Department

Of
Archaeology.

World
Archaeology.
Made in
Sheffield.
Undergraduate Studies
1
Understanding
Our
Past.

Cover photo courtesy of Sarah

Cole Photography
This publication is available in
alternative formats. To request a
different format please telephone
0114 222 1303.
Shaping
Your
Future.

‘Archaeology is a modern discipline offering the fullest and most

challenging perspective on human history.’

Sheffield Archaeology A degree in archaeology from Sheffield equips you with

skills:
Archaeology studies the history of human • The ability to use evidence in the investigation of
diversity. It investigates both the distant and complex questions.
recent past. Today, archaeology is as much about • Transferable skills in information technologies and in
how we create our futures, write our histories communication.
and live in the world as it is the study of ‘the • Practical skills in the excavation and analysis of
past’. material.

Archaeology at Sheffield is about big questions:

• How did humanity evolve?
• Why did humans colonise the world’s surface from
their earliest origins in Africa?
• Why have human communities organised their lives in
such diverse ways?
• How have civilisations been created and why have they
collapsed?

Sheffield students investigate:

• The biological history of humans, including their
evolution, their genetic complexity, changes in
population, and the history of human disease and
mortality.
• The impact that humans have had on the wider
environment, and their interaction with the plants and
animals within that environment.
• How human societies have changed their economic
and political organisations and systems of belief.
• The ways people in the past used different
technologies to control and understand their world.
• How we use the past today.

1
Choose
Sheffield.

‘Sheffield is a vibrant, multicultural city that will make you feel at

home immediately.’

Why Sheffield? Where will I live?

Sheffield is one of the best places in the UK to
be a student. Famous for its nightlife, its culture,
and its friendly atmosphere, Sheffield is a
vibrant, multicultural city that will make you feel
at home immediately.
Most first-year students choose University
accommodation. There are 5,000 places available, 95 per
cent of them reserved for first-years. All our halls and self-
catering facilities have programmes of social events, and
you’ll make friends fast.

Sheffield enjoys a harmony between students and the
wider community rarely seen in UK universities. There are
plenty of services, shops, cafes, and bars geared towards
students. Its first-rate nightclubs, pubs, theatres, galleries,
and cinemas are all within easy walking distance of each
other – you’ll get to know your way around in no time.
Our department is located in the popular West Street area
of the city, just five minutes’ walk from the main campus
and the city centre.
You will usually live in a study bedroom in a hall of
residence or a self-catering flat or house. Most of our
accommodation is in the leafy suburbs about 1 mile from
campus. Each hall has resident staff and services including
computer rooms and parking. There are also self-catering
complexes close to the city centre, some just minutes
from the department.
For pictures and prices go to:
www.sheffield.ac.uk/housing/new_students

Safest
city in the UK
(Home Office statistics)

Greenest
city in England
150 woodlands and 50 public parks

Lowest
cost of living for students in the UK,
of 24 university towns and cities surveyed
(The Royal Bank of Scotland)

2
‘Ours is a truly international study environment, in the heart of
one of the best student cities in the UK.’

Archaeology and Sheffield

At Sheffield, you’ll discover a University
education that combines:

• Thinking and doing. You will learn to understand

current ideas about history and social change. You will
learn the practicalities of fieldwork, excavation and
material analysis.

• Arts and science. Undertaking arts and humanities

research and scientific analysis offer different
perspectives on the same historical problems. Specialise
in either arts or science and you will learn to understand
the basics of alternative approaches, and how to combine
both perspectives.

• Teaching and research. The world is changing rapidly.

We all need to learn not just how to gather information,
but how to analyse problems and come to fresh
conclusions. Learning in an active research environment
at Sheffield, you will gain the confidence and skill to
undertake original research.

We are at the forefront of teaching and research in

archaeology. We carefully select staff with exceptional
abilities. We have our own purpose-built laboratories and
student study space, and we are committed to delivering
the practical experience you need.

The atmosphere in our department is friendly and

informal. You’ll be assigned a personal tutor who will
provide guidance and support throughout your time with
us.

3
Academic
Staff.

‘Your learning supported by dedicated, enthusiastic and

knowledgeable academic staff.’

