Overview

The study of human societies across time offers a profound lens into how cultural belief systems, social structures, and material environments interact. Enrolling in the BA (Hons) Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Exeter brings these two complementary disciplines together to explore human diversity from prehistoric origins to modern social contexts. Instruction combines theoretical analysis with immersive field training, enabling students to participate in hands-on excavations, surveying projects, and experimental ancient technology workshops. Academic study is directly supported by extensive laboratory facilities, dedicated artifact reference collections, and professional field surveying equipment such as total station theodolites and geophysics apparatus. Students also benefit from research-led teaching that connects classroom learning directly to ongoing academic discoveries and ethnographic field research projects. This degree is ideally suited for curious learners who wish to examine human behavior through both physical evidence and social observation. Graduates emerge with a sophisticated understanding of global human heritage alongside versatile analytical, technical, and field-based skills.

What You'll Learn

Social anthropological theory, ethnographic methods, and human cultural diversity

Principles of archaeological investigation, site discovery, and stratigraphy

Hands-on field school experience encompassing excavation techniques and surveying

Methods for analyzing material culture, artifacts, and bioarchaeological evidence

Qualitative research interviewing techniques and the examination of social worlds

Experimental archaeology including ancient technology, pottery, and metallurgy

Scientific dating techniques, chronology, and environmental archaeological evidence

Theoretical approaches to health, technology, consumption, and global cultural challenges

Learning Outcomes

By completing this program, students will gain an integrated, multi-scale understanding of human social organization, cultural practices, and material heritage from ancient pasts to modern societies. Learners will develop the capacity to critically evaluate social theories, deconstruct cultural assumptions, and apply anthropological frameworks to pressing global issues like environmental adaptation, technological change, and social inequality. Through extensive practical coursework and field school experience, students acquire essential hands-on skills in archaeological excavation, geophysical surveying, stratigraphy, artifact conservation, and qualitative ethnographic interviewing. The curriculum's adaptable design allows individuals to specialize in focused areas such as bioarchaeology, material culture analysis, or contemporary social anthropology. Ultimately, graduates emerge with high-level abilities to synthesize qualitative and quantitative data, formulate evidence-based arguments, and execute independent research projects across diverse academic and professional sectors.