Marine Archaeology

BSc (Hons) Marine Archaeology

Delivery method: Full-time
Course Reference: BSMA

Course Overview
This innovative degree is unique within the UK.

The course's focus on the maritime aspects of archaeology produces highly skilled practitioners in this exciting and rapidly expanding discipline. Students on this degree will benefit greatly from Bournemouth's maritime location close to the rich underwater and coastal heritage of the Solent, Poole Harbour, Purbeck plus the Dorset and East Devon coast World Heritage Site.

Recent archaeology students have participated in projects as far afield as the USA, Greece and Russia.

The School of Conservation Sciences has an internationally renowned reputation for producing highly skilled practitioners with excellent career opportunities. Graduates from our archaeology courses have gone on to work in all parts of the discipline. Recent positions include: English Heritage, Historic Scotland and the National Trust; leading commercial units such as the Museum of London Archaeology Services, Oxford Archaeology and Wessex Archaeology; as well as a host of museums, archaeological consultancies and courses of postgraduate study.

The teaching of Archaeology at Bournemouth achieved an "Excellent" rating from the Subject Review carried out by QAA in 2001. Candidates lacking relevant qualifications to enter at Level C may be considered for entry through the FdSc Field Archaeology.

Mature student entry is encouraged, candidates being considered based on relevant professional experience and/or qualifications.

The Student experience
You will be studying in a vibrant town, with a strong youth culture and a reputation as one of the UK’s cleanest and safest south coast resorts. Bournemouth University is located on the Dorset coast and adjacent to the recently designated UNESCO Dorset and East Devon World Heritage Site, the application for which the School was actively involved in. We are exceptionally well placed to provide hands-on experience of outstanding environments, of global importance for conservation and their rich marine archaeological heritage.

At Bournemouth, our interests range from Prehistory, Roman and Medieval through to artefacts and environmental archaeology. Our research findings are integrated with our teaching. Our high quality research was rated "3A" following the RAE assessment in Dec 2001 and out teaching achieved an "Excellent" rating of 22/24 by the QAA.

We have five areas within the Centre for Archaeology, Anthropology and Heriatge:

Landscape, townscape and coastal archaeology
The focus of work here is understanding patterning in, and changes to, the way human communities engage with, modify and construct their surroundings.

Environmental archaeology
This covers soil science, palaeobotany, ethnoenvironmental studies, the study of faunal remains, human osteoarchaeology and funerary archaeology.

Forensic archaeology and anthropology
This area is concerned with the application of archaeological and anthropological approaches to the service of the courts and assisting police forces and other agencies in the resolution of serious crime including murder and genocide.

Cultural resource management
Principally concerned with the identification, recording, assessment, investigation, protection, conservation, display and interpretation of all aspects of the historic environment.

Technology, production and ancient materials
Work in this area focuses on ancient technology; the use, trade and exchange of ancient artifacts and materials; the physical and socially constructed properties of artifacts made of ceramic, metal, glass and other inorganic substances and the sourcing of materials and objects.

The specific units differentiating this course from our BSc Archaeology course are:

• Introduction to Marine Archaeology
• Early Ships and Boats
• Archaeology of Shipwrecks

The course contains extensive fieldwork, including a training excavation (4 weeks) and placement (5 weeks) in Year 2. The course also includes transferable skills so that graduates possess a range of expertise in areas that are in high demand by potential employers.

Archaeology is not just about working to explore the past. Here at Bournemouth University, it is also very much about working in the present as the skills learnt can be applied to 20th century history. Our students may follow a path after graduation that leads to working in the recently established field of forensic archaeology in which the School is world leading. Our staff and postgraduate students have recently been working in arenas that range from the discovery and repatriation of remains from First World War graves to providing evidence for the prosecution of war crimes in The Hague.

We are part of the Erasmus/Socrates programme so you may be able to undertake a period of study at one of the participating overseas universities as a part of your degree course.