Archaeology with Forensic Science

Archaeology with forensic science is a combination that pairs two disciplines with a genuine and growing professional overlap. Archaeology examines the human past through its material remains, developing skills in excavation, survey, artefact analysis, and the interpretation of physical evidence from sites and landscapes. Forensic science applies scientific methods to legal investigations, and the overlap with archaeology is particularly pronounced in forensic archaeology, the recovery and analysis of human remains and physical evidence in criminal and humanitarian investigations.

Together the disciplines develop a set of skills with direct application in both heritage and forensic contexts.

At Exeter, this programme combines the archaeological and scientific training needed for both fields, developing your skills in excavation and field survey alongside forensic analysis, evidence collection, and scientific laboratory methods. The programme includes a sandwich placement year and a year abroad, along with embedded work placement opportunities, giving you substantial professional and international experience within the degree structure. The degree runs over three years full-time, with a typical entry tariff of 120 points.

Graduates of archaeology with forensic science programmes pursue careers in forensic archaeology, crime scene investigation, osteoarchaeology, cultural heritage management, archaeological field units, and research. The combination of fieldwork skills and forensic scientific training is valued by employers in both the heritage sector and the criminal justice system. Some graduates go into humanitarian forensics, applying archaeological and forensic science methods to the identification of victims of conflict and disaster.

Many also go on to postgraduate study in forensic archaeology, bioarchaeology, forensic science, or cultural heritage management.