Archaeology and History BA (Hons)

On Global Histories: Defining Moments we introduce you to historical events and processes from across the world and over the last two millennia which effected substantial change. In doing so, we will transform your perspectives by changing your views on the past, and developing the key skills required of historians. Here you begin the transition to becoming historians who are globally aware, chronologically informed, curious citizens as well as historians who are trained in the skills and methodologies of cutting-edge, independent research.

Our Lectures will focus on historical themes including commercial change, global diseases, religious change, persecutions, genocide and enslavement, rebellions, revolutions, wars, and others.

Your Seminars will discuss related case studies on which you can choose to complete further research for your assignment. During these Seminars you will learn to distinguish, weigh and analyse primary and secondary sources related to the case studies and assess how to deploy them construct an argument.

On completing this module you will emerge equipped with a broad geographical and chronological historical knowledge to inform your preferences for optional modules and your historical thinking throughout the course. Through the Seminars and smaller group discussions you will adjust to university, build community and lay a foundation in the transferable skills required across the course.

History Wars will introduce you to the different ways people have conceived of History and the ongoing debates about what History is and how it should be done. During the module we will transform your perception of what History is and how we make History. By the end of the module you will be well on your way to becoming historians equipped to redefine History and who are trained in the skills and methodologies of cutting-edge, independent research.

Our Lectures will focus on key themes in the way History has been defined and on key issues at the heart of how we do History, such as the relationship between the past and History, the nature of historical truth, the status of sources, the idea of facts or events, and others, opening a wide range of perspectives.

Your Seminars will discuss focused contributions to debates on these themes and issues by particular historians, examining in depth through small group activities.

On completing this module you will emerge equipped with a broad knowledge and understanding to inform your analysis of historians writing about particular times and places on your optional modules and for your dissertation. Through the Seminars and smaller group discussions you will adjust to university, build community and lay a foundation in the transferable skills required across the course.

In this module you will explore the material remains of the social, cultural, economic, and technological aspects of life in Britain since the last Ice Age. You will learn about the different archaeological periods, the characteristic features that define them, and key sites and finds. The module will also situate Britain within its wider European context, broadening your knowledge of the human past to the neighbouring regions of the continent, and allowing you to study the complex relationships between them.

On completion of the module you will have developed a sound understanding of the chronology of the human past within a British and European context, and the different archaeological periods that it is divided into. You will understand how the nature of human society has changed over time, and how this is reflected in the archaeological record. You will also have enhanced the skills you began to develop in term 1, including your ability to evaluate different types of information, assess the validity of competing arguments, and to think and write in an informed and critical manner.

This module will provide you with practical experience of archaeological fieldwork and post-excavation analysis. Working in the field, you will learn the methods that we use in field archaeology, how to carry out different forms of archaeological survey, and the techniques we use to analyse the data we collect. You will also be introduced to laboratory methods that are used when analysing archaeological material, and how to quantify and interpret archaeological data. The module will also introduce you to the potential career paths open to you in archaeology, and how the skills you are developing are also relevant to careers in other disciplines.

On completion of the module you will have learnt the fundamental principles of archaeological fieldwork, know how to work safely in both the field and the laboratory, and gained practical experience in the use of industry standard equipment. You will also have learnt how to quantify and analyse data, and present the results using computer applications, and you will have gained experience of working as part of team and developed skills in leadership and communication. You will also have learnt what careers are available to graduates with an archaeology degree, and the relevance of the skills you have learnt throughout your first year at university.

This module explores the archaeological heritage all around us. You will learn to identify the remains of the past which survive today and the major sources, theories and practices that preserve it, including their benefits, conflicts and tensions. You will examine the debates surrounding the definition of heritage and its development as a concept, analyse the impact of heritage on archaeology, and understand the tools we use to preserve and display the remains of the past. Issues such as political agendas, the impacts of legislation, conservation, interpretation and digitalisation are analysed through practical applications and real-world case studies.

On completion of the module you will have developed a solid foundation in the theory and practice of archaeological heritage, understand the key debates and issues relating to this subject, and be aware of the career paths that are available within this area. You will also have built upon and further developed the skills in critical thinking and writing you have learnt in the previous two terms.

