Archaeology BA (Hons)

Do you have a genuine interest in the material culture of the past? On our BA Archaeology you will study from a broad chronological and geographical perspective, with topics ranging from prehistoric Britain to Greek sculpture, and the Roman Middle East to medieval Italy.The study of archaeology develops the ability to understand how people lived, acted with their physical environment and thought in the past. The course includes a wide variety of options across a span of prehistoric, ancient and medieval periods, from Britain to the Near East.You will learn the essential analytical techniques of archaeology to develop your understanding of the relationship between theory and practice in the interpretation of material remains. Practical archaeological experience is a key element of the degree, and includes learning through the resources of archives, collections and practice in the field.This course is ideal if you have a keen interest in understanding the past through people’s relationships with things and places. We will encourage you to access written, graphic and material evidence (including skills in dealing with data), and to question accepted histories, so that you will develop the ability to construct and present convincing archaeological arguments through text and image.**HIGHLIGHTS**- History at Birkbeck was ranked top in the UK for intellectual stimulation in the 2019 National Student Survey and first in London for teaching quality.- We are an international centre of excellence. Since 2001 we have consistently been in the top ten departments evaluated by the Research Excellence Framework (REF).- Our research is unique in its range across geographical and chronological boundaries. We are the only university department in London to include historians, classicists and archaeologists investigating every period from prehistory to the early twenty-first century. We see the study of the past as crucial for our understanding of present-day society, culture and politics.- We are at the heart of academic London with access to unparalleled research resources. Situated very close by are: the Institute of Classical Studies, with its library, training facilities and seminars; the British Museum, with its extensive collection of classical antiquities; and the British Library, the largest national library in the world.- The Department of History, Classics and Archaeology is home to thriving student societies and a number of affiliated research centres that actively run seminars, conferences and other events where some of the world's best scholars present their latest research.