Yellow Book 2023-24

The Yellow Book

Course guidance for candidates taking BA Archaeology & Anthropology in 2023-2024. For previous years see the link to the archive (below right). 

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Dear Students

As the Heads of the School for Archaeology and the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography (SAME), it is our pleasure to congratulate and welcome you as the newest members of our dynamic community here within the University of Oxford. We hope that the next three years will be fulfilling and enjoyable.

You have chosen to study human cultures, past and present. Our two disciplines are fundamental to gaining an understanding of who we humans are. Our BA programme in Archaeology and Anthropology is unusual in the way it combines both subjects throughout the course, offering a comprehensive and broad guide to the richness and diversity of human cultural experience through space and time. Six institutions at Oxford are involved: the Institutes of Archaeology and of Social and Cultural Anthropology, the Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art, the Ashmolean Museum, the Pitt Rivers Museum, and the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. If you haven’t visited any of the museums yet, don’t worry, you’ll be taking lessons and practical sessions in them throughout the course and you may even get to work as an intern in one.

Whilst studying with us you will also take advantage of Oxford’s world-leading libraries—the Bodleian, Art, Archaeology and Ancient World, the Balfour and Tylor Libraries, and of course your college libraries. But it’s not all reading! At the end of your first year the world is your oyster as you undertake your own four-week archaeological or anthropological project (subject to approval, of course!).

We wish you all the best in your studies, and for your time at Oxford!

Prof. Christopher Bronk Ramsey (Head of School - School of Archaeology) and Dr David Pratten (Head of School - SAME) 

map of sites in Oxford used by arch and anth students

 

 

The ‘Yellow Book’ provides information and guidance for the course. Its sister publication the ‘Green Book’ details the course syllabus. If you have any questions our administrative and academic staff (email: ugsupport@arch.ox.ac.uk) are ready to hear from you and look forward to supporting you throughout your degree.

Disclaimer

This is a guide for the convenience of students and staff. The definitive record of the course regulations can be found in the Examination Regulations (http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/examregs/). Should there be, or appear to be, any conflict between statements in this handbook and the Examination Regulations then the latter shall prevail. Although the information in this handbook is accurate at the time of publication, aspects of the programme and of departmental practice may be subject to modification and revision. The University reserves the right to modify the programme in unforeseen circumstances, or where the process of academic development and feedback from students, quality assurance processes or external sources, such as professional bodies, requires a change to be made. In such circumstances, revised information will be issued.

Data Protection Act 1998

You should have received from your College a statement regarding student personal data, including a declaration for you to sign indicating your acceptance of that statement. Please contact your College’s Data Protection Officer if you have not. Further information on the Act can be obtained at www.admin.ox.ac.uk/councilsec/dp/index.shtml.

 

2023-24 

Michaelmas 2023 

Sunday 8 October

Saturday 2 December 

Hilary 2024

Sunday 14 January

Saturday 9 March

Trinity 2024

Sunday 21 April

Saturday 15 June

Course Administration

    • Undergraduate Representatives (2023-24) – Ethan Yates (St Hugh’s College) and Aleksandra Botek (St Peter's College). ugrep@arch.ox.ac.uk 

    • Degree Programme Manager – Dr Claire Perriton (School of Archaeology)

    • Director of Undergraduate Studies for Archaeology and Anthropology – Dr Zuzanna Olszewska (School of Anthropology and St John’s College)

Other useful contacts:

Bodleian Main Desk – reader.services@bodleian.ox.ac.uk  (2)77162                                                                  

Archaeology and Tylor Anthropology Librarian - Helen Worrell (2)74582  helen.worrell@bodleian.ox.ac.uk  

Balfour Librarian (Pitt Rivers) – Mark Dickerson (2) 70939 

Tylor Library Assistant - Martin Pevsner (2)74671 anthropology-enquiries@bodleian.ox.ac.uk

Oxford University Computing Services contact@it.ox.ac.uk (2)73200

Oxford Student Union – enquiries@ousu.org (2)88452                                                                                                 

                                                                                                                                                                            

social media logos for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

 

 

 

Social Media Accounts

Q: Are you on our undergraduate Facebook page? Search for ‘BA Arch & Anth at Oxford’ and follow us on Twitter & Instagram [@School_of_arch]

 

School of Archaeology: www.arch.ox.ac.uk

School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography: www.anthro.ox.ac.uk

Canvas: www.canvas.ox.ac.uk

Term timetables: http://www.arch.ox.ac.uk/lecture-list.html

Green Book and Yellow Book online versions: https://www.arch.ox.ac.uk/course-structure

Oxford University Archaeological Society: https://www.oxfordarchaeologicalsociety.com/

Oxford University Anthropological Society: http://www.anthro.ox.ac.uk/current- students/oxford-university-anthropological-society

Oxford University LGBTQ+ Society: http://www.oxlgbtq.org.uk

Oxford University Nightline: http://oxfordnightline.org

Oxford Against Sexual Violence: Oxford Against Sexual Violence

Oxford Sexual Harassment and Violence Support Service: Sexual Harassment and Violence Support Service

Oxford Student Advice Service: www.ousu.org/advice

Oxford University Travel Insurance: https://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/finance/insurance/travel/

Oxford University Counselling Service: https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/welfare/counselling

Oxford University Career Service: www.careers.ox.ac.uk

Oxford University Disability Advisory Service: www.ox.ac.uk/students/welfare/disability

Oxford University International Student Orientation Programme: www.ox.ac.uk/students/new/international

IT Learning Programme: http://courses.it.ox.ac.uk/

Oxford University Sports: www.sport.ox.ac.uk

Oxford University Dramatic Society: www.ouds.org

Oxford University Music Society: http://oums.org/

Students reading the BA in Archaeology and Anthropology undertake four core papers in their first year. While some relevant aspects of the Honour School may have been covered in subjects studied at school, the Honour Moderations course (Mods) taken in the first year offers a broad introduction which assumes no prior knowledge of the constituent disciplines. These subjects are examined in Trinity Term of the first year by four three-hour papers of three questions each. The first Long Vacation includes a period of fieldwork.

The second and third years are occupied in preparation for five core papers and three option papers of the Final Honour School (FHS), plus the writing of a 15,000-word dissertation on a subject approved by the Standing Committee.

Students choose three option subjects, either anthropological or archaeological, to study in their second and third years. Together with the core papers these are examined in Trinity Term of the third year for those starting the degree in October 2020. For students starting the degree in October 2021 onwards, the second-year option and the new Fieldwork and Methods paper (see below) will be examined during the second year of the degree through the submission of a fieldwork portfolio (FHS 5) and 5,000 word essay (2nd year option).

Core papers:

Honour Moderations (1st year)

Paper 1. Introduction to World Archaeology

Paper 2. Introduction to Anthropological Theory

Paper 3. Perspectives on Human Evolution

Paper 4. The Nature of Archaeological and Anthropological Enquiry

Final Honour School (2nd and 3rd years)

Paper 1. Social Analysis and Interpretation

Paper 2. Cultural Representations, Beliefs and Practices

Paper 3. Landscape and Ecology

Paper 4. Urbanism and Society

Paper 5. Fieldwork and Methods (for those commencing the degree in October 2021 onwards)

For more information about core and options papers please refer to the Green Book.


 

  1.  

 Your College Tutor

You will meet your college tutor (or one of them) during the first few days of your course. They will have made arrangements for your tutorials and the various classes you will be taking and will discuss with you the options which you might choose and your timetable for studying them. When you have concerns or doubts, particularly if they are of an academic nature, your tutor will normally be the first person to consult: you should not hesitate to do this and you should normally do this with regard to any academic matter before approaching anyone else.

The college tutor is in sole charge of the teaching of any undergraduate reading Archaeology and Anthropology in his or her college. This includes:

      • arranging all the tutorials the student needs
      • helping the student to find a suitable fieldwork project
      • helping the student to choose their three option papers for the FHS
      • helping the student to devise a suitable dissertation topic
      • ensuring that students submit their fieldwork proposals, fieldwork report, slate of options and dissertation topic at the required time.

It will probably be a rule of your College that you call on College Tutors at the beginning of each term to arrange tuition, and at the end of term to arrange vacation reading and next term’s subjects. In any case it would be wise to pay such calls, if necessary on your own initiative. Colleges have different rules about when term ‘begins’. The official start is Sunday of First Week of Full Term, but you will certainly be expected back before then, and you should try to ensure that by the Sunday you know who your tutors for the term will be, have met or corresponded with them, and have been set work and been assigned tutorial times by them.

Most Colleges have a system of feedback whereby you can comment on your tutorials (including your own performance within them) and your tutors: this is normally done by a written questionnaire, though the format varies considerably. Please do use these questionnaires: confidentiality can always be assured if you wish, and comments (even if made anonymously) are extremely useful both to the College and to the tutors themselves. If you come to feel that you need a change of tutor, don’t just do nothing, but take the problem to someone else in your College – your College Tutor (if he or she is not the individual in question), your JCR Academic Representative, your Senior Tutor, the Women's Adviser, the Chaplain, or even the Head of College, if necessary. Such problems are rare, but most arise from a personality clash that has proved intractable. However, since in a university of Oxford's size there are likely to be alternative tutors for nearly all your subjects, there’s no point in putting up with a relationship which is impeding your academic progress. In these circumstances you can usually expect a change, but not necessarily to the particular tutor whom you would prefer.

