We encourage education and training in archaeology. Today, that means online, so you can learn from anywhere in the world. The best institution we can recommend is Oxford University.
The University of Oxford is the oldest surviving university in the English-speaking world and is regarded as one of the world’s leading academic institutions. There is evidence of teaching there as far back as the 11th century.
The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, built in 1678–1683, is the oldest museum in the UK, and the oldest university museum in the world. It holds significant collections of art and archaeology, including works by Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Turner, and Picasso, as well as treasures such as the Scorpion Macehead, the Parian Marble and the Alfred Jewel (right).
Oxford’s central research library is the Bodleian, founded by Sir Thomas Bodley in 1598 and opened in 1602. With over 8 million volumes housed on 117 miles (188 km) of shelving, it is the second-largest library in the UK, after the British Library.
Short online courses for the general public
The Department for Continuing Education offers a range of accredited undergraduate, Level One 10-week online courses for the general public in archaeology, art history, history and philosophy.
There are no formal entry qualifications for these short introductory courses, all you need is enthusiasm, commitment, a high degree of motivation and a willingness to engage in discussion with others. However, to ensure that you can participate fully in a course you must meet the following requirements for English language and computing skills.
English language requirements
A good standard of written English is required for participation in any of these courses. Applicants whose first language is not English should be aware that proof of their English language ability may be required and must consist of one of the English Language qualifications listed below:
- British Council IELTS English Language at 7 points (academic module)
- TOEFL English Language at 600 points
- Computer-based TOEFL 250 points
- Internet-based TOEFL 100 points
- Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (grade C or above)
Applicants without one of these qualifications are also welcome to enrol, but should be aware that they may be at a disadvantage if their English language proficiency is not of a comparable level.
Computing skills
You must be familiar with the use of computers for purposes such as email and searching the Internet. If you want to brush up your computing skills before coming on the course, we suggest that you try out the free BBC Webwise Online Course.
There is also an online study skills course if you are new to studying at the higher education level, or want to refresh your skills.
To contact the Online Courses Office, email onlinecourses@conted.ox.ac.uk.
Online Courses in Archaeology
Cave paintings, castles and pyramids, Neanderthals, Romans and Vikings – archaeology is about the excitement of discovery, finding out about our ancestors, exploring landscape through time, piecing together puzzles of the past from material remains.
These courses enable you to experience all this through online archaeological resources based on primary evidence from excavations and artefacts and from complex scientific processes and current thinking. Together with guided reading, discussion and activities you can experience how archaeologists work today to increase our knowledge of people and societies from the past.
Exploring Roman Britain
Britain’s inclusion in the Roman empire for c.400 years has left us with impressive remains – Hadrian’s Wall, the Roman baths at Bath and villas, forts and roads all recognisable in the British landscape today, but what was life like and how affected were people in different communities around the country during that time? Find out more about this course
Origins of Human Behaviour: the evidence from archaeology
What makes the human species different from other primates? When did we become human? How did the brain and intelligence, language and social organisation evolve, and art, symbolism and religion emerge? Explore these questions and others through the archaeological and fossil evidence for the development of human behaviour from six million years ago to the end of the last ice age. Find out more about this course
Pompeii and the Cities of the Roman World
Pompeii is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. Its fame and uniqueness are,of course, due to the remarkable way in which it was preserved by the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79. Using evidence from Pompeii, you can study public buildings, monuments, inscriptions and painted posters that reflect public life, houses and gardens that reveal how the people lived, shops, markets and streets where they earned their living, and tombs where they buried their dead. Find out more about this course
Ritual and Religion in Prehistory
How can we begin to understand the spiritual lives of people in the distant past? When do religious ideologies first appear on the human evolutionary timescale? How can we recognise and interpret ancient myth and ritual from prehistoric burial mounds, temples, art and artefacts? Examine how tangible archaeological evidence from across the world can demonstrate ritual activity and sacred tradition. Find out more about this course
Vikings: Raiders, Traders and Settlers
Ravagers, despoilers, heathens – the Vikings are usually regarded as bloodthirsty seafaring pirates, causing fear and terror throughout Europe, yet they were also traders, settlers and farmers with a highly developed artistic culture and legal system. Discover the real impact of the Vikings through recent archaeological evidence and documentary sources. Find out more about this course
The Department for Continuing Education also offers a class-based, Undergraduate Certificate in Archaeology. See here for details.
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