Research
Research in the Archaeology Department is of both national and international standing, as recognised by the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise in which 75% of our publications was considered to be of international importance
Main research themes
Ancient and medieval landscapes of Europe and the Mediterranean
Our research under this theme exploits the departmental expertise in field, landscape and geoarchaeology to investigate the evolution of environments in southern England, the Mediterranean, Africa, the Caucasus and the Near East. Research foci are the role of humans in landscape change, the influence of changing climate on human activity and the development of complex economies.
Photo: Moncayo Archaeological Survey Co-Investigator Dr Richard Pope hand augering
The archaeology of religion and the life cycle
Staff researching in this theme are examining a wide range of topics including prehistoric burials in unusual places (for example caves), burial in the Anglo-Saxon and medieval period, the archaeology of warfare, Romano-Celtic temples, early Christianity in Africa and the Near East and the archaeology of the English Church.
Photo: The in situ Winchester pilgrim badge from the Magdalen Hill excavation, evidence for medieval pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.
The Centre for Applied Archaeology and Heritage Management (CAAHM)
CAAHM, launched in June 2011, is the Archaeology Department's outward-facing portal to the professional and non-professional archaeological and heritage community.
Find out more about CAAHM
Other areas of research
In early 2011, Dr Paul Everill and PhD student Rachel Nicholls carried out the first ever complete survey of the various approaches to fieldwork provision and assessment across the UK Higher Education sector. The aim was to compare responses from across the sector in order to produce an overview of the variety of approaches taken. This research has provided much needed data on archaeological fieldwork provision and assessment, and has done so on the eve of the greatest ever change to Higher Education provision in the UK. It is intended that this survey be repeated at regular intervals in order to map changes as the sector negotiates significant new challenges.
View the report, Archaeological Fieldwork Training: Provision and Assessment in Higher Education