Umberto Albarella Dawn Hadley Mike Parker Pearson

Archaeozoology The Vikings, gender Funerary archaeology, later
prehistory of Britain
Gianna Ayala Paul Halstead
Geoarchaeology, Italian prehistory Archaeozoology, Neolithic and Paul Pettitt
Bronze Age Greece Human origins, Upper Palaeolithic art
John Barrett
Archaeological theory, British Caroline Jackson Patrick Quinn
prehistory Glass – in ancient Egypt, Roman and Ceramic analysis
medieval Britain
John Bennet Jane Rempel
Linear B texts, Bronze Age Aegean Robert Johnston Ancient Greek colonies, northern
Landscape archaeology, Bronze Age Black Sea
Maureen Carroll Britain
Epigraphy and commemoration, Susan Sherratt
Roman Europe Glynis Jones Late Bronze and Early Iron Age
Archaeobotany, DNA and isotope Aegean and East Mediterranean
Andrew Chamberlain studies
Human osteology, palaeodemography Hugh Willmott
Kevin Kuykendall Material culture studies, archaeology
Michael Charles Early hominids – in South Africa of glass
Environmental archaeology,
prehistory of western Asia Colin Merrony Marek Zvelebil
Geophysical surveying, landscape Mesolithic societies, transition to
Peter Day archaeology farming
Ceramic technology, Aegean
prehistory John Moreland
Archaeology and texts
Roger Doonan
Ancient metallurgy, craft Pia Nystrom
specialisation, European Prehistory Biological anthropology, primates

4
Degree
Courses.

‘Our distinctive programmes provide a solid grounding in current

archaeological research and its application.’

Courses to Suit You

As a well-resourced department with a large
number of academic staff, we can provide
comprehensive and wide-ranging curricula for
both BA and BSc degrees.
Our expertise allows us to explore both science and
humanities based approaches, and our department
is recognised globally for teaching and research
which straddles both disciplines. Like our graduates
our approach has come to characterise modern
archaeological practice both in academia and in wider
professional practice.
Dual Honours with Archaeology
On all of our dual honours degrees, teaching is divided
equally between the two departments concerned.
You’ll take core modules within each department and
then choose your options according to your developing
interests. A programme coordinator within each
department provides support and advice throughout your
degree.

From a very early point in the degree programme students

will find themselves engaged in real research alongside
staff on cutting edge projects of international importance.
Whether this is on expeditions to explore exotic locations
or in the laboratory undertaking detailed study, you will be
learning through a blend of expert guidance, inquiry into
real problems and will be supported by our passionate
community of scholars and students who are furnished
with copious field and study resources.

Single Honours Archaeology

We offer three single honours degrees, Archaeology
BA, Classical and Historical Archaeology BA, and
Archaeological Science BSc. Each programme allows the
student to specialise in particular subject areas. There is
also the opportunity to take optional modules, including
those from other departments.

5
Fieldwork
Archaeology is a hands-on subject. Understanding how
people once lived requires archaeologists to explore the
material evidence.
Fieldwork is the primary way in which basic archaeological
data are created. A broad grounding in the techniques
of archaeological fieldwork is vital to enable students
to develop the skills necessary to undertake a career in
professional archaeology. Our department has a strong
commitment to practical training for all students.
At Sheffield, you will combine your library studies with
field survey, excavation and laboratory analysis. You will
receive all the guidance and supervision you need to
develop these practical skills.
All of our students are trained in field observation in their
first year. By the beginning of Level three, everyone is
expected to have worked on a departmental excavation.
Students can choose to increase the range of their
fieldwork experience by volunteering on archaeological
projects during the Easter and Summer vacations, and
by taking one of the work-based learning opportunities
offered in the department: Skills for Work Certificate,
Third Year Work Placement, or the Year in Industry.
The Archaeological Society (Arc Soc)
Arc Soc organises informal evening lectures and
discussions, usually followed by visits to the much-loved
Red Deer pub, just round the corner from the department.
As well as regular social events, there are weekend trips
to sites such as Hadrian’s Wall and Stonehenge. The
society provides a good opportunity to socialise with
other students, lecturers, and members from other
departments with converging interests.

