Archaeology and anthropology together encompass the study of humankind from the origins of the human species to the present day. Both disciplines have a long history: archaeology grew from 18th-century antiquarianism, while anthropology began even earlier in the first days of colonial encounter. Today, both subjects involve a range of sophisticated approaches shared with the arts, social sciences and physical sciences.
Oxford’s distinctive combination of archaeology and anthropology, pursued over three years, offers an unusually broad perspective on human societies from earliest prehistory to the present. The course offers a comprehensive guide to the richness and diversity of human cultural experience throughout space and time. By choosing to study here you will be able to:
- explore how humans evolved
- get to grips with major transformational processes in human history such as the development of farming, the emergence of towns and trading systems and the spread of world religions
- learn why societies structure their families, economies and political systems in the ways that they do
- investigate how material culture represents and reproduces beliefs and ideologies.
Fieldwork/work placements/international opportunities
As part of your course you must undertake a minimum of four weeks of fieldwork (subject to approval by your tutors), which is normally completed in the summer vacation at the end of your first year. Fieldwork can take place in field settings, or in a laboratory or museum and involve anthropological as well as archaeological projects. Recent destinations include Azerbaijan, Denmark and South Africa.
Financial support for your fieldwork is available from the University and may also be available from your college. You may also choose to engage in further fieldwork as part of your final-year dissertation, while other opportunities may exist for work-based learning in the University’s own museums.
Careers
Archaeology and Anthropology opens up a wide range of career opportunities, in part because the degree offers a unique perspective on how human societies operate and develop and on how people interact with each other. This is also due to the intellectually demanding requirements of an Oxford degree, and to the combination of independent study and tutorial teaching. Graduates of this course have found opportunities in heritage management, international development, education, the law, the media and the Civil Service among other careers.
