undergraduate archaeology - university of reading · archaeology at reading is a wide-ranging...

UNDERGRADUATE ARCHAEOLOGYWHY STUDY ARCHAEOLOGY AT READING?

Archaeology degrees at the University of Reading offer an exciting opportunity to explore our human past. We are well known for our friendly and supportive staff, our excellent field school and the flexibility of our degrees.

TOP-RATED DEPARTMENT• Excellent courses: We are one of the top departments for

student satisfaction nationally, consistently rated 90–100%

in the National Student Survey

• Archaeology has consistently been rated top out of all UK

universities for world-leading research in the Research

Assessment Exercise

• Friendly and welcoming: Our staff have a strong reputation for

being approachable, supportive and enthusiastic

FIELDWORK & PLACEMENT OPPORTUNITIES• Develop your team working and fieldwork skills at the Reading

Archaeology Field School, widely recognised as the ‘gold

standard’ in the UK

• Make the most of the opportunity to gain further fieldwork

experience by taking part in our research projects across the world

• Participate in our innovative placement scheme

SUPERB FACILITIES• Learn within purpose built teaching laboratories containing our

rich teaching collections of artefacts, ecofacts, human remains

and animal bones

• Volunteer and gain work experience within our three on-

campus museums holding a wide range of historical artefacts

• Use our own PC Lab and specialist equipment in your studies

and research

Learn with our internationally recognised experts researching and teaching in areas including: Burial Archaeology, Material Culture, Bioarchaeology (including human remains), Forensics, Past Environments (including Geoarchaeology), Museums and Gender Archaeology

For more information go to: www.reading.ac.uk/archaeology

UNDERGRADUATE ARCHAEOLOGY

B15626 04.16

WHAT OUR STUDENTS SAY…


I thoroughly enjoyed my time in archaeology at university and wouldn’t have changed it for the world. The skills that I learnt from both the department and field school I still put into practice every day. If it was not for the excellent teaching staff I would not have these at my disposal.

Paul LeaderBA Archaeology

It was the support and personal interest of the staff of the Department of Archaeology that made Reading stand out above and beyond other Universities.

Sarah CourtMA Archaeology

ABOUT THE LECTURERS… Lecturers

are friendly, approachable and supportive and do their best to encourage you.

Anthony RoachBA Archaeology

The students and staff made studying Archaeology at Reading an amazing experience.

Kathryn NichollsBA Archaeology

A GREAT PLACE TO STUDY… The four years I spent at Reading

were incredible. The challenges, experiences and friendships I made during my time there have had a huge impact on my career. Every employer I have ever encountered is always fascinated by such an interesting undergraduate degree!

Sally PearmanBA Archaeology & Ancient History

The course is so interesting and the Field School is a highlight because it is so fun but you learn so much as well. I am so glad I am doing Archaeology at Reading! On top of this the Department, lecturers and fellow students are so friendly and helpful that it makes your experience there so much better.

Hannah FinnBA Archaeology

UNDERGRADUATE ARCHAEOLOGY WHAT OUR STUDENTS SAY…

B15626 04.16

PLACEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

PLACEMENTS & CAREER DEVELOPMENT

Placements offer an exciting opportunity to enhance work-related

skills and develop a network of contacts, as well as strengthen-

ing employability prospects and cultivating direct experience in a

potential career field.

EXAMPLE PLACEMENTS

• Placement & trainee schemes at the Field School or with Oxford

Archaeology

• Placements with our commercial scientific company QUEST

• Voluntary work with one of the University’s three museums

• Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP)

• Summer Enterprise Experience & Discovery internship scheme

RESEARCH PLACEMENTS

Work amongst professional teams on our research projects,

developing skills you can go on to use in your own project work.

These might involve excavation recording and planning, geophys-

ics, post-excavation analysis, or presenting projects to the public.

Recent projects with student placements have included:

• Silchester Roman Town Life Project, Hampshire

• Lyminge Anglo-Saxon Monastery Project, Kent

• Wadi Faynan Early Neolithic Project, Jordan

• The Ecology of Crusading Project, Poland and the Baltic States

There are a variety of options for placements during your time with the Department of Archaeology, ranging from developing your fieldwork skills, working for the QUEST environmental archaeological consultancy arm of the Department, volunteering at one of the three museums at the University, or using one of the schemes offered by the University’s Careers, Placements & Experience Centre.

