Archaeology and Anthropology

Magdalen was one of the first Colleges to accept students to read for the new degree in Archaeology and Anthropology. Approximately twenty-four candidates are accepted annually by the University and of that total Magdalen's intake for the subject is generally two or three students each year.

The course lasts three years, and stresses throughout the interrelationships between the disciplines of archaeology and anthropology. Honour Moderations (examined at the end of the first year) provides a general background to the disciplines, with four papers: Introduction to World Archaeology; Introduction to Anthropological Theory; Perspectives on Human Evolution; and the Nature of Archaeological Enquiry. The Final Honour School (examined at the end of the third year) consists of four core papers, designed to show the interrelationships between cultural, social, environmental and biological aspects of human societies in the context of their evolution and change; in addition, students take three Optional Papers, chosen from a wide range of archaeological and anthropological subjects, and write a dissertation on a subject of their choice. At the end of the first year of the course, students undertake two courses of fieldwork, one which is done locally, and one which can be anywhere in the world (examples in the case of Magdalen students are India, Peru, and Swaziland).

Tuition

The course is overseen and organised by Dr Clare Harris, the Tutorial Fellow in Anthropology at Magdalen. She is a specialist in the visual and material culture of Tibet and the Himalayas and is curator for Asia at the Pitt Rivers Museum. She is also Reader in Visual Anthropology and a member of the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology. Teaching in archaeology at Magdalen is provided by the Lecturer in Archaeology, Dr Zena Kamash. Her research interests are in the archaeology of the Roman Empire, specifically Romano-British material culture, the socio-cultural roles of water technology and the nature and creation of identities in the Roman world. Also attached to Magdalen is the Khalid bin Abdullah al-Saud Professor of the Contemporary Arab World and two Professors of Anthropology. Furthermore, the College library has outstanding provision for the study of Archaeology and Anthropology.

A large proportion of an undergraduate's tuition is done ‘in-house’, while teaching for the rest of the subject is undertaken by specialists within the University as a whole. Magdalen is unique among Oxford colleges in having a research fund which is exclusive to undergraduates of the College studying Archaeology and Anthropology; this is often useful for field work and, with at least £800 per annum generally available, is a substantial addition to the College's own system of Travel Grants, which currently offers up to £350 over the length of an undergraduate's course of study. A second fund for Archaeological Fieldwork has recently been established at the College.

Entry procedures

Written Work

Candidates must submit three copies each of two recent, marked essays written as part of their school or college course; neither of these need have anything directly to do with archaeology or anthropology, but should be chosen as representative samples of the candidate's ability to think and write analytically. Candidates are also asked to submit a statement of no more than 300 words setting out their understanding about the relationship between archaeology and social, cultural and biological anthropology. This is designed both to show how well candidates understand the structure and purpose of the degree course and to allow them the opportunity of emphasizing their interests and any experience, expertise, or potential they think relevant to their undertaking this degree, emphases which, perhaps, could not be fully addressed on their UCAS form. The written work copies should be secured with a paperclip only and have a completed cover sheet. All must be sent directly to Magdalen College c/o Tutor for Admissions by the 10th November.

Interview

There will be no written tests. The interview will begin with a short discussion about the nature of the degree and why candidates would like to study archaeology and anthropology. Candidates will then be asked questions about a text which they will be given to read before the interview, in order that tutors may assess how well they can discuss issues which arise from it, and about artefacts or maps which they will be shown during the interview. No previous preparation is expected for these; nor is any specialist knowledge assumed.

Our conditional offers will normally be AAA for the three subjects offered at A2.

Applications for deferred entry will be considered, provided that candidates have constructive plans for their time away from formal education.

Potential applicants are encouraged to attend our Open Days. Questions about entry for Archaeology and Anthropology should be addressed to the Tutor for Admissions.

Potential applicants are also encouraged to attend the University Open Day for Archaeology and Anthropology. Details and a registration form can be found on the School of Archaeology website.

Further information is available on the University’s Archaeology and Anthropology web-site: www.arch.ox.ac.uk/undergraduate-studies

External links