Department of Archaeology, University of York


The Department of Archaeology at the University of York, England, is a department which provides undergraduate and postgraduate courses in archaeology and its sub-disciplines and conducts associated research. It was founded in 1978 and has grown from a small department based at Micklegate House to more than a hundred undergraduate students based at King's Manor and with scientific facilities at the BioArCh centre on the main campus.

Hosted organisations, research specialities and fieldwork

The archaeology department hosts several specialist organisations:
The department's faculty has led significant archaeological investigations across Great Britain and occasionally further afield
SiteImageLocationPeriodDirectorYears excavated
Star CarrNorth YorkshireMesolithicChantal Conneller Nicky Milner, Barry Taylor 2003-2015
Castell HenllysPembrokeshireIron AgeHarold Mytum
SuffolkAnglo-SaxonMartin Carver1983-1992
Wharram PercyEast YorkshireMedievalPhilip Rahtz 1950-1990

History

The department opened in 1978, 15 years after the university itself. The first head of department, Philip Rahtz built a thematic undergraduate programme specialising in the British Middle Ages. The programme included a 12-week field course in archaeological excavation. The department expanded under Martin Carver after his appointment in 1986. A postgraduate programme was added and the department moved to King's Manor. Subsequently, the department has grown in numbers of students, staff and the diversity of its specialisms: adding environmental archaeology, prehistory, computational archaeology, archaeological science and cultural heritage management.

Faculty

Head of Department:
Deputy Heads of Department:
Faculty:
Honorary and visiting staff:
Heads of department:
Amongst archaeology departments, York ranked 2nd for Impact, 2nd equal for Environment, and 4th overall in the 2014 Research Assessment Exercise. In the 2015 University Subject Tables, the department was ranked 6th out of 40 with a score of 92.6%. The Department was awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2011