At the end of each term you can expect formal reports on your work, either alone with your College Tutor, or with the Head of College, perhaps in the presence of your Tutors. These are intended to be two-way exchanges: if you have concerns about your work or your tuition, do not hesitate to say so.

 

 Course Co-ordinators

The Course co-ordinator manages all aspects of an individual course or paper including:

  1. the syllabus and lecture programme
  2. the list of proposed tutorial topics (though these are for guidance only and individual tutors may vary what is suggested) and the course bibliography
  3. arranging for the lectures for the course to be given (negotiating with all lecturers involved, booking rooms, and sorting out timings that do not clash with other classes)
  4. providing tutors for their paper with relevant documentation

If tutors or students have any queries about a particular course these should be made to the course co-ordinator, and the course co-ordinator should be ready to advise on, for example, who might appropriately tutor a given student for the course. If the course needs tutorials to be given by more than one type of specialist, in some special order, or at some specific time of the year, it is the responsibility of the course co-ordinator to ensure that college tutors are informed of this.

The course co-ordinator should annually, in consultation with those lecturing for the course and also those giving tutorials for the course, revise The Green Book entry i.e. syllabus, scheme of lectures, list of proposed tutorial topics and course bibliography. All proposed revisions should be notified to the Undergraduate Studies Administrator of the School of Archaeology in the first instance via ugsupport@arch.ox.ac.uk.

The course co-ordinator will supply lists of tutorial topics and, if requested, sample examination questions to the examiners. After Trinity Term the Undergraduate Administrator will circulate a draft of the Green Book for the coming academic year. It is the responsibility of course co-ordinators to check this draft, ensure that it represents accurately their intentions for the course, make sure that all lecturers involved are aware well in advance of exactly when they are to perform, book all appropriate lecture rooms, and answer any specific queries which the Administrator may raise.

In the cases of timetabling clashes it is the course co-ordinator's responsibility to liaise with the other course co-ordinator involved and resolve the clash.

 Tutorials and Collections

In addition to lectures, which you are strongly advised to attend, the other main focus of teaching throughout your time in Oxford will be tutorials. A tutorial is a meeting between the tutor and no more than three students. Larger groups are defined as a class.

Throughout Mods and FHS, undergraduates should normally receive 12 tutorials a term (i.e. the equivalent of one and a half papers). These should ideally be spaced to give three tutorials a fortnight, rather than four in the first half of term and eight in the second half of term. The only exceptions to this are likely to be in Trinity Term of a student’s first year (when eight only should be offered to allow time for revision for Mods), and either the Michaelmas or the Hilary Terms of the third year, when only eight tutorials (or the equivalent in seminars) should normally be given to allow time for work on the dissertation.

A tutorial is interactive. The more you bring to a tutorial or class, the more you will gain from it. Tutorials are an opportunity for you to raise the issues and ask the questions which are troubling you, and to try out your own ideas in discussion with someone of greater experience; classes are an opportunity to explore issues together, and to get used to general discussion.

 

For most tutorials, and for many classes, you will be asked to produce written work, and a good deal of your time will be spent writing and preparing essays on topics suggested by your tutors. They will normally direct you towards some secondary reading.

Most Colleges set at least one ‘collection’, i.e. a practice examination paper, at the beginning of each term; many set two, and some expect a vacation essay as well, particularly in the Long (i.e. summer) Vacation. Collections will sometimes be on a subject studied in the previous term, sometimes on the reading which you will have covered over the vacation.

There is tremendous variety in the ways that tutors approach tutorials, and that is a strength of the system. Given this variety, do not worry if your peers in other Colleges seem to be doing things differently for any given paper; your own College Tutor knows how best to prepare you for your course and examinations.

Your tutors will give you regular feedback in the form of comments on your work. It is reasonable to expect written comments on any work a tutor takes in; but it is exceptionally rare for tutors to put marks on written work, except for collections. If you are left uncertain about the general quality of your work, do not hesitate to ask, but remember that your degree — and learning about Archaeology & Anthropology — is much more than a mere matter of marks, hence our reluctance to mark tutorial essays.

 Lectures (timetables, format & feedback)

An archaeology and anthropology lecture list is published each term, covering all the lectures in Mods and FHS, on the School of Archaeology webpage at https://archit.web.ox.ac.uk/lecture-list

Lectures do not always coincide with the term in which you are writing essays on that subject. Important lectures may come a term or two before your tutorials; in this case you should read in advance the texts which are being lectured on, even if that reading has to be in translation.

Each term the Undergraduate Student Representative (UG Rep) for the degree will encourage you to share your feedback about the course and papers with them at meetings in week 3 or via their email. The UG Rep shares this feedback with the Standing Committee for the degree, once in MT and HT, and twice in TT. Finalists will also be invited to attend an ‘Exit Interview’ with members of the Committee in Week 7 or 8 of TT. You are encouraged to provide feedback since this helps the School too and is also for the benefit of future students.

Lectures aim to provide a broad overview of fact and theory by experts in particular areas. While tutorials allow students to pursue special issues in greater depth and to develop their own views, together with skills in writing and argumentation, it is impossible to benefit fully from them — or to do well in examinations — without the broader perspectives offered by lectures.

Practical classes

Archaeology and many aspects of anthropology involve an appreciation of objects and scientific samples. The course also involves a number of practical skills concerning scientific techniques and the analysis of materials, as well as diverse ethnographic methods, and these issues can only be addressed through practical classes. In these classes students will be able to see at first hand scientific laboratories (the University of Oxford has one of the largest laboratories for archaeological science in the country), analyse material from archaeological sites, engage with museum collections, and participate in ethnographic methods exercises. Practical classes are an integral part of the course and allow students to develop both practical data collection skills and an appreciation of the physical evidence and its analysis that it is impossible to achieve second hand.

 

The practical classes offered are an essential component of the course and are linked to lectures given earlier in the year. For those starting Honour Moderations or the Final Honours School from October 2022, attendance is compulsory and will be monitored. Failure to attend without reasonable cause will result in marks being deducted from the associated papers in Mods (from 2022) or Finals (from 2023-24 onwards).

If there is good reason why a student cannot attend a particular class at the time assigned (for example, an urgent medical appointment), then he or she should follow the standard Mitigating Circumstances to Examiners procedure to avoid being penalised for non-attendance.

  Fieldwork and Fieldwork Report

Students must spend at least four weeks working on a project of their choice which is relevant to the aims and objectives of the course. It is recommended that fieldwork will be carried out during the first Long Vacation though it would be possible for a student (in exceptional cases) to fulfil the obligation during the Easter Vacation of the second year.

Students should discuss proposed projects with their tutors not later than the beginning of Hilary Term of their first year. Projects may consist of archaeological or anthropological fieldwork, or an internship in a museum or laboratory. All field training projects in archaeology or anthropology must include supervised training in, and practice of, some technique or techniques relevant to field research. Equally, museum- or laboratory-based work must entail supervised training in relevant skills and methods (e.g., as a formal internship).

Students are expected to make their own arrangements with the project director (usually during Hilary Term or the Easter vacation) and to inform their tutor of them. Students must ensure that their own, independently selected project is approved by the Standing Committee in Week 1 of Trinity Term. Thus the deadline for submitting their project proposal is Week 9 of Hilary Term. This is necessary in order that sufficient time is left for any difficulties surrounding a project’s health and safety risk assessment to be addressed in good time. The Undergraduate Studies Administrator will provide a link to an online form for students to complete with the name and location of the project, the name and institutional affiliation of the project director and a brief (± 100 words) description of the project itself. If there is a website for the project that should also be included.

  Finding Fieldwork

When searching for fieldwork opportunities, students should in the first instance talk to their College Tutor who will be able to advise them and may even be able to take them on a project. Fieldwork may be taken at home or abroad, but there is no need for it to be undertaken outside a student’s normal country of residence. The following links may be useful in your search:

Archaeological Fieldwork

Work Experience/Internships with local museums & heritage organisations

Lots of museums offer work experience roles and it is useful to contact them directly rather than rely on advertised positions. Be sure to ask them lots of questions about what the work experience day-to-day activities will be and ideally look for roles which are varied. Smaller, regional museums often have more need for volunteers and will have projects you can really get your teeth into so don't forget to ask in your hometown. Here are a few links to get you started in your search with respect to Oxford’s museums and others elsewhere in the United Kingdom:

Risk Assessments, Travel Insurance and Funding

Risk assessments

In accordance with University regulations, students who undertake fieldwork as an essential part of their course must complete a Fieldwork Risk Assessment form to be approved and signed by the Head of School prior to any work starting.

NOTE: If your fieldwork is anthropological in nature (e.g. it involves working with animals, interviewing   people, etc.)   then   you   must   complete   a CUREC   form and   submit   an Anthropology Risk Assessment form instead which can both be found on the SAME website (https://www.anthro.ox.ac.uk/safety-fieldwork-and-ethics).

Please Note - you need to allow a minimum of six weeks prior to your date of travel for the necessary paperwork to be completed. All first year BA Arch & Anth students must submit their risk assessment by Week 4 of Trinity Term at the latest.

