Work with world-leading archaeologists to pursue your own research career.

As a postgraduate research student in the Department of Archaeology at Reading, you will be part of a vibrant world-class research community, consistently ranked among the top in the UK for archaeology. You will be a member of our thriving interdisciplinary research clusters and centres and have access to state-of-the-art facilities.

The Department of Archaeology has an international reputation for the quality of its research and the excellence of its teaching and is at the forefront of social and scientific research on issues of global cultural and environmental importance and contemporary relevance. We pride ourselves on providing a stimulating and friendly environment for our active community of postgraduate students to pursue their research and professional development.

The world-class research in Archaeology is nurtured by research clusters that provide an interdisciplinary environment for engagement within and across themes, projects and regional studies. These research clusters focus on advancing social and scientific approaches to past communities and environments, as well as issues of fundamental significance, including climate and environmental change, health, diet, social diversity and inclusivity, and cultural heritage. We benefit from state-of-the art resources for both humanities-based and science-based archaeological research and have strong research links and collaborations with departments across the University and external institutions.

Our PhD students go on to work in academia as postdoctoral researchers and lecturers, and quickly find employment in industries such as heritage agencies, museums, professional archaeology, environmental and geoarchaeology, forensic companies, government organisations and media.