Archaeology

Archaeology is the study of human pasts through material remains. It encompasses the excavation and analysis of sites, artefacts, structures, and landscapes spanning millions of years of human history, from the earliest stone tools to the recent past. As a discipline, it draws on history, science, anthropology, and geography to reconstruct how people lived, what they believed, how they organised their societies, and how they transformed the natural world around them.

Fieldwork is central, making archaeology a discipline that takes students out of the classroom and into the landscape.

The University of Chester's four-year full-time archaeology programme includes a foundation year, designed for students who need additional preparation before entering the main degree, as well as a year abroad, offering the chance to study at an international partner institution. Chester has a particularly rich archaeological setting: the city itself is a treasure of Roman and medieval heritage, and the surrounding region offers access to a remarkable variety of sites from different periods. The foundation year builds the academic and subject-specific skills needed to engage fully with archaeology at degree level.

Through the programme you will study archaeological methods including excavation, survey, and post-excavation analysis, alongside specific historical periods, theoretical frameworks, environmental archaeology, and heritage management. You will develop skills in field recording, material culture analysis, spatial data, and the communication of findings to different audiences.

Archaeology graduates go on to work in professional archaeology, heritage management, museums, historic environment bodies, planning and development consultancy, education, and research. Many continue to postgraduate study to develop specialist expertise in areas such as environmental archaeology, heritage conservation, or geoarchaeology. The skills of careful observation, evidence evaluation, and analytical writing that archaeology demands are also valued in a wide range of public sector and research-facing careers.