A compulsory field course provides the opportunity for

students to acquire or improve basic field skills. More
broadly, training in fieldwork techniques is delivered
through a variety of both compulsory and optional
modules, delivered both in the UK and overseas.

6
BA in
Archaeology.

‘Our department is at the forefront of teaching and research in

archaeology.’

About the Programme (F400) Programme Structure

The BA in Archaeology has produced
outstanding graduates for over four decades,
with many now occupying important positions in
academia and the wider profession.
The curriculum is designed to give you an excellent
foundation in all aspects of World archaeology. It allows
you to build on this with specialist modules, ranging from
human osteology to cultural resource management.
The course is exceptionally flexible and any aspiring
archaeologist will find a range of optional specialist
modules to suit their interests.
The integration of theory and practice in our teaching
and research is one of the keys to our success. Teaching
extends to the field with participation in worldwide,
research-led excavations which form an enjoyable and
essential part of our degree programmes. You will also
gain an awareness of the links between science and the
humanities.
Our BA in Archaeology provides you with:
• a broad coverage of human developments from
hominids to modernity at a global scale;
• a further detailed understanding of the prehistory and
early history of Western Eurasia;
• the opportunity to specialise in a range of special
subjects that address significant issues of our human
past and their relevance to questions of origin, identity
and belief in the present.
In the first year you will acquire a global perspective
on human origins and world civilisations. In the second
year you will focus on specialist options and the history
of archaeological thought. In the third year you will
choose from an extensive choice of specialist topics and
undertake a piece of original research hand-in-hand with
an academic supervisor.

Part Time Study

This programme is also available on a part-time basis. It
allows students to study for a Single Honours Degree over
a period of six years, with each level taking two years to
complete. Application to the part-time programme is not
currently via UCAS. For details see:
http://www.shef.ac.uk/archaeology

