Archaeology

The course examines archaeology in its wider social and political context. The course begins with an examination of the inherently political manner in which archaeology has treated, and continues to treat, the past. This has consequences for the ways in which archaeology has been established across the world, fostering nationalism at the expense of other identities and promoting colonial and imperial ideologies. It also highlights the engagements that non-specialists can have with the past, largely separate from professional archaeology and its official means of communication, including museums. Hence different values are attached to objects, monuments and areas of land, archaeology and politics, tourism and the means by which archaeologists can attempt to communicate archaeology. This latter element of public engagement is one of the major focuses of the second part of the course, helping students to think about the strategies they could develop in their own work. 

The study of children and childhood has long been of interest in the fields of archaeology, history, and classics, highlighting the importance of this particular age group in understanding past societies. It is a matter of fact that children have always been present throughout pre-history to the modern-day, but their voices and lived experiences have not always been directly accessible, often presented through an archaeological record generated, and interpreted, by adults. The concept of childhood too is a social construct, subject to the needs of a population within a particular geographic or temporal context, and economic, political, cultural and environmental influence.

How does archaeology affect society? Why is archaeology important in the modern world? This course discusses the theory, practice, and responsibilities of archaeology. In exploring these themes, the course considers the role of governments, the general public, the popular media, museums, the antiquities trade, and archaeologists. This course also explores how archaeology is practiced and presented to the public, and the implications this has for the ways in which archaeology has been used as a tool for creating communities, identities, and legitimacy.

This course offers a thematic approach to Greek archaeology, examining the material foundations of daily, civic, military, religious, and cultural life in the ancient Greek world. Topics include the archaeology of the city, warfare, death and funerary practices, spectacle, trade and exchange, and sanctuaries. Through the study of urban plans, domestic and public architecture, and major monumental complexes, students gain insight into how Greek societies were structured and organized from the Archaic to the Hellenistic periods. Emphasis is placed on developing the ability to read and interpret archaeological plans, understand spatial organization, and compare key sites across the Greek world within a solid chronological framework.

This course provides a broad introduction to Marine Archaeology and illustrates through a series of case studies how crucial the sea was in terms of human development. The social, economic, and cultural progress of humanity has always been closely connected to the water and the sea. From the spread of human groups in early prehistory to the importance of container shipping and maritime commerce to modern economies today, sea travel has remained central to the development and maintenance of human societies. 

This course focuses on the material culture of the Roman world from the early history of Rome through to the early Christian period (c. 8th century BC - 4th century AD). The lectures examine different strands of the art and archaeology of this period, exploring what these reveal about contemporary society and culture, urban and rural life, religious practices, death and burial, visual display, domestic life, the negotiation of status and power, warfare, and interactions between groups within and beyond the Roman empire. Emphasis is placed on considering the potential and limitations of the archaeological record and its role in elucidating patterns of change and heterogeneity across time and space, from the city of Rome to the most distant reaches of Roman influence.

Stonehenge is the world's most famous stone circle, dating from the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age. An iconic symbol of mystery and counter-culture, it has attracted attention from enthusiasts around the world who have come up with myriad and often bizarre interpretations of who built it, how and why. This course explores Stonehenge and other monumental constructions within their social, cultural, and landscape context, allowing Stonehenge to be understood within the world of prehistoric Britain and Europe from the adoption of farming to the development of copper and bronze metallurgy. The course examines the history of archaeological research on Stonehenge, and the nature of social change from the Neolithic to the Bell Beaker period and the Early Bronze Age. With many recent investigations of Stonehenge and its wider context producing a wealth of new evidence, this course brings students up to date on our knowledge of this fascinating period in prehistory.