There are no special requirements for students who wish to take archaeology modules at First Year level. All that is required is interest, enthusiasm and the willingness to work hard at what is a very rewarding subject. We often find that students who take archaeology as their ‘third subject’ find it so interesting and engaging that by Stage 2 it is their favourite. We start with the basics and build your knowledge and confidence. As a first year student you are introduced to the archaeology of Ireland and the world (from earliest prehistory), and to archaeological methods including excavation and scientific approaches.

ARCH10010: Exploring Archaeology

Archaeology explores how people in the past - and sometimes the present - used places, objects and animals to create and inhabit worlds that were often very different from our own. In this sense, archaeology provides us with unique insights into the human condition and a sense of what it is to be a person in many different cultural contexts. This module will give you a general introduction to this exciting and engaging subject, enabling you to understand basic archaeological principles, methods and techniques. We will look at the history and development of archaeological thought. We will explore how archaeologists discover, survey and excavate places from the past and we will trace how we can interpret past societies from the objects (material culture) that they created, used and discarded. The module is taught by 12 lively, well-illustrated lectures, 1 class archaeological fieldtrip to a prehistoric landscape and 1 class visit to a museum, all providing you with practical opportunities to investigate ancient landscapes and objects yourself. Exploring Archaeology is a useful module for students from across all subjects in the university, including in particular, arts and humanities, social sciences, earth and life sciences, medicine, vetinerary studies, engineering, and architecture.

ARCH10100: The Prehistoric World

This module will provide an introduction to the archaeology of the prehistoric world through examining key points in the development of early human societies. e.g. the emergence of Homo Sapiens, and its spread across all parts of the world, the development of agriculture and the transition from nomadic to settled societies, the invention of metalworking and other technologies, the emergence of early states and empires. Case studies will be drawn from across the globe: Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, China, Japan, India, and Europe. These examples will introduce a broad range of archaeological materials and artefacts (including some of the most famous), and the course will outline some of the key ways in which they contributed to our understanding of early human civilisations.

ARCH10050: Introduction to the Archaeology of Ireland

The module tells the human story in Ireland from the Stone Age to the present, beginning with the earliest inhabitants around 10,000 years ago. It reveals the footprint of people through time by means of the spectacular archaeological heritage of the country. Ancient monuments, landscapes and objects are explored in order to explore the lifestyles of early inhabitants, the achievements and beliefs of megalith builders, the big innovations in ancient Ireland such as farming, metal-working and Christianity, the origins of Celtic Ireland, and above all the emergence of the Irish landscape as we know it today. The module is organized as follows: (a) One lecture each week presenting the story of Ireland from the Mesolithic to the present; (b) occasional special case studies in a second lecture slot each week; (c) tutorials to complement and reinforce the lectures; and (d) directed visits to the National Museum and to the Irish National Heritage Park at Ferrycarrig, Co. Wexford.

ARCH10120: Archaeology of the Historical World

This module explores the archaeology of the historically-documented past. It starts with the rise of Christianity in medieval Europe, passes through the eras of the Black Death, the discovery of the New World, and the Industrial Revolution, and ends with globalisation in the twenty-first century. Its case-studies are drawn from every corner of the world, mainly Ireland, Britain and the Americas. The module addresses specifically how the disciplines of Archaeology and History work together in helping us map and understand the development of the modern world.

At stage 2 and stage 3 modules are organised around a number of key pathways, specifically in Archaeological Science, Prehistoric Archaeology, Medieval Archaeology, and Experiential and Experimental Archaeology. As an archaeology student you can pursue the topic either as a joint honours students (studying archaeology as half of your degree with another subject) or as a single honours student.

From a careers perspective, archaeology has a commercial angle with potential openings with both archaeological companies and the heritage sector. Of course, you need not pursue archaeology as a career and many of our graduates have found the unique mixture of transferable academic and practical skills that archaeology provides to be extremely beneficial in a wide range of future careers.