Archaeology

Why study Archaeology at Emmanuel?

Emmanuel is a beautiful college situated only a minute’s walk from the Archaeology Department. It has a good library and provides a welcoming environment to students wishing to explore any branch of Archaeology, Biological Anthropology, Egyptology or Assyriology. The broad first year course provides a wonderful opportunity to explore some the different areas of the discipline, and skills are consolidated with more specialised courses in the second and third years.

What might a typical week look like studying Archaeology at Emmanuel?

Archaeology provides a very varied programme of study. Most courses are based around lectures, and students should expect to have at least 8 hours of lectures a week but there are also field trips, labs, seminars and two weeks of practical archaeological training in the first year. Those who chose to study Egyptian language (Hieroglyphs) or Mesopotamian languages (in cuneiform) should expect to have two to three hours of language classes per week. Most students will also have around two small-group supervisions per week to consolidate learning. Additional time might be spent reading around the course or writing essays.

What qualities do successful students have?

Successful students are open-minded and come open to trying new subjects and ways of studying. They are excited to engage with a varied and intensive course which requires rapid turnover of assignments; they don’t get bogged down in perfectionism and are willing to persevere when some topics or skills might prove challenging to them. They are good at listening to advice and adapting their work accordingly. The course covers a multitude of useful transferrable skills both practical and academic: critical thinking, report writing, beginners’ statistics, languages (optional), presentation skills and archaeological methods. We look forward to discovering each student’s unique voice and potential contribution to the discipline.

Where could my degree lead?

Many of our students go on to careers in archaeology. Some become academics, some work in professional contract archaeology, others develop their careers in museums, heritage or conservation. Others use their degree as a springboard to careers in the city, in teaching, in demographics and healthcare, law and publishing, to name a few.