Archaeology: What Do You Really Study?
Objects, sites and ancient societies - to reconstruct the past from material finds and fieldwork.
What Do You Study in Archaeology? Core Subjects, Year by Year
What do the degree courses cover?
Open a course to learn about its main topics and see what the work looks like in practice.
What do you learn in the course?Introduction to Archaeology?
Learn how human societies are reconstructed from sites, objects, environmental remains and their context, and what limits this knowledge.
Main topics
- Questions and archaeological evidence
- Survey, excavation and interpretation
- Ethics and heritage
What does it look like in practice?
Using the placement of pottery, bones and a hearth to suggest how the space was used.
What do you learn in the course?Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations?
Get to know the societies, cities, kingdoms, economies and religions that developed in the ancient Near East through texts and material finds.
Main topics
- First the city and the state
- Kingdoms and trade
- Writer, religion and everyday life
What does it look like in practice?
Comparing an administrative certificate with findings from a warehouse to understand how food distribution was managed.
What do you learn in the course?Prehistory?
You learn about the development of man and societies before the writing, from hunter-gatherers to agriculture and permanent settlements.
Main topics
- Human evolution
- Stone technology
- Beyond agriculture and settlement
What does it look like in practice?
Analysis of stone tools and animal bones to reconstruct subsistence strategy.
What do you learn in the course?Archaeological Documentation?
Learn to accurately document a find and context through recording, photography, measurement, databases and mapping, to enable future testing.
Main topics
- Registration of units and findings
- Photography and drawing
- Data mapping and management
What does it look like in practice?
Creating a locus card that links the description of the layer, the elevation points and the photographs.
What do you learn in the course?Archaeological Stratigraphy?
You learn to read the sequence of layers and cuts on the site and deduce which event preceded the next even when the image is composite.
Main topics
- Formation of layers
- Stratigraphic relations
- Harris matrix and ether stages
What does it look like in practice?
Determining whether a wall was built before a hole that crosses it or after it.
Frequently Asked Questions About Archaeology
Is a degree in Archaeology difficult?
There is no single answer — difficulty depends on your background, the institution, and your chosen study pace. According to this site's estimate, The degree has a relatively small quantitative component, so mathematics is usually not the main obstacle, and a large share of the reading material is in English. A good way to assess fit is to review the course map on this page: if most of the subjects interest you, the effort will usually feel worthwhile.
How long does a degree in Archaeology take?
Usually 3 years (Single-major or double-major, with field trips and a training excavation). Exact duration varies by institution and depends on course load and the track you choose.
Archaeology or Literature and Linguistics — which is right for me?
The degrees most closely related to Archaeology are Literature and Linguistics, History, and Communication. Their differences are usually in emphasis rather than the overall subject, so the fastest way to decide is to compare their course maps — what you actually study in each program, year by year. You can also open the degree comparison tool to view the differences side by side.
Where do archaeologists work?
Commercial archaeology is the biggest employer in many countries — surveys and salvage excavations required before construction projects. Also heritage agencies, museums, academia and cultural tourism.
What are the studies like?
A unique mix of study and field: courses on ancient cultures and methods alongside real excavation seasons where you learn hands-on — trowel, drawing, stratigraphy.
Can you make a living from it?
Fieldwork is available but pay is modest and the work physical and often seasonal — true nearly everywhere. Research requires graduate degrees; many combine the degree with teaching, heritage management or tourism.
Where can you study this?
Archaeology is taught at universities worldwide, usually with summer field schools built into the degree — the digs are where the craft is actually learned.