Why should I study archaeology?

A degree in Archaeology will open up new worlds. Most people are drawn to Archaeology by an excitement about the past. You may have studied the ancient Egyptians, or the Romans, or the Tudors at school. Or your interest might have been stirred by visits to archaeological sites such as Stonehenge, Pompeii or the Pyramids. If you study Archaeology, you can learn in more detail about these societies, but you can also discover different periods and different peoples, expanding your knowledge of humans from their first appearance some two million years ago up to the present day.

You will not only learn about past societies, but also the techniques we use to find out about them. Many different methods are used to find and excavate archaeological sites, and then to extract as much information as possible from the objects, animal bones, human skeletons and even the various types of snail shells excavated. All this involves a wide range of different techniques, drawn from all areas of physical and biological science.

In studying Archaeology you will be exposed to all these different aspects of the subject, making archaeology one of the broadest subjects taught at university, and one of the few that bridges the Humanities and the Sciences. Because of this breadth it also means that you will be able to find subjects and areas that you are most suited to study or become most interested in. At its heart archaeology is also a very practical subject. It reconstructs the past from physical evidence, and learning to collect, evaluate and interpret physical evidence are important skills a degree in Archaeology will teach you.

Studying of Archaeology can lead you to two different kinds of career. If you want to be a professional archaeologist, it will lead to a range of jobs, from ‘diggers’ and museum staff, to professors, conservators, public administrators and business consultants. If you are interested in a career which requires a non-specific degree, Archaeology provides a stimulating general degree which will provide you with the intellectual, social and other key skills employers look for when appointing graduates.