Archaeology Courses

Students of Social Sciences have a number of courses and diverse fields that they can choose from. The field of Social Sciences and Humanities is not just limited to educational or strictly academic career prospects. With the advent of an interdisciplinary approach towards the curriculum, you can choose to study various streams at a time. Archaeology is one of these streams that has expanded into interdisciplinary streams where students get to explore other streams like biology and use concepts of different streams to come up with new theories and research work. Hence, if you are planning to study this field, here are all the chief details about Archaeology courses, their key subjects, sub-fields and the top colleges known for these courses. 

Overview of Archaeology Courses

Archeology is the study of human activity through the process of tracing, recovering and analysing the material culture. An archeologist records and analyses artefacts, architecture, biofacts, etc. and records them in order to assess the culture and other aspects of civilization. A degree in the field of Archeology will equip you with the skills to record and recover historical artefacts and restore monuments in order to study the history of a specific place. If you are interested in studying, recording and analysing history through the material culture then you will find Archaeology courses interesting. 

Key Subjects in Archaeology Courses

Depending on your interests in the field of archaeology, you can either consider pursuing a diploma or an undergraduate degree in Archaeology. Here are a few key elements of this field that you will discover on a deeper level while studying archaeology:

• Ancient History: As the name suggests, Ancient History is the study of History since the beginning of writing and recording of human history. Ancient History works on recording and acknowledging the presence of human traces from the beginning of time like when the first script was written or discovering a cave painting as a form of cultural record in order to study about the culture and way of living of a particular time period. 
• Epigraphy: Epigraphy is the study of inscription, it’s interpretation as well as its historical importance. It is one of the important branches of study in the field of Archeology as these inscriptions help in studying historical eras as well as their social and political situations. 
• Methods in Archaeology: This course looks at the basic processes involved in the practical aspects of Archaeology and how these practical aspects can be used in the theoretical study of History. A few of them are.
  • Excavation
  • Carbon Dating
  • Recording 
• Museology: Museology is the study of museums. It analyses museums and their contribution to the history of a society. This field of study also looks at maintaining and curating articles in a museum. You will be learning about how museums are a crucial part of any culture’s history and how they help preserve the historical legacy of a society.

Sub-Fields in Archaeology

Archaeology has various branches that are interconnected and interrelated. Here are some of these sub-fields of Archaeology courses:

• Archaeozoology: This branch of Archaeology studies the faunal remains of ancient civilizations, including biological remains such as bones, hair, DNA, etc.
• Marine Archaeology: This branch of Archeology looks at the interaction of human beings with various water bodies and its impact on civilization. This field looks at various vessels, the architecture of the ports, etc. and analyses their importance in history.
• Environmental Archaeology: Environmental Archeology looks at the interaction between human civilization and the environment. This field studies how the environment affected human civilization and vice versa. 

Top Universities for Archaeology Courses

Here are the top five colleges for Archaeology courses across the globe that are renowned for their world-class facilities and updated curriculum:

• University of Oxford
• University of Cambridge
• Harvard University
• University College London
• Stanford University

Have an interest in Social Sciences, but don’t think Archaeology is the course for you, then read about:

• BA History  
• Scope of Sociology as a Career

The educational prospects in Archaeology are vast leading to immense career opportunities after pursuing Archaeology courses. Let our experts at Leverage Edu help you in choosing the right course in Archaeology at a university that is ideal for your skills, thus bringing a great beginning to your career.