Anthropology and Archaeology

• Explore what it means to be human by delving into a wide array of human societies and movements, both past and present.

• Get up close and hands-on with a range of materials, from human skeletal remains to the latest industry-standard surveying equipment, in our cutting-edge laboratories.

• Develop practical skills in archaeological excavation and post-excavation techniques.

• Develop your understanding of cultural heritage, past and present.

Anthropology is a wide-ranging discipline that prompts us to ask questions about what it means to be human and how to value and understand human diversity. The study of archaeology alongside anthropology deepens your understanding of the development of past societies and cultures.

This course combines our broad approach to the discipline of anthropology with more in-depth study of archaeological approaches and time periods. You will learn from experts in the field with interests in diverse areas such as human osteology, art and cultural heritage, religion and ritual, migration and transnationalism, conflict archaeology, or funerary practice. The course draws on approaches in the humanities and the sciences to understand past cultures and their modern-day heritage.

Through modules in social anthropology and biological anthropology you will embark on a fascinating exploration of human cultures and behaviours across the past and present. These classes draw on the long-term perspective of human evolution and present-day examples from societies around the world. In your archaeology modules you will explore the human past in more depth, in classes that cover the range of human experience from prehistoric times to the present day. You will also gain valuable hands-on training in archaeological fieldwork techniques.

Through excavation experience, external visits, and opportunities to work with archaeological materials, including an important collection of human skeletal remains, the course provides a balance between academic learning and practical experience.