Can you tell me a bit about the different areas of archaeology that I could study? Katie Knight (16)

Hi Katie,

Great question! There are lots of universities around the country where you can study archaeology. They will all teach you the basic principles of archaeology but each department will offer different courses and specialise in different areas.

Some departments will focus on archaeological sciences where you can study things such as the analysis of human remains, metal production or food residue left behind on pots. Other departments might focus more on landscapes, places and buildings or have lecturers who specialise in a particular period or area such as prehistory, the Romans or something much more recent such as the Second World War, graffiti or even space archaeology! One of the best things about an undergraduate degree is that it gives you the chance to try lots of different things and spend times with a wide range of people who work in archaeology.

When I was an undergraduate at the University of York two of my favourite courses were on human remains and industrial buildings. They couldn’t have been more different but it was great to have the chance to try out lots of different things.

The choices on offer are endless and the best way to find out more is to take a look at the different universities websites as they will have lots of information about the courses they offer and the things you could study. You can find out about the different universities offering archaeology on the Unistats website. 

You can also find out about the different areas of archaeology through the different activities on offer at your local YAC branch.

Thanks for your question.

Claire