Why study Archaeology at Durham University? Higher Education Advisers Conference, 15/XII/2010

1. Why study Archaeology at Durham University? Higher Education Advisers Conference, 15/XII/2010 John Chapman

2. Archaeology – career, transferable skills, interest • Men with Big Hats • Time Team • Beyond treasure and speed excavation • The material remains of the entire human past – prehistory and history • From Palaeolithic hand-axes to six-packs

3. Archaeology at Durham – seven steps to Heaven • 3 Single Honours programmes: • BA (Hons) and BSc (Hons) in Archaeology • BA (Hons) in Archaeology & Ancient Civilizations • 2 Joint Honours programmes • Anthropology; Ancient History • 2 Combined Honours programmes • Social Sciences and Natural Sciences

4. A combination of academic rigour, IT and fieldwork … • Criticism, deconstruction and analysis • Essay-writing, lab and fieldwork reports, site info leaflets, dissertation • Emphasis on IT skills, especially for GIS and data presentation • 6 weeks’ compulsory excavation / fieldwork in the first & second Long Vacs • Very high proportion of our students gain a Ist or a II.1 (2009/10 – 92%)

5. taught by top global specialists … • Chris Scarre – editor of ‘The Human Past’ • Charlotte Roberts, newly-elected President of the American Palaeopathological Association • Tony Wilkinson, recently-elected Fellow of the British Academy • a BIG Department – 2nd largest in the UK

6. who deliver research-led teaching … • Starting with Level 1 introductory courses • Finishing with Level 3 Specialised Aspects on our current research themes • In a recently modernised Dawson Building • With state-of-the-art rooms for teaching, seminars, lab work and tutorials • Shared with Anthropology

7. for all periods from the Palaeolithic to yesterday … • human evolution and the British Palaeolithic • The strongest group of European Neolithic specialists in the UK • Major Roman focus linked to our new degree and our joint degree • Very rare in UK archaeology to have Post-Medieval as well as Medieval specialists

8. for all areas of Eurasia and beyond … • Core of specialists working in Europe, from Iceland to Portugal & the Balkans • UK’s leading Department for Asia (Levant, Near East, Gulf, India and Sri Lanka) • North Africa – Egyptology and Roman • Special benefit to students- fieldwork opportunities

9. using full range of arch. science • aDNA for humans, plants and animals • Isotopic dietary studies • Isotopic analysis of human mobility • Reconstructing human impacts on past environments • Dating prehistoric populations, environmental changes and Medieval buildings

10. New developments • New degree programme (BA (Hons) in Archaeology & Ancient Civilizations) • New summer field school at Binchester Roman Fort, with University of Stanford • The Durham World Archaeology series of research seminars from this year • Foreign study tours from this year

11. Where do our graduates go? • 73% into graduate-level jobs /further study within one year (4th best in UK Depts) • MI5 • banking • media • Museums and heritage management • Professional (digging) units • Research positions (in/out of Archaeology)

12. What do outsiders think of Archaeology at Durham ? • RAE 2008 – top Department in Durham and top Archaeology Department in UK • QAA 2008 - Top-ranking Department in Uni and UK for Learning and Teaching • 2nd best D of A in Times Good University Guide for 2009, 2010 and 2011 • 2nd best UK D of A in National Student Survey for 2009

13. Continuing the dialogue … • Thank you for your attn • We now have 10 minutes for questions …. For further information, please contact our Undergraduate Admissions Officer at p.a.rowley-conwy@dur.ac.uk or our Undergraduate Secretary, helen.skea@dur.ac.uk