Travel Insurance

You must also apply for University travel insurance and you will need to complete a travel insurance application available here: https://travelinsurance.admin.ox.ac.uk/LandingPage/LandingPage .

Please submit this (with as much detail as you can - flight bookings can be confirmed at a later date). It will require you to upload your Risk Assessment form.

Once your Risk Assessment has been signed off by the Head of School, you can download and take the policy form and emergency contact details with you on your travels:

For the most up to date links for Fieldwork forms please visit the School website internal pages https://www.arch.ox.ac.uk/fieldwork

Funding Fieldwork

Before choosing a particular fieldwork project, students should give serious consideration to the costs likely to be incurred, such as travel and subsistence, insurance, and, depending on destination, vaccinations and/or other treatment recommended by OUHS or their GP. The Honour School offers a grant as a contribution towards these costs; currently students may claim expenses up to £750 by completing a Fieldwork Claims Form available on Canvas. This form must be signed by the College Tutor and then submitted to the Undergraduate Studies Administrator by email (ugsupport@arch.ox.ac.uk) either before or after fieldwork has been completed. Students may also be able to obtain additional funding from their College.

Fieldwork Report

Each student is required to write a fieldwork report on the work he or she has undertaken. The report will take the form of critical review of it and of its aims, objectives, and results, both those already published and those apparent in the light of their own participation. Reports will be expected to contextualise the project within the broader field(s) of Archaeology & Anthropology and relate it to issues of ethics, theory, and methodology previously encountered during Honour Moderations. Inclusion of appropriate illustrations (including, where relevant, maps, diagrams, and photographs) is encouraged. The report may be divided into clearly labelled subsections and must be accompanied by a full bibliography listing all references cited set out according to the Harvard system (see below in section 6.3).

The report should aim for, but not exceed, 5,000 words It constitutes 50% of the Fieldwork and Methods paper of the Final Honour School and is assessed during the second year of the degree. A draft version of the report should be submitted to the relevant College Tutor by Friday of Week 7 of Michaelmas Term of the second year so that it can be returned with comment and advice, unless other arrangements are made with College Tutors.

The completed version of the report should then be submitted online in accordance with the relevant Examination Conventions by no later than noon on Friday of Week 0 of Hilary Term of the second year. A completed Fieldwork Attendance Certificate, signed by the student’s College Tutor, should be submitted with the report.

A completed Field Attendance Certificate should also be submitted to the College Tutor at that time.

 

Fieldwork, Practicals and Methods

This section primarily addresses the activities that are assessed through FHS 5: Fieldwork and Methods, but some of the practical classes discussed below take place during the first year.

Practical classes

Archaeology and many aspects of anthropology involve an appreciation of objects and scientific samples. The course also involves a number of practical skills concerning scientific techniques and the analysis of materials, as well as diverse ethnographic methods, and these issues can only be addressed through practical classes. In these classes students will be able to see at first hand scientific laboratories (the University of Oxford has one of the largest laboratories for archaeological science in the country), analyse material from archaeological sites, engage with museum collections, and participate in ethnographic methods exercises. Practical classes are an integral part of the course and allow students to develop both practical data collection skills and an appreciation of the physical evidence and its analysis that it is impossible to achieve second hand.

Attendance

The practical classes offered are an essential component of the course and are linked to lectures given during the year. For those starting Honour Moderations or the Final Honours School from October 2022, attendance is compulsory and will be monitored. Failure to attend without reasonable cause will result in marks being deducted from the associated papers in Mods (from 2022-23) or Finals (from 2023-24).

Attendance at the six practical classes competed in the first year, as well as the three ethnographic training classes and three museum-based practical classes for FHS 5 is compulsory. A penalty of 5% of the final mark for the paper will be applied for missing 1-2 classes, and a penalty of 10% for missing more than 2 classes, from a total of 6 classes. Attendance will be monitored by the practical class instructors.

Excusal

Students may request excusal no more than 14 days before and 14 days after the practical session. Applications may be made on similar grounds as to Part 14 of the Regulations for the Conduct of University Examinations (e.g. ‘illness or other urgent cause that is unforeseeable, unavoidable and/or insurmountable’), including but not limited to illness or injury, attending urgent medical appointments, family bereavement or other serious personal matter. Students are expected to provide evidence where appropriate, such as a contemporaneous doctor’s note or statement from an independent person (e.g. solicitor, Senior Tutor, college chaplain).

Requests for excusal from practical sessions will be processed by the department. Students should apply directly to the Chair of Standing Committee, via the Undergraduate Studies Administrator (ugsupport@arch.ox.ac.uk), for excusal from a practical session. If multiple sessions of the same practical are being run, wherever possible a student needing excusal would be reassigned to another session. If this is not possible, the Chair of Standing Committee will decide whether the non-attendance can be excused. The Exam Board will then be presented with the attendance information for students, specifying where non-attendance has been excused, and will make the final decision on application of penalties.

If for the reasons given above a student is excused from both practical classes in a given term, they may further apply to the Chair of Standing Committee by the same procedure to submit a practical report in respect of a class taken in a different term. In practice this may mean submitting two reports at the practical report submission deadline (Friday of 8th Week) of the following term, or (if in Trinity Term), submitting a report in respect of a session attended earlier in the year.

Self-certification

In case of acute illness only, students may self-certify for up to 7 days for excusal from practical sessions, particularly in case of difficulty in accessing a nurse or GP or a need to self-isolate. Appeals or applications outside the time limit If an application is made outside of the prescribed time limits, or a student wishes to appeal against a decision not to excuse absence, these will be dealt with by the Head of Department (either of the School of Archaeology or of the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography), via the Undergraduate Studies Administrator (ugsupport@arch.ox.ac.uk).

  Fieldwork

Students must spend at least four weeks working on a project of their choice which is relevant to the aims and objectives of the course. It is recommended that fieldwork will be carried out during the first Long Vacation.

Students should discuss proposed projects with their tutors not later than the beginning of Hilary Term of their first year. Projects may consist of archaeological or anthropological fieldwork, or an internship in a museum or laboratory. All field training projects in archaeology or anthropology must include supervised training in, and practice of, some technique or techniques relevant to field research. Equally, museum- or laboratory-based work must entail supervised training in relevant skills and methods (e.g., as a formal internship).

Students are expected to make their own arrangements with the project director (usually during Hilary Term or the Easter vacation) and to inform their tutor of them. Students must ensure that their own, independently selected project is approved by the Standing Committee in Week 1 of Trinity Term. Thus the deadline for submitting their project proposal is Week 9 of Hilary Term. This is necessary in order that sufficient time is left for any difficulties surrounding a project’s health and safety risk assessment to be addressed in good time. The Undergraduate Studies Administrator will provide a link to an online form for students to complete with the name and location of the project, the name and institutional affiliation of the project director and a brief (± 100 words) description of the project itself. If there is a website for the project that should also be included.

 

Finding Fieldwork

When searching for fieldwork opportunities, students should in the first instance talk to their College Tutor who will be able to advise them and may even be able to take them on a project. Fieldwork may be taken at home or abroad, but there is no need for it to be undertaken outside a student’s normal country of residence. The following links may be useful in your search:

Archaeological Fieldwork

Work Experience/Internships with local museums & heritage organisations

Lots of museums offer work experience roles and it is useful to contact them directly rather than rely on advertised positions. Be sure to ask them lots of questions about what the work experience day-to-day activities will be and ideally look for roles which are varied. Smaller, regional museums often have more need for volunteers and will have projects you can really get your teeth into so don't forget to ask in your hometown. Here are a few links to get you started in your search with respect to Oxford’s museums and others elsewhere in the United Kingdom:

Risk Assessments, Travel Insurance and Funding

Risk assessments

In accordance with University regulations, students who undertake fieldwork as an essential part of their course must complete a Fieldwork Risk Assessment form to be approved and signed by the Head of School prior to any work starting.

NOTE: If your fieldwork is anthropological in nature (e.g. it involves working with animals, interviewing  people,etc.)   then   you   must   complete   a CUREC   form and   submit   an  Anthropology Risk Assessment form instead which can both be found on the SAME website (https://www.anthro.ox.ac.uk/safety-fieldwork-and-ethics).

Please Note - you need to allow a minimum of six weeks prior to your date of travel for the necessary paperwork to be completed. All first year BA Arch & Anth first years must submit their risk assessment by Week 4 of Trinity Term at the latest.

Travel Insurance

You must also apply for University travel insurance and you will need to complete a travel insurance application available here: https://travelinsurance.admin.ox.ac.uk/LandingPage/LandingPage .

Please submit this (with as much detail as you can - flight bookings can be confirmed at a later date). It will require you to upload your Risk Assessment form.

Once your Risk Assessment has been signed off by the Head of School, you can download and take the policy form and emergency contact details with you on your travels:

For the most up to date links for Fieldwork forms please visit the School website internal pages https://www.arch.ox.ac.uk/fieldwork

Funding Fieldwork

Before choosing a particular fieldwork project, students should give serious consideration to the costs likely to be incurred, such as travel and subsistence, insurance, and, depending on destination, vaccinations and/or other treatment recommended by OUHS or their GP. The Honour School offers a grant as a contribution towards these costs; currently students may claim expenses up to £750 by completing a Fieldwork Claims Form available on CanvasThis form must be signed by the College Tutor and can be submitted either before or after fieldwork has been completed. Students may also be able to obtain additional funding from their College.

