7. Next Steps

Congratulations on reaching the final module of the Archaeology Taster Course! We have prepared a checklist of tasks that you might want to complete to prepare yourself for undertaking an Archaeology degree.

• Consider which themes or periods of the past you are most interested in.
• Consider what kind of employment you would enjoy post university.
• Explore more heritage around the UK, be it in museums or in archaeological sites open to the public - such as stonehenge or Hadrian’s wall.
• Look at the different courses offered in the UK (and abroad) and how they can cater to your interests.
• Investigate books, podcasts, tv shows, documentaries, and online courses related to the past that can boost your understanding.
• Start working on your experience, maybe volunteer on community excavations or help out at your local museum, library, or historic buildings

Thank you so much for reading this taster course, we hope you enjoyed it! This taster did not go into too many specifics on different time periods and instead focused on themes and methods employed in archaeology.

This should prepare you with a good foundation and critical eye to investigate the past yourself, and you can take this forward into books, documentaries, and other work dealing with the past. What are the methods they used, and what are the gaps left in our understanding? How do we know what we claim to know, are they interpretations, absolute facts, or grand extrapolations that need to be reconsidered?

History is often taught as an absolute, so we hope this window into where our knowledge comes from is useful in helping you explore the past. As we look back on our shared history it helps us define the future, and put the modern world into perspective. Remember none of what we research is in a vacuum, and every interpretation you make and tiny pocket of the past uncovered is another piece in the story of us.