Course summary

Develop an understanding of archaeological methods and theory to unlock some of the most fundamental questions about human life, from the emergence of our species until the 20th century. Studying human, animal and plant remains, artefacts and art, you will learn how to reconstruct the past from its material remains. You will investigate the major social, economic, religious and technological developments in long-term human history – from Britain to South Africa and Spain to China – and learn how to carry out archaeological excavation and survey. You will be required to complete four weeks of fieldwork for this programme including two weeks on our department field school at the end of Year One. In Year Two, many students work on overseas staff research excavations, currently these are based in Sicily, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt, Southern Africa and Ireland as well as the UK. This programme is available with either a Year in China or a Year Abroad. The Year in China offers undergraduate students the opportunity to spend one year at our joint venture, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), following XJTLU's BA China Studies degree classes. XJTLU is a fully English-speaking university, located in Suzhou. The Year Abroad offers students the opportunity to spend a full academic year studying at one of our partner universities around the world, following a mixture of culture and/or discipline-related modules. If you wish to study this programme with a Year in China or a Year Abroad you will have the opportunity to apply after you arrive at Liverpool.