Fieldwork/FHS5: Milestones and Timelines Summary

First Year:

MICHAELMAS TERM: students discuss possible summer fieldwork options with their College Tutor or Director of Studies.

HILARY TERM: Students attend a Fieldwork Briefing Meeting and start to narrow down fieldwork options with support from their College Tutors, apply for projects, or contact relevant potential supervisors (e.g. in museums or heritage sites) to develop their own internship projects. Friday of Ninth Week: Students submit a description of their proposed fieldwork project(s) with an email of support from their College Tutor to the Standing Committee via an online form provided by UGSupport. Students communicate with project directors to clarify health and safety/ethics issues in order to complete a Risk Assessment and in some cases a CUREC application.

SUMMER VACATION: Ideally, all fieldwork should be completed during this vacation in order to allow for the completion of the Fieldwork Report by its deadline at the beginning of Hilary Term.

Second Year:

MICHAELMAS TERM: Beginning of term: students receive a briefing and instructions for an ethnographic exercise. Mid-term: students attend compulsory practical classes, one in anthropology and one in archaeology (Ashmolean Museum-based object handling). Seventh Week: students submit first drafts of their 5,000-word Fieldwork Reports for feedback. This will be provided to all students by one of the College Tutors; submission instructions will be circulated in advance by UG Support.

HILARY TERM: Fieldwork Reports must be finalised and submitted via Inspera (online exam platform) by Noon on Friday of Noughth Week. Two practical classes will be held with the same procedure as in Michaelmas Term. By the end of this term, students must write up one of the four practical classes they have taken up to that point in their first 1,000-word Practical Report. They may seek feedback on the Practical Report from their own College Tutor, ideally by Seventh Week. Reports must be finalised and submitted via Inspera (online exam platform) by Noon on Friday of Eighth Week.

TRINITY TERM: The procedure for practical classes is as for Michaelmas and Hilary Terms. The second of the two Practical Reports (on any of the six practical classes taken up to that point, as long as one report is in anthropology and one in archaeology) must be finalised and submitted via Inspera by Noon on Friday of Eighth Week. Again, feedback may be sought from students’ own College Tutors, ideally by Seventh Week.

  

Guidelines for FHS 5 Portfolio: Fieldwork and Practical Reports (see also Formatting and Referencing Guidelines for all Coursework Submissions).

  1. Fieldwork Report (5,000 words)

Each student is required to write a fieldwork report on the work he or she has undertaken. The report will take the form of critical review of it and of its aims, objectives, and results, both those already published and those apparent in the light of their own participation. Reports will be expected to contextualise the project within the broader field(s) of Archaeology & Anthropology and relate it to issues of ethics, theory, and methodology previously encountered during Honour Moderations. Inclusion of appropriate illustrations (including, where relevant, maps, diagrams, and photographs) is encouraged. The report may be divided into clearly labelled subsections and must be accompanied by a full bibliography listing all references cited set out according to the Harvard system (see Formatting and Referencing Guidelines for all Coursework Submissions).

The report should aim for, but not exceed, 5,000 words. It constitutes 60% of the mark for Fieldwork and Methods paper of the Final Honour School (FHS 5) and is assessed during the second year of the degree. A draft version of the report should be submitted by Friday of Week 7 of Michaelmas Term of the second year so that it can be returned with feedback. Feedback will be provided to all students by one of the College Tutors, who will endeavour to return feedback for all the reports by the Friday preceding Noughth Week of Hilary Term (1 week before the deadline).

It should be noted that the report genre here is different to the essays you may be more used to writing, but is a valuable transferable skill, being the primary written communicative genre in many professional sectors you may go on to work in. The key difference is that a report has clearly defined sub-sections, each of which might be written in a slightly different style (and these may vary according to the discipline or sub-field in which you received training). The ‘discussion’ section will be the closest thing to a typical tutorial essay and should be analytical, critical, evaluative and reflective.

Suggested sub-headings (these may vary according to the nature of the project):

Introduction: Describe what you did, where and for how long, and under whose supervision. Include a general description of what you learned or what occurred during your fieldwork. You may find it helpful to include brief appropriate references to readings that have considered relevant methodologies in this section. You may also state the project’s key research questions or provide other background information on it in this section, or (if these are substantial), include a separate section for these.

Methods: This section should list the methods that you were trained in, including specific archaeological, ethnographic, museological or archival techniques. Give details of how long you spent on each method/approach and the progression of your learning/skill.

Results: In this section you should describe the main findings or outcomes of your study. If your training formed part of a larger ongoing project, these may be interim or provisional findings. You are strongly encouraged to use non-textual material where relevant and where you have obtained permission to do so, including tables, photographs, maps, site plans, drawings/sketches, diagrams, etc.

Discussion: Discuss what you learned or found using appropriate literature to help you make evaluative and analytic insights on the relative merits and weaknesses of different methods, or the extent to which your skills developed. It is important to show that you have a good grounding in the relevant literature. You should demonstrate knowledge and understanding of practical approaches, theoretical concepts, and technical and ethical problematics relevant to your training. The references you use should be appropriate and show a good level of engagement with the texts from which they originate.

You should also include a bibliography, listing all cited works, and any appendices should follow this at the end. A Table of Contents is not required but may be useful, and if a substantial number of images is presented, a Table of Figures helps to keep them organised. The elements mentioned in this paragraph are not included in the word limit.

Students who have completed two (or more) fieldwork projects may, but are not required to, write about both of them (but no more than two). In such cases it is advisable to write a single, comparative report with a single introduction and discussion section, highlighting any insights from comparing/contrasting the methods and approaches. This might be easier in some cases than others, and judgement will be required to find the best approach – advice may be sought from your College Tutor. In some cases, if one of the projects was particularly productive or complicated and will require a good deal of explanation or background information, it may be worth devoting the whole report to it. Two inadequately contextualised projects with less depth will not get a better mark than a single one that is written up more thoroughly. Similarly, if one of the projects was not particularly fruitful in terms of new skills or findings, it may be dropped from the report.  

  1. Two Practical Reports (1,000 words each)

These reports should aim for, but not exceed, 1,000 words. Each constitutes 20% of the mark for FHS 5. The instructors of your museum-based object handling sessions or ethnographic exercises will give you specific instructions for what they expect in a write-up and what material to include. If in doubt, use sub-headings as above in a more condensed form. Being short, these reports do not require a Table of Contents or Table of Figures. They should have clear signposting of sub-headings, captions and numbering for any images used, and should include a bibliography. Appendices (if any) should follow the bibliography. The bibliography and appendices are not included in the word count.

Submission

A single pdf copy of each practical/fieldwork report should be uploaded to Inspera (the university’s online exam platform) no later than noon on the relevant deadline (see the timeline above and the Key Dates and Deadlines table). You will be asked to certify authorship as part of the online process. You will also be asked to tick a box if you are happy to make your Fieldwork Report available for consultation by future students.

All submissions must bear the candidate's examination number but not their name. They should also include a final word count.

See Coursework Submissions via Inspera for more information on the process and the uploading link.


 
  1.  

Dissertation – Milestones and timelines

Second Year:

MICHAELMAS TERM: students discuss possible dissertation topics with their College Tutor or Director of Studies, begin to identify and select a potential dissertation supervisor and attend the Dissertation Briefing Meeting.

CHRISTMAS VACATION: students think about the general area in which he or she will write the dissertation and start any relevant general background reading.

HILARY TERM/EASTER VACATION: students continue with relevant background reading and formulate a 100-word synopsis with their chosen specialist supervisor. Students begin to undertake more detailed reading with the assistance of the supervisor. If research is likely to involve human participants, they will need to discuss potential ethical issues arising with their supervisor. A CUREC application may need to be filled out, and clearance obtained, prior to any research involving human participants.

TRINITY TERM: students submit the title and synopsis of their dissertation with an email of support from supervisor by Wednesday of Noughth Week to the Standing Committee via an online form provided by UGSupport. Students see their supervisor again to ensure that the nature and scope of their research and the structure of their dissertation are clear. If relevant and not already obtained, CUREC clearance is applied for and a relevant Risk Assessment completed (see Fieldwork section above).

SUMMER VACATION: as much work as possible – and certainly all fieldwork – should be done during this vacation. If there is to be a catalogue of material it should be substantially complete by its end. At least one third of the dissertation should be drafted in a form suitable for the supervisor to comment on by the beginning of Michaelmas Term.

Third Year:

MICHAELMAS TERM: substantial work is undertaken on the dissertation

0TH WEEK: students submit work done over the summer to their supervisor.

In or after 1ST WEEK: students receive back written and oral comments on submitted work from their supervisor, agree with their supervisor the timetable for completion of the dissertation, and meet their supervisor on further occasions as required during the rest of the Term.

Students should present a full first draft to supervisor by no later than the START OF HILARY TERM.

BEGINNING OF HILARY TERM: students give a brief presentation on their dissertation topic and the progress made. This should incorporate supervisor's comments on the draft of the dissertation.

