Undergraduate

Department of Archaeology

Archaeology at ReadingUndergraduate programmes

Why choose Reading?Reading has an established reputation as one of the top-rated archaeology departments in the UK. In 2009 we were awarded the distin-guished Queen’s Anniversary Prize for the outstanding quality of our research, teaching and enterprise. The expertise of our academic staff covers a wide spectrum of social and scientific approaches to archaeology in many periods and geographical regions. This range, underpinned by superb teaching facilities and resources, as well as our close partnerships with Classics and History, enables us to teach archaeology in breadth and depth whilst maximising opportunities for practical, hands-on learning. We offer our students a friendly and supportive environment in which to work and socialise, in our purpose-built premises, our student-centred fieldwork projects, an active student society, and a large body of postgraduates.

Flexibility and choiceWhether you see yourself as a student of the sciences or the

humanities, we offer you an integrated and tailored approach to archaeology. You could be studying Palaeolithic stone tools one day and the art and politics of the Roman Empire the next. The key is that at Reading you can choose the route you take through your Archaeology degree. So, whether you are fas-cinated by the science of diet and health in the past, or the ideology and meaning of monuments, buildings and artefacts, or would like a mixture of both in your degree, our programmes offer you flexibility and choice.

Top-rated researchReading is one of the strongest research departments in the UK and in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise we were ranked first for generating the highest proportion of world-class research. Our many agenda-setting research projects offer students a host of opportunities for participation, whether in the field, laboratory or library. Current fieldwork opportunities could find you exploring Roman town life in an Egyptian oasis, a Crusader Castle in Poland or Estonia, the remains of Anglo-Saxon monastery in Kent, early prehistoric farming

communities in Kurdistan, or traces of Mesolithic hunter gatherers in the Outer Hebrides. As well as being your classroom lecturers, the directors of these cutting-edge pro-jects will help to guide you towards a period or theme to specialise in for your dissertation and potentially for further, postgraduate study.

Excellence in teachingReading is highly regarded for the quality of its teaching and we gained a 100% satisfaction rating in the 2011 National Student Survey. Our students benefit from outstand-ing practical training provided by our dedicated field school at the Roman town of Silchester and the friendly and supportive learning environment nurtured within the Department. Our emphasis on small group teaching is particularly strong in our practical and final year modules, which offer you the opportunity to undertake hands-on work with archaeological materials from our extensive teaching collections, and to develop your skills in presenting and discussing archaeological evidence and ideas. Recently, we have made additional exciting staff appointments in Near Eastern archaeology and past

climate change. Overall, the informal nature of the Department, the communal participation in field trips and excavations, and the opportunity to undertake placements all contribute to a highly rewarding and enjoyable three years.

Overview of coursesAt Reading, you can study archaeology either as a Single Honours degree (BA or BSc) or as a Joint Honours degree combined with Ancient History, Classics, History, or Museum Studies.

BA Single Honours degreeThis programme provides a solid grounding in the theory and practice of archaeology supplemented by modules covering a wide range of themes (e.g. material culture studies, burial archaeology) and periods (from the Palaeolithic to the medieval world). Many of our BA students select specific science modules, for example learning to identify injuries on skeletal remains (Palaeopathology), to complement their interests.

BSc Single Honours degreeThis programme allows you to focus on the scientific aspects of archaeology and learn to analyse soils, plant and animal remains and human bones (e.g. sexing and ageing skeletal remains and identifying diseases). The flexible modular system here at Reading also allows you to select humani-ties-based options as part of a BSc degree, giving you the opportunity to specialise in a particular period (e.g. the Roman World) or a theme (e.g. landscape archaeology).

Joint DegreesThese allow you to combine and complement your interest in archaeology with other disciplines and you will select modules from both courses (a 50/50 split). The joint degrees offer the prospect of studying a wider range of subjects, and of developing your knowledge of either the Classical or the medi-eval worlds, and the opportunity, if you wish, to gain language skills in Latin and Greek in the Classics Department.

Joint degree options•Ancient History & Archaeology•Archaeology & Classical Studies•Archaeology & History•Museum Studies & Archaeology

Archaeology at Reading

‘The joint honours degree was a really excellent choice for me. I enjoyed a wide variety of modules. Ancient History examined the historical and literary context, while Archaeology enabled me to back up research with evidence and artefacts. Archaeology also provided the opportunityforfieldworktobalancethe theory.’

Jemima Pettifer, 2012 graduate in Ancient History and Archaeology

Year 1

Core Modules•Practising archaeology•Primates to pyramids: an introduction

to world prehistory•From Rome to the reformation:

an introduction to historic archaeology

Plus options such as:•Bones, bodies and burials:

the archaeology of death•Analysing museum displays

Years 2 & 3

Examples of Humanities-Based Modules•The middle Palaeolithic of

Europe and south-west Asia•Hominins, hearths and handaxes:

studies in the lower Palaeolithic •The Mesolithic of

north-west Europe•British prehistory:

the age of Stonehenge•People and societies of the

ancient Near East•The archaeology of early Iran•Celts and Romans:

northern Europe and Britain•Rome’s Mediterranean empire•Imperial encounters in the

Roman world•Post-Roman and early

medieval Europe•The archaeology of ‘dark age’ Britain

and Ireland•Later medieval Europe•Archaeology of later

medieval religion and belief

Examples of Science/ Practical-Based Modules•Archaeological science•Human activity and

environmental change•Vegetation history and archaeobotany•Techniques in skeletal interpretation•Palaeopathology•The archaeology of food

and nutrition•Introduction to

zooarchaeology•Geophysics•Techniques in

artefact interpretation•The archaeology of money:

coins, power & society•Object analysis and

museum interpretation

Plus: •Dissertation

‘The lecturers within the department were passionate, endlessly supportive and dedicated to their subjects and students. Thisencouragedmetostrivetofindthe same passion and dedication in my degree and future career.’

