Archaeology is a subject that encourages an incredibly diverse set of methods, agendas and types of evidence. It covers different chronological periods from remote prehistory to the relatively recent past; adopts a range of theoretical perspectives and analytical methods; is studied in all parts of the world, and is practised above ground, below ground, and under water.

View of the UCL Institute of Archaeology,
looking north across Gordon Square : by Stuart Laidlaw

The UCL Institute of Archaeology embraces and exploits this exciting range of approaches. It first opened in 1937 and is now one of the largest archaeological departments in the world. We pride ourselves on the quality of our teaching and research, as well as the extent to which all of our staff and students feel that they are part of a friendly, supportive, and coherent community. The special character of the department arises from a number of factors. We occupy a single block on the north side of Gordon Square, in the middle of UCL’s Bloomsbury campus. This building includes all of our staff offices, seminar rooms, a major lecture theatre, UCL’s archaeology library and numerous laboratories. This location at the heart of one of the world's largest and most cosmopolitan cities allows our staff and students to draw on a vast range of academic resources and participate in a great variety of cultural experiences. We also have an unrivalled range of over 70 specialist staff, nearly 300 undergraduates, and over 350 graduates who come from many different countries, age groups and backgrounds.

Our courses are taught by staff actively involved in original research and keen to encourage fresh, up-to-date responses to their topics. The Institute engages with many different academic audiences, plays host to numerous lectures, seminars and conferences on many different aspects of archaeology and is linked to many other heritage institutions, archaeological societies and organizations. We also run a commercial archaeology unit, the Centre for Applied Archaeology, that specialises in field research, training and contract archaeology and which operates primarily in south-east England.

This page last modified 5 February, 2009 by [IoA Webmaster]

The Institute of Archaeology was ranked first in the Guardian Newspaper's league table (published in May 2008) of the 30 Institutions teaching archaeology in the UK.

We were awarded the high score of 23 out of 24 in the most recent assessment by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA). This score was achieved as part of the QAA's review of all UK Archaeology Departments.