For more information go to: www.reading.ac.uk/arch-undergraduate-placements.aspx

UNDERGRADUATE ARCHAEOLOGY PLACEMENT OPPORTUNITIES

B15626 04.16

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Archaeology at Reading is a wide-ranging degree subject combining both humanities and sciences; you will have numerous opportunities to acquire an impressively broad range of skills and experiences to take with you into the wider world of work.

We make sure that all of our Archaeology

graduates emerge at the end of their

degrees with a variety of skills to offer

future employers. We specifically

tailor our teaching to develop the skills

employers want, through learning in the

seminar room, the laboratory, out in the

field and in the lecture theatre.

For more information go to: www.reading.ac.uk/arch-ug-careers.aspx

EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS

Transferable skills are key in the current job market and for most

employers the ‘attitudes and aptitudes’ of graduates for work are

viewed as more important than the specific subject they have

studied. An Archaeology degree at Reading will provide you with

invaluable experience and an unrivalled skill-set to enhance your

career prospects, including:

• Problem-solving

• Analysis

• Numeracy

• Literacy

• Team working

• Communication

• Self-management

• Relevant work experience

CAREERS IN THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SECTOR

The Department of Archaeology has strong links with top

employers for commercial archaeology through the Field School

with a significant number of Reading graduates joining Oxford

Archaeology, a major commercial employer in the UK, in the last

few years.

Recent graduates have progressed into Archaeologist,

Archaeological Assistant and Archaeological Officer roles within

six months. Employers include Museum of London Archaeology,

Thames Valley Archaeological Services, John Moore Heritage

Services, and L-P Archaeology.

…AND BEYOND

Our students go on to pursue great careers in teaching, business,

marketing, and other occupations where logic and critical thinking

are valued. Recent graduates have found employment in a varied

array of positions, ranging from primary and secondary school

teachers, a Science Educator at the Natural History Museum, a

police officer, to a commercial director.

UNDERGRADUATE ARCHAEOLOGY CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

B15626 04.16

INTERNATIONAL STUDYStand out from the crowd by choosing our ‘Study Abroad’ module option, which is available across all of our courses in the Spring Term of your second year. In an increasingly international and mobile world, studying abroad can help boost your future employability by providing an exciting opportunity to acquire numerous transferable and desirable skills as well as fantastic educational and life experience. All courses offered by our partner Universities are taught in English.

Marshall Jozef Pilsudski Bridge (1934) over Vistula river in Torun, Poland

Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun, Poland

• Study at one of the largest universities

in Poland, ranked in the top five in

the country

• Live in the medieval town of Torun, one

of the oldest cities in Poland and listed

as a UNESCO world heritage site due

to the incredible preservation of its

medieval fabric

• Take advantage of the ideal location to

explore Poland and the Baltic coast

• Be part of a faculty with an international

reputation for research and teaching

excellence, particularly for medieval and

environmental archaeology

• Take advantage of the unique courses

in English on the archaeology of Poland

from the Neolithic through to the post-

medieval period


WHERE CAN I STUDY?

UNDERGRADUATE ARCHAEOLOGY INTERNATIONAL STUDY

Studying abroad was an eye-opening experience. I was able to study courses similar to those I studied at Reading, as well as courses particular to Scandinavian archaeology and culture. Not only did I further academically, but I developed as a person and learned a lot about myself.

Lisa KennardBA Archaeology

Study abroad

Aarhus University, Denmark

• Study at the second oldest university in

Denmark, one of one of the strongest

research institutions in Europe

• Take part in the archaeology programme

based in the multi-disciplinary

Department of Culture and Society

• Take advantage of courses focusing

particularly on Viking archaeology

• Live in a beautiful, historical town

that is well connected to the rest of

Denmark, Continental Europe and the

Scandinavian Peninsula

University of Malta

• Study in the principal university of Malta

which attracts a substantial number of

international students every year

• Take options in Mediterranean

archaeology, including Maltese, Middle

Eastern and Phoenician archaeology

• Live in the historic town of Valletta on Malta,

the main island of an archipelago located

in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea

between Sicily and the North African coast

• Experience the distinctive and rich

archaeological heritage of Malta and its

neighbouring islands, from prehistory

to the period of rule by the Hospitallers,

all of which left behind a striking

monumental legacy

B15626 04.16

ARCHAEOLOGY FIELD SCHOOL

You will be able to attend the University of Reading Archaeology Field School in the summer after your first year, along with external participants from all over the world. Over the coming years the Field School will be excavating in the Vale of Pewsey – the ancient land between the famous prehistoric monuments of Avebury and Stonehenge.

