Archaeology and Anthropology

Archaeology and anthropology together encompass the study of humankind from the distant origins of the human species to the present day. Both disciplines have a long history. Archaeology grew from 18th century antiquarianism while anthropology began even earlier in the first days of colonial encounter. Today both subjects involve a range of sophisticated approaches shared with the arts, social sciences and physical sciences. There is also lively interaction. Thus, for example, the anthropological study of primates and early humans helps archaeologists, using the physical remains recovered, to reconstruct the ways in which our earliest ancestors lived, while scientific dating techniques produce the time-frame and the latest genetic analyses define their relationships to modern human populations.

Oxford is a leading centre for research and teaching in archaeology and anthropology. Six institutions specialise in these subjects: the Institutes of Archaeology and Social and Cultural Anthropology, the Ashmolean Museum, Pitt Rivers Museum and Oxford University Museum of Natural History, and the Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art. All are supported by world-class libraries and are well equipped with laboratories and computing resources. The Oxford degree is unique in the way it combines archaeology and anthropology throughout the course, offering an unusually broad perspective on human societies from earliest prehistory to the present.

While some Archaeology and Anthropology graduates go on to further study and research to become professional anthropologists and archaeologists, others will move into different areas. Graduates of this course have found opportunities in heritage management, museum curation and education, regional archaeological services, international development, the Civil Service, advertising, marketing, computing, energy supply, and community relations. Recent Archaeology and Anthropology graduates include a management consultant, a financial analyst, a trainee solicitor, and a medical student.