Archaeology with Portuguese
Archaeology is the study of the human past through physical evidence: artefacts, monuments, settlements, skeletal remains and entire landscapes that together document how people have lived, worked, believed and died across millennia. It is a discipline that demands both careful observation in the field and rigorous interpretation in the laboratory, asking what objects and sites can tell us about the societies that produced them. Combining it with Portuguese adds a linguistic dimension that opens access to the literatures, cultures and histories of Portugal, Brazil and the wider Lusophone world.
At Queen's University Belfast this four-year full-time programme offers a single honours archaeology degree with an additional Portuguese language qualification. The archaeology component covers a wide chronological and geographical range, with modules spanning world, European and Irish and British archaeology from human origins to modern times. You will develop practical skills in fieldwork and excavation alongside the interpretive and analytical abilities that archaeology demands, and you will study heritage practice and the contemporary management of the archaeological record.
The Portuguese strand develops your language competence and your understanding of the cultures and societies where Portuguese is spoken.
Belfast is a particularly rich environment for archaeological study, with significant sites and heritage resources accessible nearby, and Queen's has a strong track record in both research and teaching in the discipline.
Graduates from archaeology programmes move into careers in heritage management, archaeological consultancy, museum curation, conservation, cultural resource management, academic research and education. Those with Portuguese language skills find additional opportunities in cultural diplomacy, international NGOs, business and education in Portuguese-speaking countries. Postgraduate study in archaeology, heritage, conservation or Portuguese studies is a natural continuation.