University of York

University of York

Bachelor of Arts Honours in Historical Archaeology

The Bachelor of Arts Honours in Historical Archaeology in History is offered by University of York.

Program Length: 3 YEARS.

Bachelor of Arts Honours in Historical Archaeology offered by the University of York

Hands-on history


Historical Archaeology explores the material remains of the last 2,000 years - the period for which texts and document sources exist.

Understanding and analysing these sources enables us to understand human lives, from the spread of the Roman Empire to everyday life for the Vikings.

If you are considering a degree in History, but want a course which will make you stand out from the crowd, the BA Historical Archaeology could be for you. Many of our students have studied history, but also have a passion for historic sites, material culture or museums. With Historical Archaeology, you get the best of both worlds.

The department is renowned for being friendly and welcoming, meaning you'll get to know your lecturers, and they'll get to know you. You'll have endless opportunities to get involved, from joining the Archaeology Society to working abroad on a research project. We're based in the King's Manor in the city centre - a beautiful and truly unique Medieval building, with additional state-of-the-art facilities on the main campus. 

York is the UK’s archaeological capital, with historic buildings and significant remains from the Roman, Viking and Medieval periods. You'll find it a great place to call home.

Course content
The five undergraduate courses all have a common first year, so it's easy to change between them.

They emphasise flexibility - there's very little restriction on the modules you can choose to study. You'll take 120 credits each year - usually two to three modules each term.

They'll ask you to critically consider the relationship between material culture and texts in both past societies and modern academic disciplines, and we'll prepare you to address the unique challenges which face archaeologists who work in historically documented periods.

Study abroad
There are opportunities for you to spend time abroad during your course:

Dissertation and Assessed Lecture

Archaeology also offers plenty of opportunities during vacation breaks to get involved with research abroad.

Year 1
Core modules
Prehistory to the Present (20 credits)
Artefacts and Materials (20 credits)
Archaeological Theory (20 credits)
Introduction to Archaeological Science (20 credits)
Field Archaeology (20 credits)
During the Summer Term, you'll take part in an excavation (20 credits).

This will give you hands-on experience in all aspects of assessing, collecting and analysing primary excavation data, as well as post-excavation techniques. It is a unique opportunity to be part of a really exciting phase of a research project.

It is taught during the academic year, so you won't be required to find an excavation placement during the summer vacation. If you are interested in taking part in further excavations during the vacation, we can help you find volunteering and paid opportunities to do further excavations - sometimes abroad!

Academic integrity module
In addition to the above you will also need to complete the online Academic Integrity module.

Year 2
Core modules
You'll choose whether you want to study Prehistory or Historical Archaeology:

Themes in Prehistory (30 credits)
Themes in Historical Archaeology (30 credits)
You'll also prepare for your dissertation with the following modules:

Communicating Archaeology (10 credits)
Researching Archaeology (10 credits)
Designing Research (10 credits)

Option modules
You'll study one World Archaeology I module​. These options are updated each year, but you'll usually be able to choose from around five options. Examples include:

Conflict (20 credits)
World Mummification (20 credits)
Alpine Landscape Archaeology (20 credits)
The Invention of World Heritage (20 credits)
The Late Prehistory of Egypt and the Fertile Crescent (20 credits)
You'll also study one Practical Skills module. You'll choose from roughly seven options. Recent examples include:

Artefact Analysis (20 credits)
Buildings History (20 credits)
Human Bones (20 credits)
Field Archaeology Survey (20 credits)
Archaeology and Heritage (20 credits)
Biomolecular Archaeology (20 credits)
Environmental Archaeology (20 credits)

During the summer term, you'll complete a team project (20 credits) which follows on from your Practical Skills module. Using the subject-specific knowledge you have gained, you will work as a group to analyse and interpret data, and produce a report to a professional standard.

Year 3
Dissertation

Dissertation and Assessed Lecture (40 credits)
The dissertation is an extended piece of writing, around 10,000 words, on a topic of your choice. You'll be assigned a supervisor who'll support you through the process. After writing your dissertation, you will present your work in the form of an assessed lecture.

Recent titles have included:

The Roman army's impact on York
Power in Death? An exploration of burial practice at Viking age Hedeby
Feeding Venice: A comparative study of archaeological and historical approaches, investigating Venetian supplementation of meat products between 14th - 16th century
A study of 18th century English culture, consumption and luxury within a changing society.
Landscapes of defense: in what ways was the Leeds Liverpool Canal protected from invasion and attack during WWII?

Option modules
You'll choose one World Archaeology II module from around five options, which may not be the same as in your second year. Examples include:

Conflict  (10 credits)
World Mummification (10 credits)
Alpine Landscape Archaeology (20 credits)
The Invention of World Heritage (10 credits)
The Late Prehistory of Egypt and the Fertile Crescent (10 credits)
You'll also choose one Special Topic. These modules are linked directly to staff research interests, so you will be engaging with the most up-to-date research and debates in each subject. Each year we offer around six or seven options. Recent examples include:

Human Evolution (30 credits)
Neolithic and Bronze Age Britain (30 credits)
Historic Houses (30 credits)
Ancient DNA (30 credits)
Viking Age Scandinavia (30 credits)
Death and Burial in Later Prehistory (30 credits)
Assessed Seminars are a unique opportunity to focus your studies on exactly what interests you, and you'll choose one to prepare in the Spring or Summer Term. You'll have some introductory lectures from a specialist in the area, then you'll spend some time designing and chairing your own seminar for your classmates. We offer roughly eight modules per year for you to choose from. Recent examples include:

After Modernity (40 credits)
Archaeology of British Christianity (40 credits)
Debates in Archaeological Science (40 credits)
Mesolithic Europe (40 credits)
Neanderthals (40 credits)
Environmental Archaeology (40 credits)
Palaeodiet (40 credits)
Modern Landscape (40 credits)
Archaeology of Public Buildings (40 credits)
Sustaining the Historic Environment (40 credits)
Western Mediterranean Archaeology (40 credits)



Locations where you can study Bachelor of Arts Honours in Historical Archaeology en University of York


Schools where you can study Bachelor of Arts Honours in Historical Archaeology en University of York

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