BSc (Hons) Archaeology

The course covers a broad range of methods and techniques. In our well-equipped laboratories you can learn how to analyse the chemical composition of human and animal bones and discover what they reveal about past diets. In the field you can choose to work on sites in both Britain and overseas, and in the library, you can study archaeological periods ranging from the Palaeolithic (Old Stone Age), through Classical Greece to the medieval and post-medieval periods.

During your fieldwork you will use equipment including a ground penetrating radar, magnetometers, magnetic susceptibility meters, differential GPS instruments and total stations. You will learn how to use industry-standard computer software such as ArcGIS, Geoplot and AutoCAD. Our department has a geoarchaeological consultancy (ARCA), whose staff will also teach you.

The consultancy offers valuable laboratory work experience and an opportunity to see how archaeological science is used in professional archaeology. In Year 1 you explore the theory and practice of archaeology, while covering the story of humanity. You explore the methods, theories and approaches that underpin archaeological science, as well as considering the importance of fieldwork and material culture.

In Year 2, you will undertake four weeks of fieldwork in the Archaeological Fieldwork and Post-fieldwork Techniques module where you will learn essential field skills and explore methods of archive collation and analysis. You will also study Climate and