Archaeology

Archaeology is the study of past peoples and how they lived through the examination of the physical remains that they have left behind. We also work with historical documents, oral history, community knowledge and other information. Archaeology has a very broad range, from our earliest human origins to the present day. Archaeology reveals the variety, richness and achievements of human culture, and informs modern-day values and debates on issues such as how to manage sustainability in the face of increasing development and environmental impacts.

At the University of Galway we introduce you to the full breadth of our discipline in your first year, looking at the prehistoric and historical archaeology of Ireland in its international context, from the Stone Age to the 20th century. We also teach you how to handle and analyse artefacts, and how to recognise and understand the wide variety of archaeological sites and monuments that are found in Ireland. 

As a synthesis of the sciences and the humanities, Archaeology is one of the great frontiers of knowledge creation today. We show you how an archaeologist finds sites, excavates them, and then interprets what they’ve discovered. Further themes are developed in 2nd and 3rd years where staff discuss their own work in more detail in Ireland, Europe, the Middle East, the Americas and more.