END OF HILARY TERM: Dissertations finalised and submitted via Inspera (online exam platform). Deadline: Midday Friday of ninth week (Hilary Term).

 

  Guidelines for Dissertation Writers

Who can supervise?

Normally dissertation supervisors must be members of the School of Anthropology or the School of Archaeology and should not be graduate students; exceptions may be made where there is strong justification to draw on the expertise of a particular external member of staff, college lecturer or doctoral student, under the oversight of the College Tutor and the graduate student’s supervisor. The arrangement (and any changes to it) must be communicated to the Standing Committee and meet its approval.

The role of your College Tutor

Students should be encouraged to hold preliminary discussions as to their dissertation topic in the first instance with their College Tutor in Michaelmas Term of the second year. The College Tutor may offer suggestions for potentially suitable supervisors for the student to approach, and advice on strategies for doing so. Advice on choosing a topic, doing research and writing a dissertation is also given. The student must be encouraged to complete research for the dissertation during the Long Vacation between the second and third years. Students will be asked to give a brief presentation on their dissertation topic and the progress they have made at the beginning of Hilary Term of their third year of study. In cases where an external member of staff or graduate student is engaged to supervise, the College Tutor should take particular care to ensure that the supervisor is paid for their time through the TMS system and is familiar with any necessary CUREC/risk assessment procedures. In such cases the College Tutor may wish to be considered the nominal first supervisor and/or the signatory on the relevant forms.

The role of the degree administration

The Standing Committee has oversight of the feasibility, safety and ethical aspects of dissertation proposals and may raise concerns about these. Otherwise it does not intervene in the intellectual substance of students’ work. It also has oversight of the supervision arrangements, especially in the exceptional cases discussed above. To ensure parity of the supervision experience for all students as far as possible, the Undergraduate Administrator will circulate an email in Trinity Term of the second year on behalf of the Standing Committee to all supervisors following the Committee’s approval of a topic/supervisor, outlining the expectations and responsibilities of each party and other relevant guidance such as payment mechanisms.

The role of your supervisor

The dissertation supervisor is required to offer a minimum of four tutorials but can give up to a maximum of eight. The student should contact the supervisor to request the first meeting with him or her (to be held in HT of the second year) at which time they should both agree a schedule of regular meetings. In this first meeting the supervisor should attempt to establish the stages at which the student should be expected to have reached at various points. The supervisor will assist in the choice of a topic and give initial advice on relevant sources and methods. He or she will advise on sources and presentation and assist with bibliographical advice; he or she will certainly expect to read draft chapters or sections. The supervisor should see that written work is prepared as appropriate in accordance with the course requirements and structure. Such work should be returned with constructive criticism and in reasonable time. However, he or she should also, if asked, read and comment on a complete first draft. Dissertation supervisors should ensure that, from time to time, students are told how their work is progressing and should also try to ensure that the student feels properly directed and able to communicate with them. Supervisors are expected to respond to student emails and queries in a timely manner and to adhere to the agreed timeline for meetings unless exceptional circumstances prevent them from doing so. In the event of any difficulties being experienced with this then students should discuss the matter urgently with their College Tutor.

The role of the student

Students are responsible for initiating contact with potential supervisors; having agreed a timeline for the research and writing of the dissertation, students are expected to adhere to this, unless exceptional circumstances prevent them from doing so. They are expected to communicate in a timely manner with their supervisor and to submit work to the deadlines agreed. Students must not expect supervisors to chase them for work or updates on progress.

Submitting your dissertation proposal

Notice of the title of the dissertation, a synopsis of about 100 words, and approval from the dissertation supervisor must be submitted via online form not later than Wednesday of Noughth Week of Trinity Term of the second year for approval by the Standing Committee at their meeting on Monday of First Week of Trinity Term. Note that normally dissertation supervisors must be members of the School of Anthropology or the School of Archaeology and that they cannot be graduate students.

Procedure for changing your dissertation proposal

A student wishing to change the title of their dissertation after the Standing Committee has approved it must notify the Undergraduate Studies Administrator of the School of Archaeology as early as possible (for approval by the Standing Committee’s Chairman). In exceptional circumstances, a student may wish to make more substantial changes to their dissertation topic and title. Where this is the case, a revised title and synopsis should be submitted to Standing Committee no later than Wednesday of Fourth Week of Michaelmas Term of the third year.

Dissertations – General Advice

A good dissertation contains a consecutive argument or set of arguments on its topic. Apart from showing a sound grasp of the secondary literature on the field and/or period and an awareness of the problems of the topic, the writer deploys the evidence of the sources to support the elements in the general argument. It is made clear how the writer has approached the topic, what conclusions have been reached and, if appropriate, how the approach and conclusions are related to the views of other scholars.

The work should be well-written and properly presented; its references should be in order, consistent in the way they are cited and sensibly selected. Good presentation, in the experience of many examiners, is usually combined with high quality of analysis. Conversely, careless or unclear writing, uncorrected mis-spellings, typing errors and misquotations often go with an uncertain or myopic focus on the topic.

Authors sometimes become so interested in their topic that they overlook the need to provide at least a brief introduction to it and — equally, if not more, important — to set it in its broader historical context or contexts. An introductory section to a dissertation may often usefully include a survey of the existing literature on a topic and 'pointers' to its particular interest and problems.

While reading and research are being carried out, planning how to shape materials into an argument must be seen as a simultaneous process. Laboriously collected materials are worthless unless made to contribute to a coherent argument. For this reason, planning of both your structure and content should start as early as possible; some plans may need to be discarded until the most feasible one has been found.

It is a reasonable assumption that writing the dissertation will take longer than expected: a good dissertation will certainly require more than one draft of parts, if not of the whole. Plenty of time should be allowed for getting the final typed version into presentable form without this disrupting work for other papers or revision. You should allow plenty of time to review and edit draft versions of your dissertation, and work closely with your supervisor.

Students should remember that the dissertation counts as two Finals papers and should thus organise their time accordingly.

Regulations to note:

The subject of an Archaeology and Anthropology dissertation may, but need not, overlap with a subject or period on which the candidate offers papers. Candidates must not extensively repeat material used in their dissertation in any of their papers and will not be given credit for such material.

Any non-text/non-paper materials which a student wishes to submit as part of the dissertation must be justified in writing accompanying the synopsis for approval by the Standing Committee. For example, material essential for understanding the dissertation might be approved for submission as an appendix.

Candidates must certify on submitting their dissertation that it is their own work, and supervisors must countersign this certificate (which must also state that the dissertation has not previously been submitted, in whole or part, for another Final Honours School or other degree in Oxford or elsewhere).

  Dissertation Format Guidelines

Length: A dissertation of up to 15,000 words and no less than 12,000 words, double-line spaced and justified, 11 or 12 font size text on A4 paper will normally take up 45-50 sides. The word count includes footnotes (the use of which should, in any case, be kept to a minimum). It excludes the table of contents, lists of figures and tables, the content of tables, captions, acknowledgements, appendices and bibliography.

Pagination

Pagination should run consecutively from beginning to end and include any appendices etc. Cross references should be to pages and not simply to any sectional divisions. It is normally the case that front matter (abstract, acknowledgements, lists of contents, tables and figures) are numbered in small Roman script (i, ii, iii etc.) and the remainder of the dissertation in Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3 etc.).

Title page to include:

The title followed by: ‘University of Oxford, Final Honour School Archaeology and Anthropology’, the final word count and your Candidate number (please note this is NOT your student number)

NB: YOUR NAME SHOULD NOT APPEAR ANYWHERE ON THE DISSERTATION

Order of contents

After the title page there should normally be:

      1. An abstract of no more than 350 words, summarising the main research questions and scope, methods or sources, and findings of the dissertation, which may use similar wording to the introduction. (Not included in the word limit).

      1. A table of contents, showing, in sequence, with page numbers, the subdivisions of the dissertation. Titles of chapters and appendices should be given; titles of subsections of chapters may be given.If diagrams, tables and illustrations are used, a separate Table of Figures should be included, with a list of figure numbers, captions and page numbers. (Not included in the word limit).

      1. A list of abbreviations, cue-titles, symbols etc. (Not included in the word limit).

      1. A brief introduction in which the examiner's attention is drawn to the aims and broad argument(s) of the work and in which any relevant points about sources and obligations to the work of other scholars are made.

      1. The dissertation itself, divided into chapters. The chapters should have clear, short descriptive titles.

      1. A conclusion, consisting of a few hundred words which summarise the findings and briefly explore their implications.

      1. Any appendices. (Not included in the word limit).

      1. A bibliography. All cited works must be listed. Works should be listed alphabetically by surname of author (see below for the form of references to be used). (Not included in the world limit).

Footnotes

These (except for references) should be as few and as brief as possible: they count towards the overall word-limit. The practice of putting into footnotes information which cannot be digested in the text should be avoided. Notes should be printed, single-spaced, at the foot of the page if the technology you are employing allows this to be done conveniently. Footnote numbers should be in superscript (not bracketed) and run in a continuous sequence through each chapter.

Tables, Maps and Graphs

You are encouraged to employ tables, maps, and graphs on any occasion when an argument can be more clearly and elegantly expressed by their employment. These should be inserted into the body of the text at the relevant point and their relevance explained clearly in the text. They should not be collected together at the end of the dissertation.

