Archaeology and Anthropology
Number admitted: c. 2 (with a max of 4 each year)
Entry qualifications: students apply to us with a variety of qualifications. Some have taken A levels, others have studied for Access courses for Open University Credits. We would advise applicants to undertake formal study of some sort before applying. There is no special type of student that we are looking for, but to study for a degree in archaeology and Anthropology we are looking for a curiosity about how societies developed in the past and how they work in the present, as well as a good visual memory and an aptitude for examinations.
For information on how to apply please see the ‘Admissions Requirements’ tab by following the 'Faculty Page' link.
The Course
The course comprises Honour Moderations (examined at the end of the first year) and the Final Honour School (examined at the end of the final year). For Honour Mods four papers taken:
Paper 1 — Introduction to World Archaeology
Paper 2 — Introduction to Anthropological Theory
Paper 3 — Perspectives on Human Evolution
Paper 4 — The Nature of Archaeological and Anthropological Enquiry
The Final School comprises four core papers of
Paper 1 — Social Analysis and Interpretation
Paper 2 — Cultural Representations, Beliefs and Practices
Paper 3 — Landscape and Ecology
Paper 4 — Urbanism and Society
Paper 5 — Fieldwork and Methods
Students are able to pursue individual interests in their selection of three option papers taken from nearly 30 archaeology or anthropology subjects. Students must also write a dissertation in their final year on a subject of their choice, an opportunity to pursue independent research.
In the summer of their first year, students are required to participate in excavations, field schools or guided museums or archive studies.
Teaching:
Most papers are taught through lectures in the School of Archaeology and Anthropology, tutorials, and some object handling classes in the Ashmolean and Pitt Rivers museums. Tutorials will be held in college and by other tutors in other colleges. Tutorial groups are small, no more than a group of four.
Future careers:
A degree in Archaeology and Anthropology opens up a wide range of career opportunities, and graduates have moved on to work in conservation, advertising, journalism and overseas development, as well as archaeology and anthropology.
Want to see more? Then view Archaeology and Anthropology at Oxford on You Tube