Pre-Modern Movements allows you to study major social, religious and cultural movements in particular chronological and geographical contexts before about 1750, such as medieval Crusades and Rebellions or early modern Reformations and Civil Wars.

During the module you will think about how societies are organised and how social organisation relates to changes in religious beliefs or politics, or produces violence and oppression.

Along the way you will hone the skills you developed from Global Histories and History Wars in using primary evidence, analysing historical arguments, and constructing your own historical answers.

By the end of the module you will be well on your way to becoming historians who are chronologically informed, curious citizens, and who are trained in the skills and methodologies of cutting-edge, independent research.

Modern Spaces allows you to study significant cultural phenomena in particular chronological and geographical contexts after about 1750, such as conventions of conflict, ideas of the body, or cultures of leisure.

During the module you will think about how cultural assumptions arise and change in different historical circumstances, and what effects they have on people as individuals and groups.

Along the way you will hone the skills you developed from Global Histories and History Wars in using primary evidence, analysing historical arguments, and constructing your own historical answers. Through working with others to produce a group presentation you will acquire new skills in collaboration, oral and audio-visual communication, and responding to feedback.

By the end of the module you will be well on your way to becoming historians who are chronologically informed, curious citizens, and who are trained in the skills and methodologies of cutting-edge, independent research.

You now have the opportunity to pick an optional module to learn a new language or build on your existing language skills as part of your degree. You can choose:

• Subsidiary Language for Beginners (choice of German, Italian or Spanish)
• French: Intermediate Language Development
• Spanish: Intermediate Language Development
• Chinese: Intermediate Language Development
• German: Communication in Practice
• French: Communication in Practice
• Spanish: Communication in Practice

If you are on an Major Weighting in Archaeology

What do archaeologists do with the data that they collect during excavation and survey? How do they analyse and interpret these different types of information to gain a better understanding of the human past? This module takes an applied approach to these issues, providing you with practical training in different forms of data collection and analysis (such as experimental archaeology, environmental archaeology, and the spatial analysis of data using Geographic Information Systems). You will also gain practical experience of how archaeologists present the results of their work to a wider audience.

On completion of the module you will have learnt how to collect, manage, analyse and interpret different forms of quantitative and qualitative data through a variety of different methods. You will have enhanced your digital literacy, including developing more advanced skills in computer applications such as MS Excel, and the use of Geographic Information Systems, and developed your oral and written communication skills. You will also have gained experience of undertaking archaeological work in a safe and professional manner in a range of real-world situations.

If you are on an Equal Weighting or a Minor Weighting in Archaeology

Understanding the human past means studying the complex relationships that formed between humans and the different elements of the world around them, from plants and animals to geological formations and weather systems. In this module you will explore the different ways we think about these relationships, from perspectives that see humans as directly transforming the world around them, to more recent approaches that consider the ways non-humans have shaped human lives. The module will focus on European prehistory, and you will be able to choose the particular period that you wish to focus on.

On completion of the module you will have developed a detailed understanding of the different theoretical perspectives that archaeologists take when studying the relationships between humans and the non-human world. You will have learnt how to deal with philosophical concepts and debates, how to evaluate different sources of evidence, and how to think in a critical and informed manner. You will also have developed your written and verbal communication skills, learning how to effectively communicate complex ideas in a clear and balanced manner.

If you are on an Equal Weighting or a Minor Weighting in Archaeology

Archaeology sheds direct light on both life and death in past societies, and the remains of mortuary activity, such as graves, cemeteries and tombs (among other evidence) provide rich avenues of enquiry. This module comprises a thematic exploration of the archaeology of death, burial and commemoration, focused on the key debates and approaches to mortuary archaeology for early medieval Britain. For this period, mortuary data has been pivotal to understanding the changing and varied character of societies between the fifth and eleventh centuries CE and provides a critical focus to your studies. In doing so, you will also learn about a range of theoretical and methodological themes drawing on a range of regions and periods throughout the globe, from prehistory and the ancient world through to the later medieval and modern eras.

On completion of the module you will have developed a sound understanding of the different theoretical approaches we take to the study of mortuary archaeology, and how they inform our understanding of the past. You will have learnt how to critically evaluate different forms of evidence and assess competing arguments, and how to make reasoned, informed statements on the basis of the knowledge you have developed. You will also have continued to develop your written and oral communication skills.

