Conflict Archaeology & Heritage

Background

Conflict and Heritage Archaeology is a unique programme that reflects the central role which the internationally renowned Centre for Battlefield Archaeology has played in the development of archaeological approaches to battlefields and other aspects of conflict heritage. Over recent years battlefields have come to be accepted as important elements of the world’s cultural heritage and this programme will provide an ideal grounding for those interested in the archaeological potential of these fields of conflict. From battlefield archaeology, to the anthropology of warfare, to archaeologies of confinement, the programme will explore in depth the many and varied ways that human conflict can be interrogated via an archaeologically focused interdisciplinary approach, encompassing time periods from the prehistoric to the modern.

As a PGT student, you will benefit directly from the Centre’s portfolio of past and present research, which includes investigations of various conflict sites such as the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 in South Africa, the Jacobite rebellions in Scotland, excavations of First World War trenches on the Western Front, the WWII Stalag Luft III POW camp, to name but a few. Students will also benefit from the experience of leading experts based outside of the Centre and the University, who will on various occasions give guest lectures as part of the course. Additionally, we are actively engaged in a number of field projects, both within the UK and overseas.

Conflict Archaeology & Heritage

Research Environment

Conflict Heritage and Archaeology is a unique programme that reflects the central role which the internationally renowned Centre for Battlefield Archaeology has played in the development of the field.  The Centre for Battlefield Archaeology is the first research centre in the world devoted exclusively to researching archaeologies of conflict, but you will also be able to draw on a wide range of experts and benefit from a close association with Archaeology, History and the Scottish Centre for War Studies at the University of Glasgow.

The Centre is constantly engaged in research projects, both in Britain and abroad. Projects have included:

• Work on battlefields of the 1879 Anglo-Zulu War in South Africa
• Work on the discovery of the site of the Battle of Bannockburn
• The excavation of tunnels from the Great Escape at Stalag Luft III in Poland
• A range of projects on the Western Front from the First World War
• A major project investigating the archaeology of the Battle of Waterloo

It is also heavily involved with experimental archaeology, with a ground-breaking HLF-funded project with Northlight Heritage to reconstruct WWI trenches over a period of three years, and maintains a small arsenal of black powder firearms, such as Brown Bess muskets and Baker rifles, as well as a working reproduction of an eighteenth century 1.5 pounder cannon, which have been used in various ballistic experiments.

As a postgraduate student, you will benefit directly from the Centre’s portfolio of past and present research, also benefit from the experience of leading experts based outside of the Centre and the University, who often give guest lectures as part of the course. Additionally, we are actively engaged in a number of field projects, both within the UK and overseas.