7
BA in
Classical &
Historical
Archaeology.
‘Providing a detailed insight into the world’s major historic
civilisations.’
About the Programme (QV84)
The BA in Classical and Historical Archaeology is
the ideal degree for the student interested in the
classical and historical world.
The archaeology of the classical and historical periods is
an important part of our understanding about the past.
Archaeology plays an increasingly dominant role in the
analysis of ancient Greece, Rome, and the medieval worlds
of the Mediterranean and Europe.
This programme will provide you with an understanding of
how this aspect of the past bears heavily on our lives and
institutions today. The curriculum is designed to provide
8
the student with an excellent foundation in classical
civilisation and the historical world whilst allowing them to
later specialise in numerous times and places.
The integration of theory and practice in our teaching
and research is one of the keys to our success. Teaching
extends to the field with participation in worldwide,
research-led excavations which form an enjoyable and
essential part of our degree programmes. You will also
gain an awareness of the links between science and the
humanities.
Programme Structure
Our BA in Classical and Historical Archaeology provides
you with:
• a broad coverage of human developments on a global
scale;
• a further detailed understanding of the classical and
historical worlds of the Mediterranean, Europe and the
New World;
• the opportunity to specialise in a range of subjects that
address significant issues of our classical past and their
relevance to the emergence of the institution and
values evident in the modern world.
In the first year you will acquire a global perspective on
key societies and world civilisations, in the second year
you will focus on specialist options and the history of
archaeological thought, and in the third year you will
choose from an extensive choice of specialist topics and
undertake a piece of original research hand-in-hand with
an academic supervisor.
BSc in
Archaeological
Science.
‘The opportunity to apply science-based investigations to
questions of origin, identity and belief.’
About the Programme (F410)
Archaeological science uses the principles of
biology, chemistry and physics to investigate
all aspects of the human past. It is a multi-
disciplinary subject which integrates scientific
methods with social interpretation.
The curriculum is designed to produce critically
aware graduates who are equally capable of evaluating
archaeological issues as they are of identifying and
undertaking scientific approaches to develop new
understandings of the human past. The teaching and
integration of theory and practice is one of the keys to
our success, with fieldwork forming an essential, and very
enjoyable, part of all our degree programmes.
9
The integration of archaeological theory and scientific
practice in our teaching and research is one of the keys
to our success. Science teaching extends to the field with
opportunities for participation in worldwide, research-
led excavations. Equally, Sheffield has some of the best
research and teaching laboratories in the world and you
will have ample opportunity to use these in your studies.
Such occasions will allow you to better understand
the position of science-based approaches in modern
archaeological projects and allow you to appreciate
the composite nature of the skill-set demanded by
contemporary archaeology.
Programme Structure
Our BSc in Archaeological Science provides you with:
• a broad coverage of human developments from
hominids to modernity at a global scale;
• a further detailed understanding of the prehistory and
early history of Western Eurasia;
• the opportunity for specialised study of significant
issues in our human past and of the application to this
end of various branches of the physical and biological
sciences.
In the first year you will acquire a global perspective on
human origins and civilisations. In the second year you will
focus on specialist options which draw on the principles of
Biology, Chemistry or Physics whilst examining the history
of archaeological thought. In the third year you will choose
from an extensive range of specialist topics and undertake
a piece of original science-based research hand-in-hand
with an academic supervisor.
Dual
Honours
Degrees.
‘Study Archaeology with a related subject, including
opportunities for language placements abroad.’
About the Programmes
Our dual honours degrees give you the
opportunity to draw on the resources of two
centres of excellence to enhance your historical
knowledge and transferable skills.
These degrees link us with the following subjects:
Biblical Studies BA (VV46) Biology BSc (CV14)
French BA (VR41) German BA (VR42)
Geography BA (VL47) Geography BSc (VF48)
Hispanic Studies BA (VR44) History BA (FV41)
Slavonic Studies BA (VR47)
The aim is for you to learn and develop through both
independent and collaborative study. You will learn how to
think, build your ideas, and express them effectively to a
wider audience.
10
The integration of archaeology with other areas is one of
the keys to our success. Archaeology is a broad subject
which shares common ground with a number of other
disciplines, both in the intellectual questions they seek
to address and in the techniques they employ in order to
answer them.
Programme Structure
Our dual programmes provide you with:
• a broad coverage of human developments and diversity
throughout the world
• the opportunity to combine the study of archaeology
with centres of excellence in complementary
disciplines. This includes language(s), that enable an
understanding of the culture and history of a particular
region of Europe
• the ability to enhance your historical and linguistic
knowledge and understanding
• the opportunity to specialise in a range of special
subjects that address significant issues of our human
past and their relevance to questions of origin, culture,
identity and belief in the present
In the first year you will acquire a global perspective on
archaeology. In the second year you will focus on specialist
options and the history of archaeological thought. If you
are taking a dual with a language, you will also have a year
abroad between your second and final year. In your final
year at Sheffield, you will choose from an extensive choice
of specialist topics and undertake a piece of original
research hand-in-hand with an academic supervisor.
Your
Degree.
Your
Choices.

‘We offer a large range of modules, with options to explore your

own interests.’

About the Modules Third Year

Aegean Archaeology and Texts
Modules are offered in various combinations Aerial Photography in Archaeology
depending upon your chosen degree. Some Archaeology Summer School (Czech Republic)
are required courses, some are optional. In the Archaeology, Ethnicity and Nationalism
case of dual degrees, archaeology options are Archaeozoology
combined with those from the partner subject Dark Age Britain
area. Module details can be found here: Environmental Archaeology
http://shef.ac.uk/archaeology/current Human Evolution and the Hominid Fossil Record
Neolithic and Bronze Age Britain
Typical courses are: Optical and Geophysical Surveying in Archaeology
Palaeolithic Archaeology
First Year Primate Evolution and Behaviour
Archaeology in the Field Rome: Capital, Hinterland and Periphery
Archaeology in the Laboratory Swords and Sorcery: Northern Europe 1000 BC-AD 500
European Classical Civilisations
The Origins of Humanity
World Civilisations Outcomes
Second Year By the end of Level 1, you should understand the nature
Archaeological Materials and formation of archaeological evidence and its relevance
Archaeology and Text to the study of prehistory and early history.
Archaeology of the Graeco-Roman World
Bioarchaeology By the end of Level 2, you should understand how
Early Historic Europe archaeological knowledge is generated, and have a
Early Prehistoric Europe detailed knowledge of key aspects of the European
Experimental Archaeology prehistoric and early historic past.
From Households to Empires
Introduction to Biological Anthropology At Level 3 you have more opportunities to specialise.
Later Historic Europe By the end of Level 3, you should have a detailed
Later Prehistoric Europe knowledge of key issues in archaeology, the ability to
Reconstructing Landscapes manage your own learning and to undertake original
Research Skills in Archaeology analysis (in the form of a dissertation).
Thinking Through Archaeology