If you are on an Equal Weighting or a Major Weighting in History

History at Work will introduce you to the ways in which History is employed in a range of professional contexts – schools, museums, and the media – and provide you with experience of applying History to those contexts. During the Module we will explore the professional frameworks, government legislation, professional bodies, and ethical codes which structure the application of History in these contexts. Along the way, we will meet with professional practitioners to discuss their role, career routes, and experiences of working in these contexts.

Our interactive Lectures will focus on the policy and regulatory frameworks, confronting crucial problems in the intersection between education, heritage, the media, and equality and diversity.

Your small group activities will focus on dissecting those policy and regulatory frameworks, helping you to devise your own, improved professional framework.

By the end of the Module, building on the knowledge and understanding you developed in History Wars of how definitions of history relate to contexts and audiences, you will have a foundation to become a public historian who is professionally informed and experienced, having produced a real world, authentic professional document. This will prepare you for Curious Chester, where you will work to an external brief to produce a professional public history resource and reflect on your professional experiences.

If you are on a Minor Weighting in History

On Rewriting History, you study an historical subject from a specific chronological and geographical setting. You will work with a members of staff to re-evaluate what historians have argued about those subjects, and to produce your own histories.

There will be a choice of subjects from which to select your preferences, which may include the following:
• The Vikings – A Local-Global Diaspora
• Witchcraze
• Fear City: Danger, Disorder, and Culture in the Modern Metropolis
• The Holocaust

During this module you will consider how historians have defined the subject, what they have argued about the causes and consequences of the subject, what evidence they have deployed to support their arguments, and how convincing you find their approaches and conclusions.

Along the way you will hone the skills you developed from Global Histories, History Wars, Pre-Modern Movements and Modern Spaces in analysing historical arguments, and constructing your own historical answers.

If you are on a Minor Weighting in History

On Challenging History, you will study an historical subject from a particular different chronological and geographical setting. You will work with a member of staff to re-evaluate what historians have argued about those subjects with a special focus on the primary sources, and you will develop your own analyses of those sources.

There will be a choice of subjects from which to select your preferences, which may include the following:
• The Age of the Black Death
• Europe in the Age of Reason and Absolutism, c. 1660 to c. 1780
• Seeking the Promised Land - Black America, 1865-1977
• Imperial Endings: Britain in the Colonial and Post-Colonial Age

During this module you will consider how historians have approached the subject and its sources, how they have used the evidence to support their arguments, and how convincing you find their analyses.

Along the way you will hone the skills you developed from Global Histories, History Wars, Pre-Modern Movements and Modern Spaces in using primary evidence and constructing your own historical answers.

By the end of the Module, you will be well on your way to becoming a historian who is chronologically aware, historiographically well-informed, and curious, and who is trained in the skills and methodologies of cutting-edge, independent research.

In this module you will continue to develop your technical skills, and gain experience of working as a professional archaeologist, as you participate in an archaeological fieldwork project. Working under the guidance of professional archaeologists, you will learn to identify evidence in the field, record it effectively and present it to a non-specialist audience in a clear and effective manner. You will also undertake practical training in key skills such as excavation techniques, sediment recording, artefact identification and handling, as well as survey, drawing and photography.

By the end of the module you will have gained direct experience of the primary archaeological record, how it is discovered and recorded, the relationship between theory and practice in the archaeological process, and the logistics of delivering a practical project and associated ethical, and health and safety, considerations. At the same time, you will gain a range of transferable skills from your participation, developing personal skills in areas such as problem-solving, decision-making, team-work and personal responsibility. By taking part in a research excavation, you will also have made new discoveries and contributed to our understanding of the past.

Curious Chester will ask you to work to an external, real-world brief to research the underrepresented past of Chester, its region, or other regions, and produce a professional public history resource.

You will work with internal and external partners, which may include Chester Heritage Festival, Cheshire Archives and Local Studies, the Grosvenor Museum, Chester Cathedral, the University of Chester PGCE in Secondary History, and others.

