Welcome to Archaeology

When it comes to archaeology, few places in the UK have more to offer than Winchester. It was Roman Venta Belgarum (the market place of the Belgii tribe) and the Anglo-Saxon capital of the Kingdom of Wessex. These days, Winchester is better known for its outstanding medieval architecture and institutions, including the splendid Cathedral, Bishop’s Palace and Winchester College. Along with regional monuments such as Stonehenge and Fishbourne Roman villa, these provide a rich teaching resource located within easy travelling distance from the University.

First established as a degree in the mid-1970s, Archaeology became a thriving department in the early '90s. In 2023, Archaeology was subsumed into the School of History, Archaeology and Philosophy, alongside History; Philosophy, Religion & Ethics; Anthropology; and Classical Studies.

Courses

At Winchester, you can study Archaeology on its own or in combination with other subjects in which the School has expertise. Research students are accepted in any subject area for which we have staff expertise, capacity permitting.

Explore our rich course offering

Exciting fieldwork opportunities

Our archaeologists are currently working as far afield as the Caribbean and the Caucasus, on periods ranging from the Palaeolithic to the Second World War. Students have the opportunity to join staff on many of these research projects.

A group of students recently joined our consultancy arm ARCA on the Mammoth Graveyard Quarry project, a dig that combined archaeology and palaeontology - and sparked a BBC documentary!

To find out more about our research projects, explore the tabs below.

Careers

A Winchester Archaeology degree is a solid foundation for many different types of careers, not just in archaeology. We are members of University Archaeology UK - visit the UAUK website to hear the experiences of archaeology graduates in the video Archaeology for a Range of Careers.

Over the years we have developed strong external relationships and students have been able to do placements with a wide variety of organisations, in many cases leading to subsequent employment.

Quality

Our BA/BSc Archaeology and Archaeological Practice programmes are accredited by the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA). This recognises our emphasis on vocational, practical skills and the high quality of the teaching/training we offer, which includes excavation techniques, geomatics and project management.

Image top: Students digging at Magdalen Hill just outside Winchester; this fascinating multi-phase site is currently our main training excavation. Find out more about the Magdalen Hill Archaeological Research Project (MHARP)