Archaeology and the Antiquarians



Overview

For many years, the work of the antiquarians was seen as inaccurate and a rather fantastical entanglement with, and interpretation of, the archaeological record.  Today, we have a new way of thinking about their work, with refreshed ways of engaging with and drawing upon their writings, drawings and cartographies. 

In this course we engage with the brilliant minds of the antiquarians and consider the social, political and historical context of their work.  This will include texts, drawings and mapwork. Our focus of attention will be on the now designated UNESCO World Heritage sites of Stonehenge and Avebury.  Both sites were studied intensively by the antiquarians John Aubrey (1626 –1697) and William Stukeley (1687 –1765) who both drew fascinating maps and drawings of the sites.  We will visit both sites and step into them through the visual depictions of the locations by these antiquarians.  Our research will include a class-based fieldtrip to The Bodleian Library (University of Oxford) for a special viewing of both Aubrey and Stukeley’s original journals.   

We also consider other antiquarians, such as Sir Richard Colt Hoare, for a wider consideration of the legacy of the antiquarians and how we can perceptively receive their work today.

Programme details

Courses starts: 24 Apr 2025

Week 1: Course Introduction: Meet the Antiquarians

Week 2: Writing the Past: Working with Antiquarian Texts

Week 3: Illustrating the Past: Working with Antiquarian Maps and Images

Week 4: Class Session Fieldtrip to the Bodleian Library to View the Original Journals of William Stukeley and John Aubrey

Week 5: Saturday Fieldtrip to Stonehenge (24th May)

Week 6: Review of Stonehenge Fieldtrip

Week 7: Saturday Fieldtrip to Avebury (7th June)

Week 8: Review of Avebury Fieldtrip

Week 9:  The Modern Antiquarian

Week 10: Course Summary: The Antiquarian Mindset

Information on Fieldtrips:

A one-day Saturday fieldtrip to Avebury.

We meet at Avebury and walk around the site engaging with the cartographic maps , visual media and writings of the antiquarians.   We meet at 10:30 in the Circles Café at Avebury for an 11am start.   Lunch (bring your own, or there is a pub and café at the site) will be 12:30-1:30.   The trip will end around 3:30-4:00pm.   Avebury is free entry. If you are driving there is a charge to park in the National Trust car park (unless you are a member of the National Trust).  It is possible to travel to Avebury via public transport (buses run from Swindon and Trowbridge from bus stops close to the tarin station). Further details will be given at the beginning of the course.

A one-day Saturday fieldtrip to Stonehenge.

We meet at Stonehenge visitor centre and walk to Stonehenge engaging with the cartographic maps , visual media and writings of the antiquarians.   We meet at 11:00 in the Stonehenge Visitor Café for an 11:30am start.   Lunch (bring your own) will be 12:45-1:30 in the landscape (weather depending) .   The trip will end around 3:00pm.   There are entry fee options for Stonehenge. Please see the following link (https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/prices-and-opening-times/). If you are driving there is car park at Stonehenge. It is possible to travel to Stonehenge via public transport (buses run from Salisbury Train Station – the timetable can be seen via this link https://www.thestonehengetour.info/bus-timetable/). Further details will be given at the beginning of the course.

A class visit to the Bodleian Library, Oxford.

We meet outside the Weston Library in central Oxford at the beginning of class.  The trip will run through the duration of the class session.   There is a café and facilities on site. Further details will be given at the beginning of the course

Certification

To complete the course and receive a certificate, you will be required to attend at least 80% of the classes on the course and pass your final assignment. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so.

Fees

Description Costs
Course Fee £285.00
Take this course for CATS points £30.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:

Concessionary fees for short courses

Tutor

Ms Fay Stevens

Fay Stevens is an award winning and experienced lecturer. She has wide experience of teaching  in UK and International Universities and is currently completing a PhD in archaeology. Her expertise is in theoretical and landscape archaeology, material culture studies and pedagogy in education. Fay currently teaches at Oxford University Department of Continuing Education on a range of programmes, is Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Notre Dame (U.S.A.) in London, Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries London and Director of the Oxford Berkeley Programme, University of Oxford (2024).

BA (Hons), MA, PGCTLL, FSA

Course aims

The course offers a foundation in the archaeology of antiquarian landscapes.

Course Objectives:

  • To familiarise students with the history and archaeology of antiquarian landscapes.
  • To contextualise their archaeological understanding of key issues and approaches to antiquarian landscapes.
  • To encourage and equip students with the skills and resources required to explore their own interests in landscape archaeology and the work of the antiquarians.

Teaching methods

The course will be taught using a range of teaching strategies and methods. This includes lectures, question and answer sessions, discussion, practical sessions, field trips, as well as encouraging reflection, independent study and coursework participation. You will be inspired and encouraged to develop the ability to process and apply information through discussion as well as through written work, in order to cultivate skills in critical thinking, as well as your own interests in the subject through independent study.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course students will be expected to:

  • demonstrate introductory knowledge of the work of antiquarians and how they engaged with ancient archaeological sites
  • possess critical awareness of the key issues relevant to the study of prehistoric landscapes and antiquarian interactions with them
  • be aware of how archaeological analytical techniques and interpretations can be used to understand the work of the antiquarians and the archaeological sites they interacted with.

Assessment methods

Assessment will be both formative and summative.

Formative:  You have the option of submitting a short piece of writing for feedback.  This is not a graded assignment but an opportunity to obtain feedback and direction in your scholarly work.  It might, for example, be on the thinking behind an essay, or a book review that might form the basis of one of the three short written pieces.  This work should be submitted mid-way in the term.

Summative:  Submission of work for feedback and grading. You have a choice as to the assessment format and there are two options.

1.     A collection of three several short written pieces (e.g. book/site/artefact reviews of 500 words each, totalling c.1500 words) that can be spread throughout the term or submitted as a portfolio of works at the end of the course.

2.      An essay or fieldtrip review (c.1500 words).  The tutor will provide a list of topics, although you may select your own relevant topic. Guidance will be provided throughout the term.

Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work the required standard.

Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form

Application

To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.

Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an Enrolment Form (Word) or Enrolment Form (Pdf)

Level and demands

The Department's Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, i.e. first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.

Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)

To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.

Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from the January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support