I’m not sure when I first became interested in archaeology, whether it was reading a lot of ‘horrible histories’ as a kid or learning about the Greek gods at school, but by my A-levels, I was hooked. I chose to study History, Classical Civilisation and Art at A-level – though some of my friends came to study archaeology after doing maths, science or music, so there really is no ‘right’ combination of A-levels.
Where to study
Whilst I was certain about what I wanted to study, choosing where was another matter. I researched a bunch of universities and went on countless campus tours, but nowhere clicked quite like Durham. From the collegiate system, which is an amazing source of support, to the number of extracurricular clubs and societies (I think there are over 200 at last count!), I was immediately drawn to Durham.
Great opportunities
On an academic level, Durham was equally perfect, with modules offered on all aspects of the ancient world and its very own museums, The Durham Archaeology Museum and The Oriental Museum. The opportunities I’ve had here have been amazing – from a three week excavation at the end of the first year (where we found Roman pottery!) to a placement in the Durham Archaeology Museum just last year.
Interesting modules
In first year, modules are about providing you with a solid foundation in archaeology, introducing you to the basics of laboratory work, fieldwork and materials analysis. So, no matter what you’ve studied before, by the end of first year everyone is on the same page.
Modules for the 2025 year include ‘Archaeological Practicals’, ‘Cities in Antiquity’, ‘Ancient Civilisations: Sources, approaches and methods’ and ‘Introduction to Archaeological Methods’. During my first year I also had the chance to take two optional modules in the Classics Department, ‘Introduction to the Greek world’ and ‘Monuments and Memory in the Age of Augustus’. Having the opportunity to take modules outside my department is something I’ve really valued as it’s allowed me to stretch my interests and explore new topics. One of the amazing things about studying archaeology at Durham is the ability to tailor your modules to your personal interests and preferences. For me, that’s meant I’ve been able to choose modules focused on Ancient Egypt and the Near East.
Advice to my first-year self
The switch from school to university life is certainly a jump and something I originally found quite difficult was managing my time and workload. University goes by so fast, and deadlines can appear out of nowhere so keeping on top of your workload is super important. If I could give my first-year self a bit of advice I’d tell her to work less but more often, just doing a little bit of an essay a day rather than saving it all up for the week before would have saved me a fair bit of stress.
At the end of the day though just enjoy yourself, the last three years studying Archaeology at Durham have been some of the best times I’ve ever had and I’m sure in a couple of years you’ll be saying the exact same thing.
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