For more information go to: www.reading.ac.uk/field-school

SKILLS & EMPLOYABILITYThe Field School will introduce you to the techniques of a dig,

from recognising archaeological contexts and features on the site

through to cleaning, excavating and recording them. This training

is followed up by an individual programme of activities intended

to give you direct experience in all aspects of the excavation;

from recognising ancient artefacts to learning how to read the

landscape. As well as technical expertise, the Field School will help

you to develop transferable skills including observation and under-

standing, problem solving, teamwork and communication skills.

I would like to say thank you for letting me be part of the dig this year as I thoroughly enjoyed it and it has definitely confirmed my desire to study archaeology at university! I would really love to return next year to do as many weeks as I can.

A-level student

A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE…

I just wanted to say thank you very much for giving me a brilliant work experience. It was different to what many other people would have done and also extremely enjoyable.

Work Experience student

The key experience of the course for me was my first season at the Field School; an intense learning experience where I felt my skills increase daily, and as a social experience I found myself (a mature student) welcomed into a community of people of all backgrounds and ages to an extent way beyond my imagining, making many friends who I am sure will remain with me for life.

Recent graduate

UNDERGRADUATE ARCHAEOLOGY READING ARCHAEOLOGY FIELD SCHOOL

View of Marden Henge, one of the many ritual monuments in the Vale of Pewsey

B15626 04.16

BA

ARC

HA

EOLO

GY

OUR COURSE

This course provides the flexibility to allow students to pursue their interests across a broad range of subjects, or to concentrate purely on one strand of their discipline. We enable students to choose from an unrivalled range of specialist options to create their own degree programme based on their interests, from prehistoric, Roman or medieval studies to past ecologies.

Please note that while the modules listed here are currently correct, they can sometimes change from year to year. A full list of all modules now available can be found at: reading.ac.uk/archaeology/ug/arch-ug-ba-bsc-degree-courses.aspx

For more information, please contact:

School of Archaeology, Geography & Environmental Science

University of Reading Whiteknights, Reading, RG6 6UR United Kingdom

Tel (0118) 378 6042

[email protected]/archaeology

Year 1

You will complete core modules in:

• Practising Archaeology:

methods and approaches

• Primates to Pyramids: an

introduction to world prehistory

• From Rome to the Reformation:

an introduction to historic

archaeology

You can also choose from:

• Bones, Bodies and Burials: the

Archaeology of Death

• Presenting the Past

• Modules from Classics, Ancient

History, History and other

subjects across the University

Year 2

You will have the opportunity to

shape your course according to

your interests. In addition to 3 core

modules, you will also choose from

a range of options centred around

vocational or period-based mod-

ules. Teaching is by lectures, semi-

nars, practicals and fieldwork.

Year 3

You will choose 4 options from a

wide range of choices to design

your own course, as well as un-

dertaking your dissertation. Op-

tions take the form of seminars

taught by academic staff who are

experts in these fields. You will

prepare presentations, engage in

class discussions, handle artefacts

from our teaching collections, and

conduct an independent research

project in an area of particular

interest for your dissertation.

STRUCTURE OF THE COURSE: BA ARCHAEOLOGY

POPULAR 2ND AND

3RD YEAR MODULES:

• Celts and Romans:

Northern Europe and Britain

• Ancient Civilisations of the

Middle East

• Introduction to Human

Osteoarchaeology

B15626 04.16

BS

c A

RCH

AEO

LOG

ICA

L S

CIE

NC

E

OUR COURSE

As one of the top scientific Archaeology courses in the UK, we offer an exciting, challenging and rewarding 3 year course. Our varied and stimulating approaches to teaching combine the very latest research with the best scientific practice.


