Archaeology

Welcome to Archaeology


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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.

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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).
For more information visit the AQA Exam Board Website

Entry Requirements



You can download entry requirements for all courses below. Please note that your enrolment on to a particular course must be approved by the Head of that department.

PDF Subject Entry Requirements