Community archaeology

We believe that the insights and discoveries of our academics should be shared readily with our local communities and the wider world, and we run a programme of events to do just that.

We open up the discovery of the past to the public in our area, helping them get a handle on the history that feeds into their present-day identity. We work with schools and encourage young learners to set their sights high and discover all they can about their culture and themselves.

 

Archaeology in action

• Every year we team up with Heeley City Farm on Life at No. 57 (right) – an urban excavation project showing local people what life was like 100 years ago right on their doorsteps here in Sheffield.
• At our Community Heritage Forum we invite the public into the department to exchange ideas about how to open up local heritage projects to a wider audience.
• We've joined up with the Friends of Bishops' House, who organise public access to one of the oldest buildings in Sheffield. Our analysis of the materials of the house will enrich local people's understanding of its structure and history.
• Our excavation at Cawthorne Woods here in South Yorkshire is revealing plenty about the origins of local manufacturing industry – of iron, ceramics, glass and lead. We're inviting local people along to the project to share our findings.

 

Bring the past to life

These are just a few examples of how we live out our belief in sharing archaeology with local communities. We hope you share that belief. Join our department and you won't just discover the past: you'll bring it back to life. You'll make it meaningful to an audience that extends way beyond the lab and the lecture hall.

This makes studying archaeology at the University of Sheffield a uniquely rewarding and absorbing experience. If you go on to build a career in bringing heritage to the public – in a museum, with historic buildings, as an archivist, or wherever – it'll give you a handy boost in the job market too.