Archaeology at Cambridge

Students at the Department of Archaeology are part of a diverse research community. Our course encompasses Archaeology, Assyriology, Biological Anthropology and Egyptology. Its flexibility means you can either specialise from Year 1, or opt for a broad start before concentrating on up to two subjects from the second year.

Archaeology uses material evidence, from molecules to monumental structures, to explore the human past and understand past societies.

Assyriology is the study of the languages, cultures, history and archaeology of ancient Mesopotamia (Sumer, Babylonia and Assyria).

Biological Anthropology investigates human evolution and diversity, biology and behaviour, and the interaction between biology and culture.

Egyptology is the study of the history, languages, society, archaeology and religion of ancient Egypt.

Teaching and resources

Our Archaeology degree is one of the most dynamic of its kind. The research we do ranges widely across time and locations, from discovering where the gold from Tutankhamen’s mask came from, to studying the population genetics of south-east Asian islands, to uncovering the impact of plague on medieval Cambridge. Our staff are at the forefront of research, involving students through fieldwork and research projects. Over the course of your degree, you might find yourself studying the behaviour of chimpanzees, learning about our oldest human ancestors, translating Egyptian hieroglyphs, learning about radiocarbon dating, or examining imagery in a Babylonian poem.

Our excellent resources include the Cambridge Archaeological Unit (a dedicated professional field unit), a well-equipped IT suite, purpose built laboratories and dedicated libraries. In addition, the Duckworth Collection of human and primate skeletal remains and fossil hominin casts, the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and the Fitzwilli