Appendices

These should be used only to convey essential data which cannot be elegantly subsumed within the body of the text. They are particularly appropriate for material which does not count within the word limit of the dissertation, such as catalogues of material evidence or tables of experimental results. As such this material is not part of the formal assessment and should be included for illustrative purposes only, to be available for consultation by examiners.

References

When reference is given for a quotation or for a viewpoint or item of information it must be precise. However, judgment needs to be exercised as to when reference is required: statements of fact which no reader would question do not need to be supported by references.

References should follow the Harvard System and be given in the text by the author's name and the year of publication (with page and/or illustration references). For example: '...Clark (1967: 23) was of the opinion that...', '...It therefore represents a variation of a comb technique seen in a Grooved Ware context at Marsden (Wainwright 1971: 121).

All works referred to in this way must be listed in full at the end of the text in alphabetical order by author's name. These references should take the following (or a very similar) form:

  1. Books

Renfrew, C. 1987: Archaeology and Language. The Puzzle of Indo-European Origins

(London, Cape).

  1. Contributions to books

Hurwit, J.M. 1993: Art, Poetry and the Polis in the Age of Homer. In S. Langdon ed. From Pasture to Polis: Art in the Age of Homer (Columbia and London, University of Missouri Press) 14-42.

  1. Journal Articles

Carter, J. 1972: The Beginning of Narrative Art in the Greek Geometric Period. Annual of the British School at Athens 67, 25-58. [N.B. volume numbers in arabic numerals].

If several publications by the same author and from the same year are cited, a, b, c, etc. should be added to the year of publication (1972a,1972b etc.). The use of the phrase et al. (= et alii) to indicate multiple authorship is permissible in the text, but not in the list of references, where all names should be given. The use of ibid. is not permitted.

In subject areas where standard abbreviations for much-quoted books and periodicals are in common use, these abbreviations may be employed in text, footnotes, or bibliography, and they should be listed separately before the bibliography. Works referred to for their illustrations only, rather than arguments, need not be given full entries in the bibliography. Italics should be used for: titles of books and periodicals; technical terms or phrases in languages other than English (but not for quotations in foreign languages); for abbreviations which are abbreviations of foreign words (e.g., loc. cit.). Most such abbreviations are best avoided altogether.

Above all, every attempt should be made to be consistent in practice throughout the dissertation. Capitals should be used as sparingly as possible. They should be used for institutions and corporate bodies when the name used is the official title or part of the official title.

  1. Electronic sources

Sources from the Internet should be referenced as far as possible in the same form as other sources and provided with a date on which they were accessed.



Submission

A single pdf copy of your dissertation should be uploaded to Inspera (the university’s online exam platform) no later than noon on Friday of Ninth week of Hilary Term. You will be asked to certify authorship as part of the online process.

Dissertations must bear the candidate's examination number but not their name.

 

    1.  Examination Conventions and Regulations

Examination conventions are the formal record of the specific assessment standards for the course or courses to which they apply. They set out how your examined work will be marked and how the resulting marks will be used to arrive at a final result and classification of your award. They include information on: marking scales, marking and classification criteria, scaling of marks, progression, resits, use of viva voce examinations, penalties for late submission, and penalties for over-length work. Examination Regulations for the degree are available here (https://examregs.admin.ox.ac.uk/). 

For further details and the most up-to-date version of the School’s exam conventions please refer to the Student Resources section of the School of Archaeology website.

    1. Examination Entry

Please refer to the following Oxford Student website for examination entry and alternative examination arrangements: http://www.ox.ac.uk/students/academic/exams

    1. Examination Dates and Past Exam Papers

Timetables are published as early as possible and no later than five weeks before the start of the examination at the following website: www.ox.ac.uk/students/academic/exams/timetables. Past exam papers can be found on OXAM - http://oxam.ox.ac.uk

    1. Sitting your Examination

Information on (a) the standards of conduct expected in examinations and (b) what to do if you would like examiners to be aware of any factors that may have affected your performance before or during an examination (such as illness, accident or bereavement) are available on the Oxford Students website: www.ox.ac.uk/students/academic/exams/guidance

You should contact your College immediately in the event of any matters that may affect performance, NOT the Examiners, Moderators, or Undergraduate Administrator.

  1.       5. External Examiner and Examiner reports

Please refer to the School of Archaeology Canvas pages for Examiners’ reports (including the external examiner’s reports).

    1. Academic Transcripts

Extra copies or ‘on-course’ copies of your academic transcript can be ordered (for a fee) from the online store https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/graduation/transcripts?wssl=1

 

Guidance on Examinations

These remarks supplement the Instructions to Candidates (circulated to Finalists in Hilary Term of the final year) and are intended as informal advice for those taking examinations. You may also wish to visit the University Exam Schools website (https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/academic/exams/guidance) where you will find useful information regarding mock examinations, timetables, academic dress and how to arrange alternative examination arrangements. Note that information on the details of the examination procedure is subject to change given the current public health situation.

Revision and preparation

Revision should adequately cover the complete scope of the paper. Together with the course descriptions in the Green Book, papers from previous years form a good guide to the kinds of topics which are likely to be covered in exam questions. It is a good idea to answer some of these under practice exam conditions, if you have not regularly done this in collections. As the basis for examination questions, different questions are set each year. However, key topics are usually represented in one form or another, and it is worthwhile looking at several exam papers both to see what they are, and to see what specific twist is being imparted by the way a particular question is phrased. Do take care to consider and answer the question that has been posed, not some other version of it that you wish had been asked.

Examination procedure

At the current time examinations are held online and in an ‘open-book’ format.

At the beginning of the exam, read all the questions through carefully, and select ones you might wish to answer; read these extra carefully to make sure that you understand them. Having selected a question (probably your best one first, but beware of spending too much time on it to the detriment of the others), consider its implications carefully. Examiners are not trying to catch you out: there are no "trick" questions: but each one has a specific angle, and you should identify what it is. Note particularly any restrictions (e.g., if the question is about the origins of cities in the Old World, do not describe New World urbanisation, except perhaps in a single comparative sentence to make a specific point). Think of the relevant bodies of theory as well as facts; and consider what is expected in a convincing answer, i.e., answer the question posed, not one of your own. (On the other hand, do not be afraid of pointing out what you consider logical flaws or suspect concepts in a question: a well-argued critique may be as appropriate as a mechanical survey of received wisdom — but make sure that you demonstrate you are fully in command of the material and ideas).

Questions which are divided EITHER...OR mean what they say: the topics overlap, but the actual questions are different. Do not answer an amalgam of both.

You have one hour per question: pace yourself through the whole three hours. If you only answer two questions, you will only get marks for two questions; however good one answer may be, it does not make up for the marks lost by missing one (70 + 70 + 0 = 140, score 46 = Class III; 65 + 63 + 52 = 180, score 60 = Class IIi.) Each answer should be as finished as the others. Outline answers in note form are a poor substitute and cannot gain anything like the marks of a finished piece of prose. With an hour per question, there should be plenty of time for each.

One common reason for running out of time is starting one question and abandoning it for another. This is why time spent at the beginning, choosing which questions to do, and really thinking why one is preferable to another. Even if you have to spend five minutes choosing between questions, you could avoid losing a very substantial number of marks resulting from making the wrong choice and then changing. If in doubt, think.

Answering Questions

It may be helpful to scribble down on a scrap-sheet keywords for all the things (ideas, examples, people, places, books, etc.) which you will want to cover in the answer, in a stream- of consciousness or random-access mode. But that is not an essay plan, it is the raw material for it. It needs to be followed by a proper structural plan of the sequence of points (including facts, arguments, theory) which you wish to present. This is not to inhibit creativity, but to guide it. The structure should be evident in the written essay. Time used in planning at this stage is well spent: do not be panicked into writing before you are ready because you will use the time more effectively by knowing where you are going.

The opening and closing paragraphs are critical and deserve more attention than any others: they are what set the reader's perception at the outset, and give a final impression. Make them good. And read the question again, before you write the last paragraph. Have you answered it?

A good answer is heterogenous in composition: a mixture of gritty facts (i.e., observations, who made them, where, when, how reliably), heady theory (who said it, which school of thought it characterises, what it is meant to explain) and smooth argument (why one view is more convincing than another). Answers which are purely theoretical or only factual, or which fail to bring the two together, will receive fewer marks.

Answers which demonstrate a broad perspective, and connect the specific with the general, are likely to be rewarded; anthropological arguments in archaeology questions, and archaeological examples in anthropology questions, are encouraged. Relevant examples drawn from subjects covered in options are also encouraged — that is what the options are for, to provide in-depth case studies; though if you simply reproduce much the same material in two papers, it will be noticed, and will not be evaluated so highly a second time. (But do not avoid using relevant examples because you think you may need them in another context.)

Final Remarks

Questions are set to give you the opportunity to show what you know and how well you understand it. Show that you share this enthusiasm.

If you feel that you have suffered a serious disadvantage or have a legitimate concern after completing a written public examination then you must contact your College Tutor or College Office immediately. In case of illness this will also need to be supported by a medical certificate.

