Explore humanity from its earliest origins to the cultures and societies of today with our BA Archaeology and Anthropology with Study Year Abroad degree.

The University of Reading is in the top 100 in the world for Archaeology (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2022) and is ranked 1st in the UK for research quality and research outputs in Archaeology (Times Higher Education Institutions Ranked by Subject, based on its analysis of the latest Research Excellence Framework 2021), and we achieved the highest score for student satisfaction in the UK in 2022.

This four-year, joint honours course combines archaeology’s examination of material evidence from our past and present with anthropology’s focus on human development and contemporary cultures and societies. Studying these two disciplines together allows you insight and understanding of what it means to be human.

This understanding will be crucial in addressing issues critical to our shared global future, including

the relationship between humans and environmental change
inequality, migration and identity
population growth and development
human diets and health
politics, economics and sustainability.
By examining human development, behaviour and different cultures, you will better understand the roots of these issues, and learn how other societies have tackled comparable problems – and how contemporary societies are addressing them now..

Using methodological approaches from the sciences, social sciences and humanities, you will examine the diversity of human experience. You will learn about the biological evolution of our earliest ancestors, the pre-historical and historical development of different cultures, and present-day ways of life and social issues.

During your studies you will analyse

material culture
biological evidence
ethnographic evidence
theoretical and empirical perspectives from the past and present.
Your studies in the Department of Archaeology will encompass ethnographic approaches and case studies, and the study of social and scientific archaeology, including

the investigation of artefacts recovered through excavation
the study of human bones (including osteology and palaeopathology)
the study of plant and animal remains
human-environment interaction
how climate and environmental change have affected lives past and present
religious, social, economic and political diversity around the world.
On this course you will learn through a combination of field classes and fieldwork projects, lectures and seminars, laboratory and other practical work, and placements.

Depending on your module choices, methods of assessment can range from fieldwork diaries and laboratory-based practical tests to article critiques and presentations.

Study Abroad
A key component of this course is a fourth year so that you can further your studies at one of our partner universities abroad. This happens during your third year.

Studying abroad is an opportunity to increase your cultural awareness and explore a new location.

We have a number of partner universities in Europe – including Aarhus University (Denmark), the University of Toruń (Poland), Uppsala University (Sweden), and the University of Malta – as well as partners farther afield. Of particular interest to BA Archaeology and Anthropology students is the opportunity to study the local ethnography and archaeology of southern Florida through our link with the University of Florida.

All classes are conducted in English and bursaries are available to help with travel and accommodation costs. Visit our Study Abroad website for more information.

You will need to book the accommodation after you have been accepted.

You can choose to live on campus or off campus in private accommodation.

• Make a booking online after you have been accepted (in this case please let us know your choice when you apply).
• Register when you arrive - its not possible to reserve a room before arriving. You can arrive a few days before and book it