Our mission
At the School of Archaeology, we strive to be international leaders of research, teaching and practice in archaeology and the relevant sciences.
We are driven by our curiosity and the need to understand the past, and to share our knowledge. We research not only what it is to be human, but also the environments in which humans have existed over the last 3 million years. We work with colleagues and partner organisations around the world, and we employ a full range of methods and theories drawn from a range of disciplines across the natural and social sciences.
The future wellbeing of humankind rests on addressing the complex issues of identity, ethics, and belonging, understanding our environment, and how our actions impact our environment and how it affects us. Our research and teaching on the past is coupled with empathy and understanding, which are crucial for modern debates pertaining to our shared present and future.
Our values and behaviours
Our academic speech at the School is centred on honesty, reliability, and validity. No single approach or belief is privileged, and we ensure our members share a safe and supportive environment to discuss research.
Here at the School we actively encourage students and staff to convene discussions and debates, organise seminars and conferences, invite external speakers and visiting academics to the School, and to fully engage with the community. Students and staff are encouraged to challenge and develop reflexively critical ways of thinking whilst ensuring that exchanges of opinions are respectful and civil.
When we explore and study archaeology in all its forms we aim to do so collaboratively and thoroughly. Our research is continually providing opportunities to create, refine, test, share and secure new combinations of data, tools, techniques and methodologies, all of which ensure a more sustainable future for our discipline and our global heritage.
We routinely make our data and findings findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) as this goal advances science and understanding, thus making key contributions to society. We are also committed to ethical principles and to upholding professional standards while we collect, analyse and store archaeological data and materials. Responsible practice of archaeology includes respect, preservation, collaboration, transparency, education, and reporting, within a safe teaching and working environment.
