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Illustere School Illustere School
Bachelor
Vergelijk
Archaeology

Study programme

In the Bachelor’s programme Archaeology, you will study past societies – from the Celts and the Romans to the Middle Ages and beyond – and their importance in today’s world. Not only will you research and excavate the material remains of human activity, but you will also learn how this translates to knowledge about earlier cultures. 

By doing this Bachelor’s, you will develop academic skills and insight and will learn that archaeology is connected with many other fields of study, such as heritage, landscape, art and history. Not only will you research and excavate the material remains of human activity, but you will also learn how this translates to knowledge about earlier cultures. Furthermore, the programme is taught in English, so you will be well prepared for work placements abroad and for possible progression to our Master’s degree programmes taught in English. 

Programme composition  

You will learn to use digital, forensic and other modern research techniques, as well as how you can use them to find and analyse archaeological remains. You will also examine various remains, such as pottery, coins and bones, in order to discover how humans used to live. With the aid of maps, geological knowledge and computer models, you will learn how you can reconstruct a landscape in order to find out what it looked like in the past. 

  • The first academic year

    During your first academic year, this degree programme will provide you with a lot of general knowledge about the past, as well as with an overview of archaeological methods and techniques. The programme has been constructed in such a way that you will be given increasing freedom to follow your own interests. Because the Archaeology degree programme works together closely with Ancient Studies and Classics within ACASA, the first year is broad in scope. You will learn about archaeology and about contemporary societies in Europe.  You will also delve into cultural history and sources ranging from Antiquity up until today and connect them with landscape. Your first year will conclude with a fieldwork trip, in which you will learn how to excavate.

  • The second and third academic year

    The second year will provide you with more specific archaeological knowledge, in which a few themes take centre stage: urban culture, ritual and religion, and heritage. A lot of attention is also devoted to archaeological materials and to academic and digital research methods. Apart from that, you will go on excursions and you will conclude the year with a work placement or with fieldwork.

    During the third year, you can broaden your knowledge by doing a minors programme or you can delve deeper into a specific subject instead. Moreover, you will take two courses aimed at conducting academic research: Death and Commemoration, which concerns how humans dealt with death in the past, and Lieux de Mémoire, which concerns places that have been used in the present and past for the purpose of remembrance. You will conclude the year by writing your thesis about a subject you have chosen yourself from within the field of archaeology.

Bachelor's Week Information session (recording)

See this recording of our November 2022 live session, in which the Archaeology Bachelor's programme is illustrated.

COURSES SEM 1 SEM 2 SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2 EC
  • Archaeological Sources
    6

    Drawing on ACASA’s world-leading reference collections, you engage hands-on with diverse archaeological sources, learning how to analyse artefacts, assemblages and technologies, and how to observe, classify and interpret these sources using a range of analytical techniques and scales.

  • What is Archaeology?
    6

    This introductory course familiarises you with key archaeological concepts, aims and methods, the discipline’s history and its ties to history, anthropology and the natural sciences. You will learn how archaeologists use material culture to reconstruct past societies, with particular attention to anthropological and historical approaches.

  • A Cultural History of the Ancient World 1: The Near East and the Greek World
    6

    Survey historical and cultural developments in the Mediterranean and Near East (ca. 4000–300 BCE) through key sites, monuments and objects, focusing on state formation, social complexity, cultural identity, interconnectivity and the interplay between material culture and evolving ideas.

  • Environmental Archaeology
    6

    This course explores human–environment relations by examining landscape formation (natural and human-induced), spatial imaging through maps, the role and use of plants and animals, and methods for environmental reconstruction and analysing past food economies.

  • Historical Sources
    6

    This course introduces primary textual and iconographic sources from Classical Antiquity—historiography, inscriptions, papyri, coins—examining their transmission, material form, research potential and limits, and training you to critically evaluate and analyse them for specific historical questions.

  • A Cultural History of the Ancient World 2: The Hellenistic World, Italy and Rome
    6

    Survey major historical and cultural developments in Italy and the Roman, focusing on Etruscan city-states, the Roman Republic and Empire, Rome’s Mediterranean interactions, and the interplay between material culture, ideas and written sources.

  • Archaeology of Prehistoric and Roman Europe
    6

    Introducing the archaeology of the Neolithic to Roman periods, in this course you will examine material culture, settlement, burial and land use in northwestern Europe—especially the Low Countries—while outlining key theories and concepts used to interpret archaeological data.

  • Archaeology and Society
    6

    Examines how archaeology operates in and is shaped by contemporary society, exploring politics, heritage landscapes, national infrastructures and public engagement through case studies that highlight ideological, political and ethical influences on archaeological questions and research practices.

  • Archaeology of Medieval Europe and the Early Modern World
    6

    Explore the archaeology of northwestern Europe from the early Middle Ages to the Early Modern period, examining settlements, churches, castles and shipwrecks in relation to wider developments such as state formation, Christianisation, urbanisation and growing exchange networks.

  • Field School 1
    6

    During this field school, you will learn core excavation techniques, digital recording and analogue drawing, practice on-site find processing, and produce daily reports, gaining hands‑on experience in interpreting settlement remains such as post-holes, ditches, wells and pits.

COURSES SEM 1 SEM 2 SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2 EC
  • Archaeology and the City
    6

    Explore European cities from the Greek and Roman worlds to medieval Europe and Golden Age Amsterdam, analysing recurring urban features, innovation and cross-cultural contact, and comparing similarities and differences through integrated archaeological and written evidence.

  • Science in Archaeology
    6

    In this course, the theoretical and technical basis of various science methods used in Archaeology will be treated, as well as their position within this discipline. Several case studies will show both the potential and the limitations of these methods.