Year 1




• Bones, Bodies and Burial: the


• Primates to Pyramids or

From Rome to Reformation:



• Modules selected from other

Departments, including relevant

earth science options from

Geography and Environmental

Science or modules from

Classics, Ancient History and

History

Year 2

You will have the opportunity to


your interests. In addition to 3 core

science-focused modules, you will

also choose from a range of

options centred around vocational

or period-based modules.

Teaching is by lectures, seminars,

practicals and fieldwork.

Year 3













interest for your dissertation.

STRUCTURE OF THE COURSE: BSc ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE

POPULAR 2ND AND

3RD YEAR MODULES:

• The Archaeology &

Anthropology of Food

• Coastal & Maritime

Archaeology

• Palaeopathology: Health

& Disease in the Past




Tel (0118) 378 6042


B15626 04.16

OUR COURSE

Archaeology and Ancient History are both concerned with understanding past human social, political and cultural experience. In this degree you will focus in particular on Greek and Roman antiquity. The joint degree offers you the opportunity to gain both historical and archaeological skills, and to combine the analysis of ancient texts with research on material culture and scientific techniques to understand the lives of people in antiquity. B

A A

NC

IEN

T H

ISTO

RY

& A

RCH

AEO

LOG

Y


Year 1






archaeology

• Greek History: War, Society &

Change in the Archaic Age

• Roman History: The Rise & Fall

of the Republic


• Primates to Pyramids: an

introduction to world prehistory



• Texts, Readers and Writers

• Ancient Song


• Museums History, Policy & Ethics

Year 2

In addition to your core modules,

you will have the opportunity to


your interests from a wide range

of options across both disciplines

to create an even split of credits in

each subject.

Year 3













interest for your dissertation. Our

joint degrees involve an even split

between the two subjects with the

opportunity to specialise in one of

your subjects, or use both, in your

dissertation.

STRUCTURE OF THE COURSE: BA ANCIENT HISTORY & ARCHAEOLOGY

POPULAR 2ND AND

3RD YEAR MODULES:

• The Ancient World on Film

• Greek History

• Celts & Romans




Tel (0118) 378 6042


B15626 04.16

BA

ARC

HA

EOLO

GY

&

CLA

SS

ICA

L ST

UD

IES

OUR COURSE

This course offers you an opportunity to combine the study of ancient literature, art and society through texts in translation with archaeology. In Classical Studies you will examine the literature, art and culture of the Greek and Roman worlds. In Archaeology, practical aspects involve the opportunity to participate in the Field School.


Year 1




• From Rome to Reformation:


archaeology

• Texts, Readers, and Writers

• Ancient Song


• From Primates to Pyramids




• Museums History, Policy &

Ethics

• Greek History: War, Society &

Change in the Archaic Age

• Roman History: The Rise & Fall

of the Republic

Year 2







each subject.

Year 3




dertaking your dissertation. Our


between the two subjects with

the opportunity to specialise in

one of your subjects, or use both,

in your dissertation. Options take

the form of seminars taught by

academic staff who are experts in

these fields. You will prepare pres-

entations, engage in class discus-

sions, handle artefacts from our

teaching collections, and conduct

an independent research project

in an area of particular interest for

your dissertation.

STRUCTURE OF THE COURSE: BA ARCHAEOLOGY & CLASSICAL STUDIES

POPULAR 2ND AND

3RD YEAR MODULES:

• Roman Love Poetry

• Ancient World on Film

• Greek comedy




Tel (0118) 378 6042


B15626 04.16

OUR COURSE

The combined degree offers insights into the richness and variety of past human experience covering a wide range of subjects and approaches. You will gain knowledge of a range of chronological periods, and develop your ability to analyse change over time and to compare cross-cultural and abstract concepts. In History, you can choose from medieval, early-modern and modern periods, developing your historical and historiographical skills. In Archaeology, you can undertake research on material culture and scientific techniques, and have the opportunity to participate in the Field School. B

A A

RCH

AEO

LOG

Y

& H

ISTO

RY


Year 1




• From Rome to Reformation:


archaeology

• Journeys through History 1 & 2

• Research skills & opportunities

in History


• From Primates to Pyramids




• Museum History, Policy & Ethics

Year 2







each subject.

