History, Archaeology and Heritage 

Our learning environment is utterly unique; based in a listed building, we’re surrounded by rich history. From our immediate learning environment to what’s on our doorstep, we can offer students an immersive experience of History, Archaeology and Heritage.

Bangor University is set in a spectacular mountain and marine scenery, producing rich material and written evidence for over four thousand years of human settlement, conflict, industry, community, and inventiveness.

At Bangor, the following are very prominent thanks to our location on our history:

• neolithic monuments
• iron age and Roman forts
• medieval castles
• cathedrals and gentry estates
• Tudor townhouse
• the legacy of the industrial revolution and slavery
• the country seats of the Victorian aristocracy

The Archives and Special Collections consists of documents from the medieval to the contemporary age and cover a variety of subjects. The archival and manuscript holdings of Bangor University were recently described as “the most distinguished in a university library anywhere in Britain”. They span many centuries, from the medieval to the contemporary age, and contribute to the uniqueness of Bangor as a place of study for history undergraduates and postgraduates.

Our location means we can get students out to learn in the environment with a wide range of field trips and archival visits. There are two UNESCO world heritage sites within five miles of our campus, and with our field trips, you can encounter evidence from the past first-hand and join us in our mission to promote, protect, and present this heritage.

By studying History, Archaeology, and Heritage you’ll become part of a close-knit and supportive community. Our smaller class sizes mean you’ll get to know the academic team by name, and there are always people on hand to answer your questions. Students studying History, Archaeology, and Heritage form a close community, so you’ll get to know others on your course who share your interests well.

Bangor University is committed to the study and the sustainability of the unique histories, cultures, languages, and heritages of Wales, Britain, Europe and beyond. As well as looking at issues of nationality right here in Wales, our curriculum looks at topics that affect communities across the globe, such as the range of:

• identities
• cultures
• genders
• ethnicities
• sexualities
• and human experiences

Looking at smaller communities like that in Wales allows you to see many different pasts and apply your insights much more widely. Comparing different cultures and identities in our region and our research serves as a laboratory for thinking about an increasingly interconnected and multifaceted world.

By studying History, Archaeology, and Heritage you can choose to include modules from the following  alongside the core of your own course:

• history
• archaeology
• heritage
• politics
• literature
• language

Even within individual modules, you’ll see a vast range of evidence – written, material, pictorial, landscape, and architectural – which we can use to understand the past. This will enrich the questions you ask, broaden your awareness of how they can be answered, and deepen your curiosity and analysis: all of this is useful, both in your degree and in employment.

By studying History, Archaeology, and Heritage, you can improve your employability and career prospects. You’ll study the past with an eye on your future. In your final year dissertation, you design and manage your own research project developing your skills and ability to work independently. We offer an option to undertake a work placement module, often in local heritage sites allowing you to build relationships and connections within the industry.

Studying the past at Bangor opens opportunities for using your knowledge in research, museums and heritage, archives, teaching, conservation and many other areas. A degree in History, Archaeology, and Heritage also equips you with skills of investigation, analysis, argument, and presentation, which are highly valuable in many industries.