  • Archaeology of Cult
    6

    This course provides an overview of the archaeology of cult places in the Mediterranean and Northwest-Europe. In the lectures various aspects of the materiality of ancient religions will be discussed. In the seminars you will present case-studies in which these aspects are further explored.

  • Philosophy of the Humanities (ACASA)
    6

    This course surveys major philosophical theories and debates on methodology, relating them to the study of antiquity through texts and material culture, and examining disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches, their limits and possibilities in philology, cultural history and archaeology.

  • Digital Archaeology
    6

    This course offers an overview of the position and application of the most essential digital and quantitative methods and techniques in archaeology. Furthermore, you will acquire practical skills during training sessions with group and/or individual assignments.

  • Theory in Archaeology
    6

    This course introduces archaeological theory and interpretation, tracing its historical development, examining key interpretative frameworks through lectures and case-study seminars, and training you to select, apply and critically reflect on theoretical approaches to archaeological materials and past human behaviour.

  • ACASA excursion
    6

    This course combines preparatory lectures and subject-specific seminars on the excursion destination with an excursion where you present on-site. Integrate material, historical, textual, heritage and Nachleben aspects in a paper or travel-guide contribution and an on-location presentation.

  • Past and Present: Critical Approaches to Antiquity and Archaeological Heritage
    6

    This course introduces academic, political and public debates in heritage studies, examining tangible and intangible heritage, shifting paradigms from conservation to development, and core concepts such as value, authenticity and participation, with special focus on archaeological heritage and classical antiquity.

  • Archaeological Materials in Context
    6

    This course trains you to recognise, describe and interpret archaeological ceramics from the Mediterranean and northwest Europe, combining case‑study‑based research questions with hands‑on work on Allard Pierson and excavation material, learning typology, dating and analysis for practical application.

  • Field School 2
    6

    Join ACASA fieldwork projects tailored to your interests, linking your tasks to research questions and outreach while training you in reporting, supervisor consultation, KNA-compliant methods, and differences between Pleistocene and Holocene fieldwork contexts.

COURSES SEM 1 SEM 2 SEMESTER 1 SEMESTER 2 EC
  • From Excavation to Publication
    6

    Learn how to design a research plan, process and analyse fieldwork data, and write an academically sound fieldwork report. The course brings together your previous knowledge and collaboration skills to prepare you for professional archaeological fieldwork practice.

  • Lieux de mémoire
    6

    This course examines how places, symbols, people and institutions are actively endowed with meaning through stories, texts, material remains and space, creating Lieux de Mémoire. A comparative approach explores how different sources and periods interact in shaping memories of the past.

  • Death and Commemoration
    6

    This course examines funerary rituals through bodies, grave goods and monuments, beginning with a visit to a modern Amsterdam cemetery. Lectures and seminars explore theories of mortuary archaeology, scientific methods, and case studies of key cemeteries and burials.

  • Free-choice electives
    30
  • Bachelor Thesis Archaeology
    12
Compulsory course
Elective
UvA Course Catalogue: Archaeology
  • Minor and electives

    Next to your regular courses and your specialisation, you will also have 30 ECTS worth of space to fill by doing electives, a minor, an internship or by studying abroad.

    Electives

    In theory, any course can be taken as an elective, from courses offered by the Faculty of Humanities to those offered by other faculties or even other universities. Most programmes offer separate electives.

    Curriculum and electives

    Minor

    A minor is a cohesive teaching programme that consists of 30 ECTS. Doing a minor is not mandatory. However, it may be a good way to prepare for a Master’s programme or for a certain profession.

    View all minors
  • Double Bachelor's and Honours programme

    Would you like to be challenged even more? You can choose to do two Bachelor’s degrees or follow the Honours programme.

    Double Bachelor’s in Humanities

    The Faculty of Humanities offers the possibility to obtain a degree from two different Bachelor's programmes. By means of exemptions you can obtain two degrees with a reduced effective workload. The double Bachelor's is intended for motivated students who are looking for an extra challenge and/or a broader perspective during their studies.

    Read more about the Double Bachelor's

    Honours programme

    Highly-motivated students may qualify to take part in a selective Honours programme. This programme accounts for an additional 30 ECTS and will help familiarise you with various other aspects of academic research and prepare you for a subsequent Research Master's degree.

    Read more about the Honours programme
  • Internship and studying abroad

    The programme allows for you to do an internship and/or to study abroad for a period of time.

    Internship

    You can enrich your study programme as well as your CV by doing an internship. This will allow you to gain experience at an organisation in the field of Ancient Studies and gives you an impression of the job opportunities they offer.

    Read more about doing an internship

    Studying abroad

    The UvA is closely involved with international programmes involved with cooperation and exchange within Europe, the United States and Canada. This gives you the opportunity to study abroad for a period of time.

    Studying abroad
  • Learning and assessment

    As a Bachelor’s student, you are expected to spend an average of 42 hours a week on your studies. Around 10 to 15 hours a week are spent attending lectures. The remaining time will be spent on self-study, preparing for lectures, seminars and exams, as well as completing coursework and assignments. In your second and third years you will have less hours of lectures and spent more time on self-study. 

    • During lectures, the lecturer will discuss and explain the literature you read and studied beforehand.
    • In the seminars, you will work closely with your fellow students, collaborating on assignments, presentations and talks.
    • Assessment consists of written or oral exams, presentations, essays, reports and assignments.
Fieldwork is really exciting. It is a bit like unwrapping a present: you have no idea what could be inside. Gert Jan van Wijngaarden, lecturer in Archaeology Read the interview

Accreditation and academic title

The Bachelor's programme Archaeology accredited by the Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO). This means that after successful completion of the programme you will receive a recognised Bachelor’s degree in Archaelogy and the title Bachelor of Arts (BA).