 

Prizes

The Honour School and the University provide a number of prizes to encourage and reward strong academic performance.

a) The Meyerstein Prize is awarded to the individual with the highest mark in Honour Moderations at the end of the first year.

b) Gibbs Prizes are awarded to the individual coming at the top of the Class List in Finals and the person coming in second place.

c) A further Gibbs Prize is awarded to the person receiving the highest mark given for an undergraduate dissertation.

Additionally, Colleges may award Exhibitions and Scholarships or other Prizes to acknowledge performance in Honour Moderations, Finals or at other times during the degree.

Formatting and Referencing Guidelines for all Coursework Submissions

Coursework submissions for the degree include the components of the FHS 5 Portfolio, the 5,000-word essay for the second-year option, and the Dissertation.

Length

The word limit given for any coursework submission (whether 1,000, 5,000 or 15,000 words) is a strict upper limit – please do not exceed it as marks are deducted for over-length work (please consult the Examination Conventions for further details of the penalties). The word count includes footnotes (the use of which should, in any case, be kept to a minimum). It excludes the Table of Contents, lists of figures and tables, the content of tables, captions, acknowledgements, appendices and bibliography.

Title page

The Dissertation should include a title page, but this is optional for the shorter coursework submissions. The title page should display the title followed by: ‘University of Oxford, Final Honour School Archaeology and Anthropology’, the final word count and your Candidate number (please note this is NOT your student number). The title page may also include an appropriate image of your choice.

NB: YOUR NAME SHOULD NOT APPEAR ANYWHERE ON THE SUBMISSION

Style Guidelines

Below you can find our preferred style guidelines for good scholarly presentation. It is good to get into the habit of following them (where relevant) in tutorial essays, too. They allow for standardisation, ease of understanding by readers and examiners, and ease of consultation at a later date – including by yourself (you will see the value of precise referencing, including page numbers, when revising for your exams!) Some may involve an element of judgement on your part. In all cases, the rule of thumb is consistency throughout a piece of work. Following these guidelines is important to meet the “appropriate scholarly presentation” aspect of the marking criteria.

Formatting

Font: While there is no strict requirement for the font used, it’s best to pick a font that's appropriate for scholarly work. We recommend fonts such as Courier, Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri and Verdana for your coursework submissions. Similarly, a font size of 11 or 12 is recommended.

Line-spacing: Your work should be double-spaced or 1.5 line spaced.

Alignment: Your work should be left-aligned (straight-edged on the left) or justified (straight-edged on both sides).

Pagination: Pagination should run consecutively from beginning to end and include any appendices etc. Cross-references should be to pages and not simply to any sectional divisions.

Footnotes

These should be as few and as brief as possible: they count towards the overall word-limit. The practice of putting into footnotes information which cannot be digested in the text should be avoided. Notes should be printed, single-spaced, at the foot of the page if the technology you are employing allows this to be done conveniently. Footnote numbers should be in superscript (not bracketed) and run in a continuous sequence throughout the whole work.

Images, Tables, Maps and Graphs

You are encouraged to employ images, tables, maps, and graphs on any occasion when an argument can be more clearly and elegantly expressed by their employment. These should be inserted into the body of the text at the relevant point and their relevance explained clearly in the text. They should not be collected together at the end of the work. They should be clearly numbered: tables (made up of rows and columns) should be numbered Table 1, Table 2, etc. All other visual elements that are not tables (photos, maps, diagrams, etc.) should be numbered Figure 1, Figure 2, etc. Each such element should also be accompanied by a caption.

Appendices

These should be used only to convey essential data which cannot be elegantly subsumed within the body of the text. They are particularly appropriate for material which does not count within the word limit of the dissertation, such as interview transcripts, catalogues of material evidence or tables of experimental results. As such this material is not part of the formal assessment and should be included for illustrative purposes only, to be available for consultation by examiners.

Referencing

When reference is given for a quotation or for a viewpoint or item of information it must be precise (that is, page numbers are required when referencing specific information even if one is paraphrasing). However, judgment needs to be exercised as to when reference is required: statements of fact which no reader would question do not need to be supported by references.

References should follow the Harvard System and be given in the text by the author's name and the year of publication (with page and/or illustration references). For example: '...Clark (1967: 23) was of the opinion that...', '...It therefore represents a variation of a comb technique seen in a Grooved Ware context at Marsden (Wainwright 1971: 121).

All works referred to in this way must be listed in full in the bibliography in alphabetical order by author's name. These references should take the following (or a very similar) form:

  1. Books

Renfrew, C. 1987: Archaeology and Language. The Puzzle of Indo-European Origins

(London, Cape).

  1. Contributions to books

Hurwit, J.M. 1993: Art, Poetry and the Polis in the Age of Homer. In S. Langdon ed. From Pasture to Polis: Art in the Age of Homer (Columbia and London, University of Missouri Press) 14-42.

  1. Journal Articles

Carter, J. 1972: The Beginning of Narrative Art in the Greek Geometric Period. Annual of the British School at Athens 67, 25-58. [N.B. volume numbers in Arabic numerals].

  1. Electronic sources

Sources from the Internet should be referenced as far as possible in the same form as other sources and provided with a date on which they were accessed.

  1. Grey literature and missing bibliographic information

Some dissertations and fieldwork reports in particular may need to reference so-called ‘grey literature’ – information produced outside the commercial publishing industry, including pamphlets, field manuals, reports, etc. These should still be referenced in the usual way and included in the bibliography. However, such items often lack some of the usual information, such as a date, place of publication, etc. In this case, please follow the guide here for how to deal with the gaps: https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/missing-information

If several publications by the same author and from the same year are cited, a, b, c, etc. should be added to the year of publication (1972a,1972b etc.). The use of the phrase et al. (= et alia) to indicate multiple authorship is permissible in the text, but not in the list of references, where all names should be given. The use of ibid. is not permitted.

In subject areas where standard abbreviations for much-quoted books and periodicals are in common use, these abbreviations may be employed in text, footnotes, or bibliography, and they should be listed separately before the bibliography. Works referred to for their illustrations only, rather than arguments, need not be given full entries in the bibliography. 

Italics should be used for: titles of books and periodicals; technical terms or phrases in languages other than English (but not for quotations in foreign languages); for abbreviations which are abbreviations of foreign words (e.g., loc. cit.). Most such abbreviations are best avoided altogether.

Capitals should be used as sparingly as possible. They should be used for institutions and corporate bodies when the name used is the official title or part of the official title.

Transcription and/or transliteration

When reproducing source material from languages other than English, a consistent system of transcription or transliteration should be used. (Transliteration refers to converting written characters into a different script, e.g. when working with text in another language, while transcription refers to reproducing spoken words in writing, e.g. when working with oral sources such as interviews). It is best to use established conventions for this, usually following a prominent academic journal for a particular region or language. Whether you use an existing system, adapt one or devise your own, this should be clearly explained, either in a footnote in the introduction, or, if the explanation is detailed and complex, in the front matter (e.g. a preface or Note on Transcription and/or Transliteration).

Coursework Submission via Inspera

All coursework (the FHS 5 Portfolio components, the Second-Year Option essay, and the Dissertation) should be submitted via Inspera, and you should use the following URL to login: https://oxford.inspera.com/  

  • The University’s Online Assessments Page has all the information needed to successfully submit your coursework, including a Quick Reference Guide.
  • You MUST ensure that you upload your file and, when you are happy you have uploaded the correct and final file, submit it. This is a two-step process. Your work is NOT submitted until you have pressed the ‘Submit now’ button.
  • Once you press the ‘Submit now’ button, you will be shown a confirmation that your work has been submitted. You can also view the work you have submitted by going to the Dashboard in Inspera and clicking on ‘Archive’.  
  • You won’t be able to edit your submission in Inspera after you press ‘Submit now’. So, make sure that you check your work VERY CAREFULLY before you submit it.  
  • In addition, this short video walks you through the final step of pressing ‘Submit now’ to ensure that your work reaches your examiners.    
  • If you do identify a problem with the file you have submitted, you can replace the file before the deadline, or within 30 minutes of the deadline by emailing ugsupport@arch.ox.ac.uk. (This process should not be used for minor typographical mistakes)  

In addition:

  • You will need to upload your submission as a SINGLE PDF document.
  • Your name should not appear anywhere on the document.
  • All files will automatically be assessed against Turnitin. 
  • You are advised to read the University’s pages on TurnItIn and Plagiarism awareness
  • You can create a pdf from most software packages either as a save/export or print option
  • If you experience any technical difficulties on the day that delays your submission, please send ugsupport@arch.ox.ac.uk  a copy of your report via email.
  • It is also really important that you retain a copy of your submitted file after the deadline.  

Academic Integrity: Good Practice in Citation, and the Avoidance of Plagiarism

If you are unclear about how to take notes or use web- sourced material properly, or what is acceptable practice when writing your essay, fieldwork project report, dissertation etc, please ask for advice from your tutor. The most up-to-date advice and information about plagiarism and how to avoid it is also available here at https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/academic/guidance/skills/plagiarism

Section 5.4 of the Proctor and Assessors’ Student Handbook has the following statement about plagiarism:

All students must carefully read Regulations 3, 4, 5 and 6 in the Proctors’ Disciplinary Regulations for University Examinations, which make clear that:

  • you must always indicate to the examiners when you have drawn on the work of others
  • other people’s original ideas and methods should be clearly distinguished from your own
  • other people’s words, illustrations, diagrams etc should be clearly indicated regardless of whether they are copied exactly, paraphrased, or adapted
  • material you have previously submitted for examination, at this University or elsewhere, cannot be re-used unless specifically permitted in the special Subject Regulations.

