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Archaeology
 Research Division

Heritage & Creativity Research Theme

Understanding the past


Across the Archaeology research division we combine advanced analytical techniques with social approaches to understand fundamental aspects of past human experience that will help us prepare better for the future. 

We explore how humans have interacted with the natural environment over millennia; how and why people migrated, their cultures, diet and health. We also research how changes to climate affected past cultures and how people used objects to express their identities. 

Our research projects have relevance to the issues that face societies today, and our work continues to inform global debates that explore questions of climate change, conflict, migration and disease. 

Our research is internationally outstanding and our staff, post-doctoral researchers and PhD students are amongst the most influential in their disciplines. Four academics within the Division are Fellows of the British Academy and three have been awarded ‘Archaeologist of the Year’ by Current Archaeology. 

Interdisciplinary research is central to our success and helps us to build a detailed understanding of how people lived in the past and responded to their changing environments.  Our vibrant research culture is enriched by world-class laboratories, facilities and collections.

Contact us

For specific enquiries, please contact:

Professor Hella Eckardt

Research Division Lead

Email: h.eckardt@reading.ac.uk

Telephone: +44 (0)118 378 6266

For more information on how the University of Reading can work with your business, please contact:

Email: frontdoor@reading.ac.uk

Telephone: + 44 (0)118 378 5380

Find out how we can support your business

Roberta Gilchrist presents the Rhind Lectures

Watch Reading archaeologist Roberta Gilchrist speak on the subject of medieval archaeology and religious heritage, part of the prestigious Rhind Lectures.
An archaeologist uncovering an ancient hearthAn academic being interviewed at a digA team of archaeologists Student examining bones

Research Highlights

Revealing Glastonbury Abbey’s sacred heritage

Research by Professor Roberta Gilchrist is transforming our understanding of one of the most culturally significant sacred heritage sites in England, by analysing and interpreting a previously unpublished archive of archaeological excavations. This new research has transformed attitudes towards the conservation and management of Glastonbury Abbey, enabling more sustainable approaches to developing visitor facilities. Take a look at the website that includes digital reconstructions of many of the Abbey's original buildings.

Protecting and exhibiting Iraq’s cultural heritage

Conflict and crisis have fostered widespread looting and theft of Iraq’s invaluable heritage assets. Building on 40 years of collaborative research, the University of Reading led by Professor Roger Matthews have partnered with local stakeholders on interventions to address urgent and long-term threats to Iraq’s cultural heritage. These sustained partnerships with stakeholders have changed practice and enhanced capacity in Iraq’s heritage sector and empowered communities to protect and develop these globally significant resources for future generations. Find out more.

Adolescence, Migration and Health and Medieval England: the osteological evidence 

A collaboration between Mary Lewis and Janet Montgomery (Durham University), exploiting advances in forensic and archaeological science, has led to the analysis of large collections of adolescent skeletal remains, which is helping researchers to understand the health and wellbeing of adolescent groups in medieval England. 

Middle East Neolithic Transition – Integrated Community Approaches

A new programme of work led by Roger Matthews and Wendy Matthews is exploring important heritage sites in Iraq and Iran that span some of the most significant episodes of change in the history of humanity from 17.000 to 7000 BC. The multidisciplinary research team engages closely with local and national communities in both Iran and Iraq; a participatory approach which is also helping to protect these unique sites in conflict-affected regions. 

Landscapes of (re)conquest – multicultural frontiers in medieval south-western Europe

The monumental castles of south-western Europe are closely linked to the construction of national identities. Castle landscapes were created by conquests, which absorbed resident populations and supplemented them with migrants, resulting in varying degrees of multiculturalism. This project will provide the first integrated, comparative study of frontiers in Spain and Pyrenean France. Its two principle aims are to develop a holistic understanding of these frontier societies and re-connect castles with their landscapes. Find out more.

People and environment in pre-Colombian Amazonia

Before Columbus arrived in 1492, was Amazonia a pristine wilderness? Or had it already been transformed into a domesticated landscape by thousands of years of human land use? A £2m project funded by the AHRC and FAPESP  is aiming to find out. Co-led by Professor Frank Mayle, the project brings together an international multi-disciplinary team to gather archaeological and environmental data and evidence for the rise and fall of past societies, how such people grew or hunted for food, and their relationship with the environment. Techniques being used include: lab analyses of pottery, human remains and soils; microscopic analyses of ancient charcoal and pollen; evolutionary history of river networks; cave stalagmite climate records; and radiocarbon dating. Find out more.

Research clusters and projects

Clusters:
  • Landscape, Climate and Lived Environment Research Cluster
  • Diet, Health and the Life Course Research Cluster
  • Objects Materials and People Research Cluster
Projects:
  • The Central Zagros Archaeological Project
  • Islay Heritage
  • Glastonbury Abbey Archaeology
  • Romans Revealed
  • Archaeology for the future
  • Human-Environment Relationships in pre-Columbian Amazonia
Archaeology research facilities at Reading

Our facilities

Scientific archaeology at Reading is underpinned with state-of-the-art facilities in bioarchaeology, stable isotopes and geochemistry, geoarchaeology, archaeobotany, and palaeoclimatology. Find out more.
Student digging at Silchester

Study opportunities

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Subjects A-B

  • Accounting
  • Agriculture
  • Ancient History
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Architectural Engineering
  • Architecture
  • Art
  • Biochemistry
  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Biomedical Sciences
  • Bioveterinary Sciences
  • Building and Surveying
  • Business and Management

Subjects C-E

  • Chemistry
  • Classics and Classical Studies
  • Climate Science
  • Computer Science
  • Construction Management
  • Consumer Behaviour and Marketing
  • Creative Writing
  • Criminology
  • Drama
  • Ecology
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  • Healthcare
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  • Law
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  • Politics and International Relations
  • Psychology
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  • Sociology
  • Spanish
  • Speech and Language Therapy
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  • Zoology

We are in the process of finalising our postgraduate taught courses for 2026/27 entry. In the meantime, you can view our 2025/26 courses.

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