Jessica Barnsley, BA (Hons) Archaeology graduate 2012

New and unique programme

Museum Studies & ArchaeologyThis course teaches you how the contemporary theory and practice of museum studies fits in with the academic and practical study of archaeology. It provides hands-on experience working with museum objects alongside professional museum and archive staff from 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 and the final year allows you to design, create and evaluate a display on campus.

The table below provides an outline of options. For detailed descriptions see our website. First year modules provide a grounding in the fundamentals of archaeological practice and theory.

Why study archaeology?Archaeology is a dynamic discipline that harnesses material remains to explore and interpret the past. One of the most distinctive aspects of archaeology is its close engagement with disciplines across the humanities and sciences in the order to reconstruct the rich diversity of past cultures in their daily lives.

As well as being a fun, challenging and immensely rewarding learning experience, an archaeology degree imparts an impressive range of skills – team-working, the ability to think analytically and proficiency in IT applications – preparing graduates for many career opportunities.

Amheida excavation team 2012, Egypt Recording a fresco in Amheida

Training excavationsCalleva Atrebatum – your place at the Silchester Field SchoolAt Reading, we are unique in having our own major excavation site practically on the doorstep. The Roman town site of Silchester (Calleva Atrebatum), is one of the best preserved Romano-British tribal capitals. Unlike many towns of the period, this is a green-field site not built upon since Roman times. The current excavations are focusing on an area occupied by houses, and thus on the daily lives of the inhabitants. You will have the opportunity to work on this excavation in the summer vacation at the end of your first year. The training excavation will provide you with an experience of field archaeology and is also great fun! You will acquire basic surveying skills, learn how to sort and categorise artefacts, participate in an environmental sampling programme and learn to work as part of a team. www.reading.ac.uk/silchester

Career prospects and employabilityThe combination of humanities and sciences that our archaeology degree offers is attractive to a wide range of employers. Our degrees have an interdisciplinary emphasis, including transferable skills to equip our students well for a range of careers and postgraduate study. Career opportunities are enhanced by student placements schemes, CV writing workshops and career support initiatives, all of which emphasise transferable skills inside and outside archaeology. Our recent graduates have gained employ-ment in career paths as diverse as communica tions, management, finance, marketing and tourism, the military, teaching and policing as well as archaeology.

We place considerable emphasis on practical training in archaeology, including laboratory courses. This practical grounding enhances our students’ communication and teamwork skills, self-reliance, and problem-solving abilities. We have close links with industry including

local commercial units who employ many of our former graduates. We offer ‘real-life’ vocational experience through student placements attached to our in-house environmental archaeology consultancy QUEST (Quaternary Scientific) and through our links with the Ure Museum of Classical Archaeology, the Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) and Reading Museum. The Institute for Archaeologists (IfA; who provide guidance for professional archaeolo-gists) is also housed in our building here on campus.

Dedicated building and facilitiesWe are a friendly and dynamic department based in our very own purpose-built facilities close to the University Library. Our premises house research and teaching laboratories and there is also an Undergraduate Reading Room. The Archaeology Department has its own, recently expanded, teaching collections of prehistoric and historic artefacts. In addition, the Ure Museum, in the Department of Classics, houses one of the most important teaching collections of Greek pottery in Britain and we also have close links with the Museum of Reading and the Museum of English Rural Life, now formalised through our new joint degree in Museum Studies and Archaeology.

Further information and visit opportunities

Please visit us and meet our current students, tour our facilities, and ask our staff any questions. We have university-wide Open Days in September and October and offer Departmental Visit Days to applicants between November and March.

Department of ArchaeologyDr Gabor Thomas, Admissions Tutorgabor.thomas@reading.ac.ukTel +44 (0)118 378 5449

Generalofficearchaeology@reading.ac.ukTel +44 (0)118 378 8132Fax +44 (0)118 378 6718

The University of Reading is committed to equal opportunities and diversity.

Whilst the University of Reading makes every effort to ensure that the contents and statements made in this publication are fair and accurate, it can accept no liability for omissions, errors or subsequent changes.

The statements made and information provided are a general guide and there may be changes following publication which affect the contents. Programmes or modules may be altered or withdrawn without notice and assessment arrangements may be changed. For details of any changes made since publication, please refer to the website address at the bottom of this page.

This document was last updated September 2012.

www.reading.ac.uk/archaeologywww.facebook.com/ArchaeologyReadingwww.facebook.com/Silchester

Archaeology at Reading For more information, please contact:

Mrs Marah McGuire, Undergraduate AdministratorSchool of Human and Environmental Sciences University of Reading Whiteknights PO Box 227 Reading, RG6 6AB

m.d.mcguire@reading.ac.uk Tel (0)008 378 7966 Fax (0)118 931 0279