Failure to acknowledge your sources by clear citation and referencing constitutes plagiarism. The University reserves the right to use software applications to screen any individual’s submitted work for matches either to published sources or to other submitted work. In some examinations, all candidates are asked to submit electronic copies of essays, dissertations etc for screening by ‘Turnitin’. Any matches might indicate either plagiarism or collusion. Although you are encouraged to use electronic resources in academic work, you must remember that the plagiarism regulations apply to online material and other digital material just as much as they do to printed material.

The University’s Education Committee has also produced and approved an extensive set of web pages, including new video resources on academic skills such as note-taking and time management. These can be found via http://www.ox.ac.uk/students/academic/guidance/skills

The University has also invested in a new Plagiarism Awareness online course (https://weblearn.ox.ac.uk/portal/hierarchy/skills/plag) which you are strongly advised to complete early in your course of studies.

If University examiners believe that material submitted by a candidate may be plagiarised, they will refer the matter to the Proctors. The Proctors will suspend a student’s examination while they fully investigate such cases (this can include interviewing the student). If they consider that a breach of the disciplinary regulations has occurred, the Proctors are empowered to refer the matter to the Student Disciplinary Panel. Where plagiarism is proven, it will be dealt with severely: in the most extreme cases, this can result in the student’s career at Oxford being ended by expulsion from the University.

 

 

The Equality and Diversity Unit promotes equality, values diversity and supports departments/faculties and colleges in maintaining a working, learning and social environment in which the rights and dignity of all members of the university community are respected. It aims to ensure that no student will be treated less favourably on the grounds of age, disability, gender, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and/or belief, and sexual orientation. For more information on the networks and activities the Unit supports, visit: https://edu.admin.ox.ac.uk/home. These include:

  • LGBT Staff Network (staff and graduate students)
  • Race Equality Network (staff and students)
  • Oxford Women’s Network (staff and students)
  • LGBT History Month
  • Black History Month

The Equality and Diversity Unit supports a network of over 300 harassment advisors in departments/faculties and colleges and a central Harassment Advisory Service. For more information on the University’s Harassment and Bullying policy and the support available for students visit: https://edu.admin.ox.ac.uk/support

The Disability Advisory Service (DAS) can provide information, advice and guidance on the way in which a particular disability may impact on a your student experience at the University and assist with organising disability-related study support. For more information visit: http://www.ox.ac.uk/students/shw/das/

The Counselling Service is here to help you address personal or emotional problems that get in the way of having a good experience at Oxford and realising your full academic and personal potential. They offer a free and confidential service. For more information visit: http://www.ox.ac.uk/students/shw/counselling/

A range of services led by students are available to help provide support to other students, peer support, OUSU Student Advice Service and Nightline. For more information visit: http://www.ox.ac.uk/students/shw/peer/

An Undergraduate Representative (elected by ballot at the end of each Trinity Term) attends meetings of the Standing Committee for Archaeology and Anthropology, the School of Archaeology Board and the Committee for the School of Archaeology.

The Undergraduate Representative convenes and chairs the Student Liaison Meetings, scheduled once a term, which provides an informal setting for discussion of a wide range of topics. The Undergraduate Administrator is invited to attend or is informed of what is discussed. Concerns raised are discussed at meetings of the Standing Committee and responses then normally considered under reserved business so that the Chairman of the Committee can reply in writing.

Feedback is an important aspect of ongoing course development. Feedback is an important aspect of ongoing course development. Students will be given the opportunity to respond and provide feedback to the lecture courses they receive. It is hoped to move this to an online format this year, however a sample questionnaire is provided on the following page by way of example. Responses are anonymous and comments are circulated to members of the Standing Committee/Course co-ordinators.

Contact: ugrep@arch.ox.ac.uk

The procedures adopted by the Proctors in relation to complaints and academic appeals are described on the Proctors’ webpage: http://www.proctors.ox.ac.uk/complaintsandacademicappeals/, the Student Handbook (http://www.proctors.ox.ac.uk/handbook/handbook/) and the relevant Council regulations (http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/statutes/).

Students should also be aware that the University has procedures in place for hearing and acting on complaints of any sort and all students are referred to the Proctors' and Assessor's handbook Essential Information for Students for advice in these matters.

Many sources of advice are available within colleges, within faculties/departments and from bodies like the Student Advice Service provided by OUSU or the Counselling Service. Oxford Nightline, a confidential listening and information service run for students by students, is open 8pm until 8am from Noughth to Ninth Week each term. Students can phone (2)70270 or visit at 16 Wellington Square.

The Standing Committee, Course Co-ordinators and College Tutors do their best to ensure that the organisation and teaching of the course are carried out in an efficient, friendly and productive way, but all are aware that problems can occur and that there are a number of ways in which dissatisfactions can arise. General areas of concern about provision affecting students as a whole should be raised via the Undergraduate Representative on the committees that he/she attends.

If your concern or complaint relates to teaching or other provision made by the Schools of Archaeology or Anthropology (i.e. lectures/practical classes/seminars), then you should raise it with your College Tutor or the course co-ordinator. If your concern or complaint relates to teaching arranged by your College (i.e. tutorials), then you should raise it with your College Tutor. The Standing Committee cannot intervene in the arrangement or conduct of College-based teaching.

If the problem is with the College Tutor/Director of Studies, you should first turn to authorities within the college. In every college it is the concern of the Senior Tutor that subjects are well looked after, and if you believe that not to be the case with Archaeology and Anthropology in your college it is important that the Senior Tutor in the college be made aware of that. If the Senior Tutor is unable or unwilling to help then it may help to turn to the Chair of the Standing Committee for Archaeology and Anthropology; they will certainly be able to advise you on how reasonable/unreasonable your complaint is, and they may be able to intervene, although once again it is important to remember that the Standing Committee has no status within colleges.

In matters of harassment a special procedure applies. The University regards harassment as unacceptable. Harassment is defined as unwarranted behaviour which disrupts your work, reduces your quality of life or creates an offensive working or social environment; it includes bullying, verbal or physical abuse, unwelcome sexual advances or other hostile acts or expressions relating to your sex, sexual orientation, religion. Harassment is a University Offence for which penalties range from reprimand to expulsion. Colleges have and advertise the existence of harassment advisers and the Standing Committee also appoints advisers (currently Professor C. Gosden, Institute of Archaeology, tel. (2)88012). The University has also created an Advisory Panel of Senior Members appointed by the Proctors. This panel is responsible for supporting, coordinating and monitoring the effectiveness of the University's arrangements for dealing with harassment, but you may approach also members of this panel directly on (2)70760, a number specially designated for this purpose.

 

 

Archaeology and anthropology open up a wide range of careers to graduates as a result of its intellectual breadth and honing of analytical, presentational, and argumentative skills. Some will go on to do further study and research in one or other of the disciplines, to become the professional archaeologists and anthropologists of the future. There are also increasing opportunities both in the public and private sectors in heritage management, museum curation and education, regional archaeological services, development work, and in the media, as well as in areas such as advertising, marketing and community relations. Additionally, past students have entered such diverse careers as the civil service, teaching, the law (after taking a suitable conversion course), the military, medicine (after further study), and banking, among many others.

The University Careers Service (www.careers.ox.ac.uk ) is open to all students from the beginning of your study. The service is useful for identifying work experience or vacation jobs, and whether you have a clear idea of future career possibilities or not it is worth familiarizing yourself with the wide range of advice and events on offer.

As both Oxford and our university have such a rich cultural life, there are many varied opportunities to build experience, including exclusive opportunities for our BA Archaeology and Anthropology students. For example

  • As a student at Oxford you can apply to one of five internship programmes which provide research and professional work experience placements exclusively to Oxford students, with adjunct funding and support.
  • Apply to the internships at the Ashmolean Museum (offered exclusively to students taking the BA in Arch & Anth)
  • Apply  to  the  internships  at  the School  of  Archaeology  Archives which tell   the story of archaeology from the late 19th century onwards through the books, maps, plans, notes, pictures, photographs, drawings, letters, and paraphernalia of archaeologists.
  • Join a community project. Start by exploring www.oxonarts.info
  • Interested in making documentaries? Explore the Oxford Broadcasting Association to work on student films
  • Interested    in    working    in    museums    or    galleries? Sign             up   for            volunteering at www.museums.ox.ac.uk
  • Get involved with Oxford Preservation Trust projects locally.
  • Confident at IT skills such as blogging and website design? Then why not think about creating a heritage-style 'audio guide' for visitors to your college or a record of street art in Oxford? Don't know how to build a website or an app? Just ask Lynda.com and sign in with your Single Sign-on to access hundreds of 'how-to', bite-size video tutorials.
  • Become a non-accredited member (student/affiliate) of the CIfA - Chartered Institute for Archaeologists
  • Volunteer or apply to be an intern at the Royal Anthropological Institute