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

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

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

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%)

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 – 2 nd largest in the UK

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 or our Undergraduate Secretary,