Considering studying archaeology at university?
Obviously we think that’s an excellent choice! But you’re probably also a little unsure about what’s actually involved. What kinds of things will you study as part of an archaeology degree, and what can you do with it? In fact, archaeology is an incredibly broad subject that spans a huge range of disciplines, and that can lead to an equally broad range of careers. The UK Quality Assurance Agency subject benchmark statement on archaeology describes what undergraduate students can expect from studying the subject. When you think of archaeology you probably think of diggers working on archaeological excavations, but there are many other types of ‘archaeologist’ too, spanning the natural, physical and social sciences as well as the arts and humanities. Geophysics experts use a range of non-invasive scientific techniques to study what’s under the soil without disturbing it, while others use techniques from materials science to study the finds uncovered during excavation such as stone tools, pottery or metalwork. Zooarchaeologists study the animal remains from the archaeological record to understand how humans interacted with animals in the past, as food, but also as companions and the subjects of veneration and worship. Bioarchaeologists study the lives of humans in the past, their health, disease and death, while environmental archaeologists study how humans have affected their environments, and vice versa. And all of us work together to ask the really big questions: where did humans come from in the first place, and what makes us unique as a species? How did people in past societies live and die, how did they make a living, and what did they eat? What kinds of technologies did they use? How were their communities organised, and how did they interact with one another? What did they think about the world around them, the other animals, plants and landscapes, what impact did they have on those ecosystems, and how did they deal with changing environments?
But archaeology isn’t just about the past; is also vitally important in the here and now. Understanding how and why people lived and died, how they made a living, organised themselves politically, how they interacted with one another, how they thought about and interacted with the world around them, can help us think about how we do things. Studying the huge range of human cultures that have existed and how they changed over time, can lead us to question all kinds of things we take for granted about our own society, and our relationships with other cultures, peoples and ecosystems across the globe, and help us decide on our future course.
Who Does Archaeology And Why?
Anyone can ‘do’ archaeology! Probably most archaeologists will tell you they do what they do because they are passionate about learning about the past, and certainly there’s nothing quite like the thrill of finding something that was lost, abandoned or hidden hundreds, thousands or even millions of years ago. Archaeology is definitely the degree for the curious! But people also do archaeology because they recognise the value of learning about the past for people today. For example, archaeology helps us understand how and why current societies are the way they are, and how the stories we tell about our past contributes to our senses of personal, national, cultural and ethnic identities today; it can also help us understand how human societies have shaped their environments and how they have previously responded to changing environments, which can help
us tackle the current climate emergency. Archaeology will give you a unique perspective on the world and on the challenges we all face in the here and now.
In addition, because archaeology is such a broad, interdisciplinary and practical subject, archaeology equips you with a huge range of skills that employers of all kinds value highly. Within the archaeology sector itself there are many different roles: as well as excavating and surveying, you could be a finds specialist working with human remains, animal bones, plant remains, pottery, stone tools, metalwork etc. However, many archaeology graduates also go into closely allied areas such as the heritage sector, museums, conservation, tourism and planning. Still others go on to all kinds of different careers, building on the wide range of skills an archaeology degree provides, such as practical problem-solving, creative thinking, data management and analytical skills, team-work, organisation and project management, interpersonal and communication skills, as well as a thorough understanding of, and sensitivity towards, different societies and cultures (https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/archaeologist; https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/archaeologist). With these skills, archaeology graduates often go into the public sector, teaching, civil service, local government, overseas and international, organisations and NGOs, media, science and laboratory work, data science, and graduate level jobs in all sectors, from retail to management to financial services.
What You Need To Undertake The Degree?
Almost any combination of subjects will be useful in studying archaeology at undergraduate level. The breadth of the discipline means that undergraduate degrees in archaeology in the UK may come as more science-focused BSc or as a more humanities-oriented BA, and different programmes may have slightly different entry requirements (for example, a BSc programme is likely to require some science qualifications). However in practice there is often a lot of overlap between BSc and BA programmes. The physical sciences will be relevant to areas such as materials science, geophysical survey and archaeological dating, while the natural sciences will be useful for understanding what happens to archaeological finds and sites between their deposition and their excavation, how human societies interacted with other animals, plants and landscapes around them, and how those relationships changed over time e.g. in studying evolution, diet, health, disease, activity and demography. The social sciences and humanities will help you understand how humans in the past organised themselves, their beliefs, and how societies ‘functioned’ and change over time. Likewise, the arts and humanities will help you understand how ideas about the past impact on the present (and vice versa) and the role of archaeology and heritage in identity, global social justice and sustainability initiatives, while modern and classic languages will provide invaluable insights from, and allow you to work with people from other countries and cultures. Any combination of subjects, then, including combinations of science, humanities and arts subjects, are likely to be very welcome when applying for an archaeology degree. Some experience in archaeology or heritage may be useful but is not usually essential – check the entry requirements for individual programmes for specific details, and if in doubt, ask!
Want to find out more?
Want to find out more?
You can find a list of UAUK member departments offering archaeology degrees here [link]. Because the subject is so broad, different institutions will specialise in a slightly different mix of areas. Most
will offer a broadly similar range of core archaeological method and theory training in your first year, but second and third year options and possible specialisms may vary quite considerably, allowing you to tailor your degree to your own interests. Think about what you want to get from your archaeology programme – for example, do you have a preference for a scientific or a more humanities-based approach to studying the past? Are there specific periods, areas or cultures you would like to study? Are you considering dual honours or other combined studies degrees? Archaeology is often available combined with allied subjects such as history, classics, modern languages or geography. However, be open-minded – many archaeology students are surprised by what they find most interesting once they start their studies! Come to University Archaeology day [link], where you can talk to representatives from departments across the UK as well as employers and professional bodies, and participate in panel events with them. Do attend open days if you can, to get a feel for the institution, people and facilities. Join organisations such as the Council for British Archaeology [link] and the Royal Archaeological Institute [link] to learn more about archaeology in the UK and beyond and find out about events and activities in your area. And if you have any further questions about specific degree programmes, don’t be afraid to contact institutions directly to ask!