You will be given a brief to fulfil a real-world need identified by these partners and you will pursue an independent project to produce a public history resource, such as a learning resource, a digital catalogue, a transcription, a monument contextualisation, an exhibition design, a social media campaign, amongst many other possibilities.

You will complete some training in pursuing an independent research project which will prepare you for the Dissertation Module and you will reflect on your experiences as a foundation for applying for a career, assessing and representing your skills, and engaging in employee personal development processes.

By the end of the module, reflecting on the knowledge and understanding you acquired in History at Work, you will be historians trained in a distinctive historical place - Chester and its institutions - and will be prepared to be public historians who are professionally informed and experienced in producing real world, authentic outcomes.

The Level 5, 40-credit modules require a basic foundation of knowledge of your chosen language e.g. GCSE or equivalent,  a Level 4 module in the same language or equivalent previous learning. This module includes an optional placement abroad, such as an intensive course at a partner university. You can choose:

• Advanced Language Development and Global Sustainability (choice of German, French or Spanish)
• Upper Intermediate Language Development and Global Employability (choice of Chinese, French or Spanish)
• Post Beginner Language Development and Global Cultures (choice of German, Italian or Spanish)

If you are on an Equal Weighting Minor Weighting in History

History at the Cutting Edge will engage you in analysing an unsolved historical problem with which one of our staff is engaged, opening up the historiography through the Secondary Sources to ask new questions and interrogating the Primary Sources to provide new answers.

You will select an historical problem from those on offer each year, spanning the pre-Modern and Modern periods. 

Our Lectures will draw on our knowledge and understanding of the problem to help you review what has been written, break down the problem into logical steps, and identify the relevant evidence.

Your Seminars and small-group activities will involve active, critical discussion and analysis of what has been written and of the evidence to develop new ideas.

Building on your experiences in optional modules across the Course, by the end of the Module you will have advanced experience in applying the skills and methodologies of cutting-edge, independent historical research and argument.

If you are on an Equal Weighting Major Weighting in History

The History Dissertation Module supports you to identify your own historical episode or topic on which to pursue an independent research project.

Our Lectures will focus on the main elements and steps required for a successful independent research project and poster presentation of the results.

Our supervision Tutorials will support you to apply those steps to your own chosen historical episode or topic.

Your project must reflect a thorough grounding in the relevant Secondary Literature and you must use an appropriate and significant range of Primary Sources in your research.

You may take a variety of approaches to the project, including: an in-depth historical analysis based on archival and Primary Sources; an historiographical approach based on extensive critical analysis of Secondary Sources; or an approach based on public or applied history, including placements.

After completing your independent project, you will produce poster presentations of your results to be exhibited in a final celebration of your research.

By the end of this Module, having applied the insights into interrogating historiography you gained from previous modules, including History Wars and Fake History and Conspiracy Theories, your experience of using Primary Sources to develop independent arguments from your History options, and your pursuit of an independent research project in Curious Chester, you will be an historian trained in the skills and methodologies of cutting-edge, independent research.

If you are on an Equal Weighting and Major Weighting in History

On the History Special Subject Part 1 you explore and study in-depth a specialist historical topic based on the academic specialisms of staff members.

• There will be a choice of subjects from which to select your preferences, which may include the following:
• The Norman Conquest 1066-1154
• Court and Culture 1363-1477
• Slaves, Samurai and Serpent-Gods: Empires of the Early Modern World
• The British Wars and English Revolution, c. 1637 to c. 1660
• Freedom, Rights and Justice - American Constitutional History Since 1789
• Beauty and the Blitz: The Battle for Modern England (1800-2000)
• Gritty City, Urban Wonderland: The Rise of the Modern Metropolis
• The Culture of Defeat: Weimar Germany and the Legacies of the First World War
• Genocide in History and Memory

This module enables you to develop a critical understanding of your subject, but also of ways that history can be delivered to an audience through an oral presentation.

By the end of the Module, you will have utilised skills relevant to a wide range of future careers including, but not limited to, those in teaching and heritage.

If you are on a Major Weighting in History

On the History Special Subject Part 2 you will continue to study the specialist historical topic you began in History Specialised Subject Part 1, placing greater emphasis on Primary Sources.

