Have you ever wondered what happened before history began? Interested in the earthworks on the golf course? Archaeology is the subject that studies the latter in order to provide answers to the former. It is the subject that has taken the story of mankind back to the Ice Age and beyond using simply what people left behind whether it is their skeletons, temples, or knives and forks.
British prehistory is covered, everything from the Palaeolithic all the way through to the Middle Ages. There is the unfamiliar such as the Neolithic village of Skara Brae up in Orkney and the deserted medieval village of Wharram Percy in Lincolnshire. And, of course, there is familiar such as Stonehenge and Sutton Hoo. We also look further afield to, for example, the remarkable excavations at Abu Hureyra in Syria that has told us so much about the origins of agriculture. There is even an entire unit on the Ancient Egyptians!
Entry with:
GCSE Grade B in a subject requiring good writing skills e.g. English or humanities.
- • Fieldwork and trips to sites and museums.
- • Balance of assessment including examinations and coursework
- • Wide variety of skills developed, including IT and essay/report writing
Awarding body:
AQA
AS Level Units
Unit 1: The nature of the religions and rituals of past societies with a special study of the culture of Ancient Egypt.
Unit 2: How archaeologists go about their work. This includes a study of the techniques used in surveying and excavation as well as those related to the post-excavation process, such as dating
Advanced (A2) Level Units
Unit 3: A study of various themes from world archaeology, namely, how people settled landscapes; the development of societies; and past economies and material culture.
Unit 4: An archaeological investigation – a personal study of your own choice.
| | Year | Qual | A* | A | B | C | D | E | U | A-C | A-E |
| Archaeology | 11/12 | A | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
100.0%
|
100.0%
|
| Archaeology | 10/11 | A | 1 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
100.0%
|
100.0%
|
| Archaeology | 09/10 | A | 0 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
100.0%
|
100.0%
|
| Archaeology | 08/09 | A | | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
90.9%
|
100.0%
|
| Archaeology | 07/08 | A | | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
100.0%
|
100.0%
|
| Archaeology | 11/12 | AS | | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
87.5%
|
93.8%
|
| Archaeology | 10/11 | AS | | 11 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
95.2%
|
100.0%
|
| Archaeology | 09/10 | AS | | 5 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
100.0%
|
100.0%
|
| Archaeology | 08/09 | AS | | 10 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
76.5%
|
100.0%
|
| Archaeology | 07/08 | AS | | 6 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
93.3%
|
100.0%
|
- • Text books and workbooks for each student
- • Excellent collection of books in the library
- • Close links with the local Archaeology Field Unit
- • A dedicated teaching room and a variety of teaching methods including debates and independent research
“I took Archaeology as a complementary subject to History and I now intend to study it at university. It investigates the development of human societies as a whole. The Ancient Egypt section of the course has been the most enjoyable and in-depth experience I have had this year.”
Sam Brown
“Archaeology is a great subject to choose if you are looking to do something that is not typical. It has made me view history in a completely different light. The teachers are passionate about the subject and steadily build up your knowledge and understanding throughout the two years.”
Scarlett Pares Landells