Undergraduate study in Anthropology

Anthropology can be studied at the University of Exeter as part of the BA Sociology and Anthropology and BA Archaeology and Anthropology combined honours degrees, or as Flexible Combined Honours. In Flexible Combined Honours you have the opportunity study Anthropology in combination with other subjects which are part of the scheme.

Anthropology at Exeter engages in the 3-field concept of Social Anthropology, Archaeology and Physical Anthropology.

Social Anthropology modules tackle the fundamental questions about society and culture, and demonstrate the rich diversity of human life across the globe. You will learn about anthropological ideas concerning, for example, ritual, kinship, witchcraft, and ethnicity, but also how anthropologists have contributed to debates on important current issues, such as health, war and violence, science and technology, consumption and the environment.You will learn to query believes which are taken for granted, and to ground your views in a historically and culturally informed understanding of the world.

At Exeter, we have a contemporary outlook on Anthropology. We examine witchcraft in Africa as a commentary on globalisation and economic change; Egyptian TV series as expressions of gender relations, power and nation building; and the work of gold miners in West Africa as an example of how people relate to their environment.

Archaeology modules allow you to understand the human experience and life through the study of physical evidence and how such evidence is identified, gathered, analysed and interpreted. This includes such subjects as material culture, environmental reconstruction, landscapes, technologies and human-animal interactions.

Finally, Physical Anthropology focuses on human remains and the means by which we understand our evolution, health, mortality and mortuary practices.  Modules include Forensic Anthropology and Funerary Osteo-Archaeology.

The teaching of Anthropology is based in the Departments of Sociology and Philosophy, and Archaeology, giving you access to a range of experts from different fields.

Anthropology staff

Dr Gisa Weszkalnys
Dr Scott Vrecko
Dr Alan Outram
Dr Marisa Lazzari
Dr Chris Knusel
Professor Bruce Bradley