at the University for former service personnel to study archaeology.
This work led to Paul partnering with Dr Karen Burnell, a psychologist at Southampton Solent University, to assist Richard Bennett at Breaking Ground Heritage in analysing the wellbeing data from his fieldwork. The findings were published in 2020 in the paper Dig in: An Evaluation of Archaeological Fieldwork for the Improved Wellbeing of Military Veterans.
Alongside this, Paul and Karen have Dr Paul Everill is a Reader in Archaeology and has been at the University since 2008. Paul has a keen interest in understanding the social implications of archaeology including the impact that engagement in heritage can have on mental health and wellbeing.
In 2015, inspired by Operation Nightingale (an MOD initiative using archaeology in the recovery of injured service personnel), Paul contacted Richard Osgood, co-founder of Operation Nightingale, to explore how the Department of Archaeology could support their work. In 2016 the discussions led to a partnership with Help for Heroes through the
developed a series of toolkits to support the delivery of therapeutic heritage-related activities. Funded by the UKRI MARCH Network, the AMPHORA (Authentic and Meaningful Participation in Heritage or Related Activities) guidelines are designed to maximise the therapeutic potential of the historic environment and protect the people and projects within that environment.
In 2017 Paul also established a veteran wellbeing programme with colleagues in the Anglo-Georgian Expedition to Nokalakevi, which has hosted UK, Georgian and Ukrainian veterans working alongside
archaeology students and professionals.
“The Georgian National Museum has been excavating at Nokalakevi since 1973, and with our British colleagues including Dr Paul Everill, since 2001. When Paul suggested the idea of creating a veteran wellbeing programme within our excavation, we could see how important it could be for Georgia because we have large numbers of injured service personnel from the Russian invasion in 2008 and from international deployment in Afghanistan. It was the first time this had been done in Georgia and we have been very happy to work together to support veterans from Georgia, Ukraine and the UK.”
Prof. Davit Lomitashvili
health challenges. One of the outcomes was the need to have multidisciplinary expertise on projects to support both heritage and wellbeing aspects, enabling the safe delivery of mental health benefits through authentic and meaningful participation.
"In May 2023, the National Reserve “KyivPechersk Lavra” launched a rehabilitation program for military personnel called Spiritual Recovery through Culture, focusing on areas like archaeology. Initially, we had no experience or methodology for such programs. Mark Brisbane and Richard Osgood introduced us to the AMPHORA program, which has since become an Senior Scientist, Georgian National Museum
AMPHORA
The AMPHORA guidelines are the product of a joint research project between the University of Winchester and Southampton Solent University. The guidelines were produced in consultation with stakeholders including Operation Nightingale, Help for Heroes, Waterloo Uncovered, public health representatives, academics from heritage and mental health disciplines, and project participants with lived experience of mental
invaluable guide in working with military participants. In summer 2024, we met the program’s authors, Karen Burnell and Paul Everill, at the Using Archaeology for Recovery seminar, and they helped us refine our military questionnaire. Our work is ongoing, and we are very interested in cooperation, because as a result of Russia 's war against Ukraine, the number of veterans who need to participate in such a program is constantly increasing."
Dr Maksym Ostapenko, General Director of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve
Operation Nightingale was established in 2011 to use archaeology in aiding the recovery of service personnel – key to this was there being the potential for future opportunities for participants. Dr Paul Everill and the University of Winchester provided just this with the incredible scheme for military students. These soldiers often felt that they would never have the chance to study at a university and the experience has been utterly life-changing, enabling new careers, new perspectives, and a huge new sense of worth. It is so important that Winchester created this phenomenal offer.
Richard Osgood, Senior Archaeologist within the MOD’s Defence Infrastructure Organisation, and co-founder of Operation Nightingale
What we did
Project Impact
The publication of the analysis of Richard Bennett’s wellbeing data in 2020 was the first large-scale study of psychological results from veterans participating in archaeological excavation. The analysis used WEMWBS (the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale) with military veterans showing clear decreases in depression, anxiety, and feelings of isolation, along with an increase in mental wellbeing and sense of self-worth because of archaeological fieldwork.
The reasons for this positive correlation between wellbeing and archaeology are largely anecdotal but might include working outdoors and being active, the camaraderie and teamwork, the thrill of discovery, and the tangible engagement with the past giving a unique opportunity for personal reflection.
“Further research into the magic ingredients of archaeology is something that we’re hoping to take forward. We can demonstrate that it is beneficial for some people in some contexts, but no one really understands the full extent of why yet.” Dr Paul Everill
Best Practice
The veteran studentships are on degrees that combine classroom-based lectures with practical elements and archaeological fieldwork. The University of Winchester is one of the few universities that has the option to
do a professional archaeological placement year in a heritage-focused workplace. Within the University of Winchester, the veterans have had a positive impact on the other students around them, bringing enthusiasm and a commitment to hard work and a passion for the subject.
The studentship holders that have graduated so far have all had different educational backgrounds to the other students, but have thrived through enthusiasm, hard work, and by making best use of the assistance available from the archaeology team at the University of Winchester.
Future Prospects
The AMPHORA guidelines are developing momentum with organisations like Waterloo Uncovered and a Ukrainian initiative in Kyiv implementing the toolkits to support their veterans. The University of Winchester is hoping to work with both initiatives to evaluate the benefits of using the guidelines. There is also future scope for further research about how and why archaeology can help with mental health and wellbeing, not just for veterans but for other groups like students.
For further information about the AMPHORA guidelines and Heritage for Heroes veteran studentships at the University of Winchester please contact Paul.Everill@winchester.ac.uk
Having discovered an interest in archaeology through the military charity Waterloo Uncovered, a career in archaeology would not have been possible for me, were it not for the veteran studentship offered by the University of Winchester. This enabled me to both study archaeology and gain practical fieldwork experience, including two archaeological expeditions in western Georgia. The placement year allowed me to gain further fieldwork experience and confirm that this was absolutely my new chosen career path. Consequently, having graduated, I am now working full-time in commercial archaeology and loving every moment.
Alastair Eager, former Royal Marine and University of Winchester graduate.
For further information please contact the Research and Innovation team on collaborate@winchester.ac.uk
winchester.ac.uk Tel: +44 (0) 1962 841515