Archaeology (with Foundation Year)

Archaeology examines the physical evidence of past societies to trace the evolution and cultural history of humanity. Ancient landscapes, buildings, artefacts and the people themselves can all reveal a small part of a bigger picture. Our BA in Archaeology takes you on an immersive and exciting journey through time — from our earliest human ancestors to the industrial age, drawing from subjects within the humanities and the physical and biological sciences.

• Learn from world-leading archaeologists in a stimulating and engaging environment, exploring the rich archaeological heritage of Wessex

• Use our fully-equipped laboratory and the latest industry-standard surveying equipment

• Take part in home and overseas fieldwork projects currently in Germany and the Republic of Georgia

• Accredited by The Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA) and University Archaeology UK (UAUK)

Winchester is home to experienced archaeologists who provide stimulating and engaging teaching materials. In a supportive environment, you learn key fieldwork techniques and undertake rigorous academic training. To make sure you make the most of fieldwork, we have excellent field equipment, including ground penetrating radar, magnetometers, magnetic susceptibility meters, differential GPS instruments, total stations, and an X-ray fluorescence analyser.

A Foundation Year is the perfect way to build your academic skills, boost your confidence and develop your wider subject knowledge so you can bridge any gaps between school and undergraduate level, including in our academically stimulating degree courses. This course offers an extra year of study at the start (Year 0) which leads onto a full degree programme (Years 1, 2 and 3).

You will learn how to use industry-standard computer software such as ArcGIS and Geoplot. Further, our department has a geoarchaeological consultancy (ARCA), whose staff will teach you. The consultancy offers valuable laboratory work experience – an opportunity to combine your academic expertise with delivering high-quality commercial solutions.

Year 1 provides a sound foundation in the theory and practice of archaeology and considers the history of humanity from our earliest ape ancestors to the twentieth century. The year finishes with a four-week excavation in the summer. During Years 2 and 3, you focus on the archaeology of specific periods and/or places while you undertake a dissertation, for which you are prepared by modules on theory and method, and consider the public role of archaeology.

Core Year 2 modules include Fieldwork Techniques and the Archaeology of Britain and optional modules include GIS and Geomatics; the Making of Classical and Hellenistic Greece and Death, Burials and Bioarchaeology. You will undertake four weeks of archaeological fieldwork.

In Year 3 you will consolidate all of your learning up to this point by undertaking your final-year dissertation. You can also choose optional modules which include topics such as Archaeological Project Management, Themes in European Prehistory and the Archaeology of Conflict.

As we become more attuned to how the past is able to help shape our future, archaeologists are increasingly playing key roles in policy development and decision making. Graduates go on to enter the archaeological profession and work in museums, heritage organisations, commercial archaeology and local authorities. Other graduates find careers within applied science, for example in environmental management, geomatics and remote sensing.

https://www.winchester.ac.uk/F40X