Archaeology
Minimum offer: A*AA in A Levels (or equivalent)
Required subjects: no specific subjects required
Typical number of Archaeology undergraduates admitted per year: 1-2
Submitted written work requirements: see our Written Work webpage
Why Archaeology at Corpus?
Corpus Christi has a long and impressive archaeological tradition. Back in the seventeenth century, William Stukeley — often considered the first major field archaeologist — studied here. Since then, many Corpus students have gone on to become leading archaeologists worldwide.
Your Director of Studies is Professor Graeme Barker, a world‑renowned archaeologist and Senior Fellow at the McDonald Institute. You’ll be joining a supportive, close-knit college community where academic guidance and genuine enthusiasm for the subject go hand in hand.
Amazing Learning Spaces: Museums, Labs & Collections
One of the best things about Cambridge is the sheer range of resources you can work with. You’ll have direct access to:
- The Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology, where curators teach as well as preserve incredible artefacts
- The Fitzwilliam Museum, home to world-class historical and artistic collections
- The Duckworth Laboratory, one of the world’s biggest collections of fossil human remains
These spaces aren’t just for looking — they’re integrated into your teaching, so you’ll learn through handling real archaeological material.
Fieldwork That Takes You Around the World
Archaeology at Cambridge isn’t just about lectures and libraries. You’ll learn excavation skills and gain hands‑on experience at real sites. Many students travel during the summer to work on field projects across the globe, especially when developing their dissertation research. It’s a chance to make real discoveries, build practical skills, and see archaeology in action.
What do we look for in applicants?
We’re looking for students who are genuinely excited about archaeology — people who follow their curiosity, read beyond the syllabus, and enjoy exploring big questions about human societies. You don’t need specific A Levels; what matters is that you’ve shown real interest in the subject and taken steps to explore it independently, whether through reading, museum visits, documentaries, or hands‑on experiences.
Supercurricular resources
There are lots of great online resources that prospective applicants can use to explore Archaeology. For example
- Young Archaeologists Club
- HE+ Archeology resources
- History of the World in 100 objects
- Women in Archaeology blog and podcast series
A suggested reading list can be found on the right hand side of this page. None of these are required, but they may give you a good sense of what the academic studies of Archaeology, Assyriology, Biological Anthropology and Egyptology are all about.