11
Your
Career.

‘Our graduates are skilled, experienced, confident and capable of

pursuing successful careers in many different professions.’

Careers in Archaeology Recent graduates have followed careers in:

• Financial services
About 5,000 people in Britain earn their living • Retail and administraton
as archaeologists - in universities, museums, • Health Service
archaeological units, heritage parks, or working • Information technology
for either national or local government. • Environmental work
• Journalism
Our commitment is to produce first-class graduates • Teaching
who recoup their investment in their degrees. We aim to • and, of course, Archaeology
ensure that:
• You are taught by academics of international standing Our graduates hold positions across the archaeological
in research. profession, including commercial units, national and local
• You succeed in gaining the best possible degree government, the charitable sector and many university
through an environment of first-rate teaching and departments. While the majority follow careers in British
stimulating degree programmes. archaeology, Sheffield graduates work all over the world
• You are supported in your personal and skills including the USA, Canada, France, Norway, Greece, and
development. Australia.
• You are given work experience opportunities and
contact with potential employers.
• You develop the confidence and communication skills
that will make you an asset to employers.

We are particularly proud of our graduates. Sheffield

graduates are confident in their knowledge of the subject
area, critical and creative thinkers who are capable
of working in teams or individually, and expert in the
effective communication of their work. Our graduates
are highly valued wherever they choose to build their
futures. Employers recognise that, in addition to a rigorous
academic training within an unusually broad-based
framework, a degree course in archaeology also provides
students with a variety of skills and the ability to work as
part of a team.

12
Contact
Us.

‘We look forward to welcoming you to our friendly department

here in Sheffield.’

Contact Information Admissions

To find out more about undergraduate courses, please We normally invite applicants to one of our Open Days.
contact: This provides the opportunity both for us to meet you, and
for you to see Sheffield and the department for yourself.
Mrs Joanne Mirfield Contact the department for details.
Department of Archaeology
The University of Sheffield
Northgate House Information for Disabled and Dyslexic
West Street Applicants
Sheffield S1 4ET
The University of Sheffield welcomes disabled
Telephone: +44 (0)114 222 2900 students and is committed to responding effectively
Email: archaeologyundergraduates@sheffield.ac.uk and appropriately to their additional support needs.
Admissions tutors will look primarily at academic
www.sheffield.ac.uk/archaeology suitability, and discussions regarding additional support
will remain separate.
For a University of Sheffield prospectus visit:
www.sheffield.ac.uk/prospective This publication is available in different formats.
To request an alternative format telephone:
UCAS application forms are available by email: +44 (0)114 222 1303.
app.req@ucas.ac.uk

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy
of the information given in this publication, but the
University can accept no responsibility for any errors
or omissions. University courses are continually
reviewed and revised and there may be some changes
between the date of publication of this brochure and
the time you begin your course.
Copyright © 2009 The University of Sheffield
Design by New Start Publishing
This publication has been printed using clean vegetable
oil-based ink, on paper which is sourced from
European Union FSC grade forests where more trees
are planted for the future than are felled each year;
all paper is processed using Elemental Chlorine Free
technology.

13
 Contact:
Department of Archaeology
University of Sheffield
Northgate House
West Street
Sheffield
United Kingdom
S1 4ET

T: +44 (0)114 222 2900

F: +44 (0)114 272 2563
E: archaeologyundergraduates@sheffield.ac.uk

www.sheffield.ac.uk/archaeology

This publication is available in alternative

formats. To request a different format please
telephone 0114 222 1303.
14