Archaeology AS/A2 AQA Archaeology investigates past cultures and communities through the discovery, analysis and interpretation of materials they have left behind. This ‘material culture’ can take the form of almost anything: human and animal remains; pottery, stone and metal artifacts; tools and weapons; settlements, fields and environmental evidence etc. If you possess a curiosity about the development of world cultures, and wish to look back in time beyond the written ‘historical’ past, then this course will provide you with opportunities to learn about a wide range of cultures and periods from the last five million years of Human evolution. It is a practical course, combining theory with handson learning: we try, as far as possible, ‘to do Archaeology’, with both local fieldwork and trips to major sites in Britain.

Course Outline
AS level

• Unit 1 - Ritual & Religion in Prehistoric Europe 30,000BC to AD43 [1 hour 15m exam] Investigating prehistoric religious beliefs and practices using artifacts, burials, monuments and art.
• Unit 2 - Archaeological Skills and Methods [1 hour 45m exam] A two-step
  introduction to archaeological methods:
  a) how Archaeologists discover, survey and excavate sites, and
  b) the techniques of analysis, interpretation and dating.

A2/A-level

• Unit 3 - World Archaeology [2 hour exam] In this thematic unit four main themes are covered: People and Society; Sites and People in the Landscape; Economics and Material Culture; Contemporary Issues in Archaeology today.
• Unit 4 - Archaeological Investigation [coursework] You choose a topic to investigate, applying research methods to a local site or landscape (4000 word limit).

Entry Requirements

Subject Entry Requirements