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A Revealing Study
Archaeology
Archaeology is the study of the human past beyond the
realms of history, which is reliant upon the written record.
Archaeology uses human artefacts and remains, including
buildings and monuments, to help us understand how our ancestors
lived and worked. It helps us to see how humans have spread
across the world, developing tools and technology, and allows
us to interpret how human activity has changed both the
environment and landscape.
Although the popular understanding of archaeology concentrates
on earlier periods of human history, archaeological techniques,
especially those relating to scientific excavation, can be
applied to any historical period. Archaeologists are just
as interested in more modern times, such as industrial culture,
urban development and decline, as well as the origins of agriculture,
such as the early cultures of Egypt and Rome, or the peoples
of the Americas. Its practical techniques can also be used
in contemporary investigations, such as forensic science.
For the prospective undergraduate student, archaeology offers
an exciting and intellectually challenging discipline, in
which there are opportunities for a very wide range of study
and practice. As a very international subject, it offers the
potential for travel, often to remote and interesting locations,
for periods of exploration and excavation. It also allows
a combination of work in the sciences and humanities, and
consequently provides an excellent range of skills of value
to many professions. Archaeologists are in demand, as they
can apply a range of skills and understanding to problems
in alternative discipline areas. There are, of course, also
many careers in archaeology, in practical and field investigations
throughout the world, in national organisations responsible
for the care and preservation of our cultural history, in
museums, and in landscape management within National Parks.
The United Kingdom offers one of the best locations in the
world in which to study archaeology. The subject has its origins
as a discipline in the pioneering investigations carried out
in the UK during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries,
and it has developed as an important subject of study in many
Universities. The landscapes of the UK are exceptionally rich
in archaeological remains of many types and periods, with
monuments of global importance, such as Stonehenge. There
are many opportunities to participate in important excavations,
from prehistoric to modern industrial archaeology. The UK
also has museum and library collections of the highest quality,
easily accessible to undergraduates, and British archaeology
carries on its work through its international outlook, with
extensive programmes of research in many areas of the world.
The variety of undergraduate courses available provide a
wide range of specialist study. While most courses include
the opportunity for developing excavation skills, the approaches
vary, from degrees based in the theoretical and documentary
to those specialising in particular periods (e.g. Classical
Archaeology or Egyptology), and yet others with a European
bias. A number provide excellent scientific and professional
education, as well as the possibility of combining archaeology
with other subjects, or studying as part of a modular degree.
For those students who would like to prepare for a professional
career in archaeology and the closely related fields of museums
and collections management, or management of cultural and
natural landscapes, undergraduate degrees can provide a secure
foundation. The BSc (Hons) Archaeology meets the national
professional requirements for Membership of the Institute
of Field Archaeology, and provides a scientific and practical
preparation for a lifelong career. As an alternative, the
broader BSc (Hons) History, Heritage and Conservation allows
the study of archaeology to be developed alongside a sound
understanding of certain aspects of history in combination
with professional museums and collections management skills,
or national heritage management skills.
For those in search of a highly practical and professional
course that provides the technical grounding for entry into
the Archaeological profession, the main UK course is the Higher
National Diploma in Practical Archaeology. Courses at HND
level have a lower entry requirement than degrees, and successful
candidates have the opportunity to join a fast track route
to obtaining their degree in just three years.
Author
Professor Bryan J.H. Brown
Head of the School of
Conservation Sciences
Bournemouth University
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