During the Module, you will develop a critical understanding of your special subject and its Primary Sources. You will also utilise digital tools to demonstrate how the subject and those Sources can be publicised to a wide audience.

By the end of the Module, you will have produced a digital resource for public and applied history, utilising skills relevant to a wide range of future careers including, but not limited to, those in teaching and heritage.

If you are on an Equal Weighting and Minor Weighting in Archaeology

This module is an opportunity for you to undertake advanced study in the archaeology of a period of the British and north European past of your choice. Indicative foci might include the Mesolithic and Neolithic transition in North-West Europe, Roman Britain, early medieval Britain, and the Viking world. The module will provide you with a detailed background to the archaeology of each period, and the key themes and debates that relate to it. There will be opportunities to explore specific aspects of the period in considerable depth, and to critically assess the archaeological evidence from key sites and finds.

On completion of this module you will have a detailed understanding of your chosen archaeological period, which will have built upon the knowledge you have gained through your previous years of study. You will also have enhanced your ability to critically evaluate different sources of evidence, assess different arguments, and make informed opinions of your own, while further developing your written and verbal communication skills.

If you are on an Equal Weighting and Minor Weighting in Archaeology

In Archaeological Heritage and Public Archaeology you will learn how we present the results of archaeological research to a wider audience, and manage and protect the remains of the past for future generations. As well as these broad themes, the module will also address more specific issues, such as the social benefit of archaeology and heritage, how we can involve wider audiences in archaeological work, and how we ensure a positive relationship between archaeology, archaeologists and the public. You will also learn more about the career paths available to you, both within archaeology and heritage, and outside of the discipline.

On completion of the module you will have developed a detailed understanding of the current theoretical and practical issues in archaeological heritage and public archaeology. You will have continued to develop and enhance your ability to deal with complex issues and concepts, critically discuss different and competing ideas, and to communicate effectively. You will also have a clear understanding of the potential careers that are available to you, and how to effectively communicate the skills you have developed through covering letters, CVs and job applications.

If you are on an Equal Weighting and Major Weighting in Archaeology

This is an opportunity for you to design and execute your own research project on a topic of your choice. Working under the guidance of a member of the archaeology team, and drawing on the skills and knowledge you have already developed, you will identify an original research question, undertake background research that will place this in its academic context, design a suitable methodology, and then carry out the necessary research.

On completion of the module you will have enhanced your knowledge of your chosen topic, and its wider archaeological context. You will have learnt how to plan and execute a piece of independent research, manage your own time, and work independently, while also continuing to enhance your ability to effectively communicate complex ideas through writing.

If you are on an Equal Weighting and Major Weighting in Archaeology

Archaeology is often characterised as a subject that is concerned with the distant past, but it also provides critical insights into our own time, where we are witnessing the global transformation of our planet by our species: ‘the Anthropocene’. In this module you will explore the archaeology of the contemporary past and the relationship between archaeology and the contemporary world, exploring the role of archaeology as ‘material witness’ on 20th- and 21st-century material cultures, monuments, built environments and landscapes. You will learn about the role our discipline can play in addressing some of the major issues that face society today, and the responsibilities that this places upon us as archaeologists. You will also learn how research contributes to an ‘archaeology of us and now’, and how people draw on ideas of the human past to influence the way we understand the present, the roles that archaeology plays in contemporary issues of power and social justice, and the place of archaeology in debates around climate and environmental activism and protest.

On completion of this module you will have a clear understanding of the application of archaeological theory, methods and techniques to the investigation of the contemporary, the place of archaeology within contemporary society, and of the responsibilities that this places on us as archaeologists. You will have continued to develop the ability to deal with complex ideas, critically evaluate different and competing arguments, and to communicate in a clear and effective manner.

If you are on a Major Weighting in Archaeology

This module provides you with a practical introduction to the scientific study of past human lives and the relationship between humans and the environment they inhabit. You will work under the guidance of members of staff as you learn the techniques used to study both human and environmental remains, and then apply these to archaeological materials. You will also explore the relevance of this work to our understanding of the human past.

On completion of this module you will have developed practical skills in both human osteology and environmental archaeology. You will also have enhanced your ability to analyse and interpret quantitative data, to present the results of your work in a professional manner, and to work safely and effectively in a laboratory environment.