Year 3



your own course, as well as under-

taking your dissertation. You will






interest for your dissertation. Our


between the two subjects with the

opportunity to specialise in one of

your subjects, or use both, in your

dissertation.

STRUCTURE OF THE COURSE: BA ARCHAEOLOGY & HISTORY

POPULAR 2ND AND

3RD YEAR MODULES:

• Medieval Magic

• Vikings in the West

• Archaeology of Crusading




Tel (0118) 378 6042


B15626 04.16

BA

MU

SEU

M S

TU

DIE

S

& A

RCH

AEO

LOG

YOUR COURSE

On this course, you will learn how the contemporary theory and practice of museum studies fits in with the academic and practical study of archaeology. You will gain hands-on experience working with museum objects alongside professional museum and archive staff employed across the University’s Museums and Special Collections Service, including the Ure Museum of Classical Archaeology, the Museum of English Rural Life, and the Cole Museum of Zoology. The second year includes a work-based placement, while in the final year you will design, create and evaluate a display on campus.

B15626 04.16

Year 1



• Museum History, Policy and

Ethics


Methods and Approaches

And at least one of the following:


An Introduction to Historical

Archaeology

• Primates to Pyramids: An

Introduction to World Prehistory

You can also choose from a range of optional modules

Year 2


• Curatorship & Collections

management

• Break into the Museum: Work

Placement

• Museum Learning and

Engagement

• Careers for Archaeologists

• Techniques in Artefact

Interpretation

You will also select additional

optional modules, allowing you to

specialise in a period (e.g. Roman

or medieval) or to explore various

approaches and techniques (e.g.

human remains analysis).

Year 3


• Display design, planning and

creation: Project Module

• Dissertation module is optional

but recommended

• Students choose their

remaining credits from a wide

range of choices to design their

own course

STRUCTURE OF THE COURSE: BA MUSEUM STUDIES & ARCHAEOLOGY

POPULAR 2ND AND

3RD YEAR MODULES:

• Objects & Identities in the

Roman Empire

• Vikings in the West

• Experimental Archaeology

& Heritage Outreach




Tel (0118) 378 6042



WHERE CAN ARCHAEOLOGY AT READING TAKE YOU?As a world-class department with internationally renowned teaching staff, a degree in Archaeology at Reading is the best possible foundation to begin your career in commercial archaeology, heritage management, academia and beyond.


WHERE CAN ARCHAEOLOGY AT READING TAKE YOU?

My archaeology degree and the skills I learned while undertaking it have been fundamental to a career as a journalist and media specialist...a degree somewhere between the arts and the sciences, which provides a grounding for dealing with scientists as well as communicators.

Robert McNeil (BA Archaeology)Head of Media & Communications, The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford

Business is about understanding people and archaeology taught me that in order to understand people you need to understand their culture first. The analytical nature of the course, and the patience needed to excavate and assess finds has also taught me how to approach challenges in a methodical manner.

Tim Ager (BA Archaeology)Managing Director, Celestix Networks

B15626 04.16

My time studying archaeology was invaluable in giving me confidence to talk about a subject assertively, and I was given huge support from the department in pursuing the dreams I wanted. I also learnt invaluable transferable skills such as working in a team and how to communicate a message to a variety of different people, regardless of age, ability, or knowledge, through my time as a trainee supervisor at the Field School – this is a skill I use every day as a fundraiser

Lizzi Hollis (BA Ancient History & Archaeology)Community Fundraiser, Marie Curie Cancer Care

I would not be where I am now without studying skeletal anatomy and palaeopathology at Reading, which allowed me to pursue an MSc in Palaeopathology. It was also due to connections with the University of Reading and skills learned through the Field School and other excavations that I gained a job at Oxford Archaeology.

Alice Rose (BA Archaeology)Osteoarchaeologist, Oxford Archaeology

*The Guardian University Guide 2016; Forensic Science and Archaeology subject table

5th in the UK for percentage of graduates in employment or further study six months after graduation*

undergraduate archaeology - university of reading · archaeology at reading is a wide-ranging...

Documents