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Cambridge Archaeology and Anthropology Students and Applicants

Hello,

I have my interview at Clare for Arch & Anth next week and was just wondering if anybody has any advice or any info that would be remotely helpful really.

Also, I have to do a test on a general topic in Arch and Anth. Any idea how general is general?

Any help greatly appreciated!

Thank-you! :biggrin:

Reply 1

.Damian.

Hey,
there doesn’t seem to be a thread devoted to Arch and Anth in here, but admittedly it’s quite a small subject..

Anyway, is anyone else applying for Arch and Anth for 2009 entry? Which college are you applying to?
Are there any current students who would care to share their experiences with the course? :smile:

Personally, I love the course and it seems perfect to me. I went to the open day, and it was really amazing. During the subject talk, I just kept on thinking that I can’t wait to study everything. However, I can’t really make up my mind about which college I should apply to. Initially, I was set on Trinity but it seemed rather unwelcoming and slightly intimidating in comparison to the other colleges I visited. I also had a better feeling walking around the other colleges... but ultimately, I would love to read the course at any college :smile:

P.S. I tried to post the thread in the Cambridge subforum but it wouldn’t let me do that :confused:

- could a mod move it there, please?

Reply 2

Catsmeat

13

I'm a current Arch & Anth student, at Caius. If you have any specific (or more general) queries, please ask and I'll be glad to contribute something.

Presumably, you were offered the reinvigorated course (i.e., offering modules in Assyriology/Egyptology)?

Reply 3

Opalfruit

Arch and Anth as superfabulously great. Hoorah!

Reply 4

dig_the_pony

I'm going to apply for 2009 entry, not entirely sure about college choice but i've whittled it down to three (St Catharine's, Corpus Christi and Trinity Hall) and i'm going to see them soon so hopefully that will aid my decision.

Like Damian i'm wondering if it matters what discipline your DoS specialises in, both throughout the course and also at interview; I don't mind having to talk about all three disciplines in some way but archaeology is really my area and I think i'd completely flounder if I got in there and I was suddenly quizzed totally about biological anthropology.

Also, what effect does having an external DoS have upon your learning experience? Trinity Hall has an external one but I don't really want that to put me off applying as otherwise I really like the look of the college.

And finally, biological anthropology: how hard is it for someone who hasn't done A level biology? And would you say that at times it can be frustrating to have to study two other disciplines when you only really want to concentrate on one area? I only say this because I know someone who dropped out of the degree at Oxford because they found themselves in that exact situation. Personally I find the prospect of studying all three disciplines together appealing, and of course it's only for the first year at Cambridge, but I would just like to hear your opinions.

Thanks!

Reply 5

Vivien_K

dig_the_pony

I'm going to apply for 2009 entry, not entirely sure about college choice but i've whittled it down to three (St Catharine's, Corpus Christi and Trinity Hall) and i'm going to see them soon so hopefully that will aid my decision.

Like Damian i'm wondering if it matters what discipline your DoS specialises in, both throughout the course and also at interview; I don't mind having to talk about all three disciplines in some way but archaeology is really my area and I think i'd completely flounder if I got in there and I was suddenly quizzed totally about biological anthropology.

Also, what effect does having an external DoS have upon your learning experience? Trinity Hall has an external one but I don't really want that to put me off applying as otherwise I really like the look of the college.

And finally, biological anthropology: how hard is it for someone who hasn't done A level biology? And would you say that at times it can be frustrating to have to study two other disciplines when you only really want to concentrate on one area? I only say this because I know someone who dropped out of the degree at Oxford because they found themselves in that exact situation. Personally I find the prospect of studying all three disciplines together appealing, and of course it's only for the first year at Cambridge, but I would just like to hear your opinions.

Thanks!

Heya, am about to start my second year in arch & anth, so will do my best to construct a useful reply. I'm at Corpus and it's a really good college for Arch & Anth (we have a fellow in each of the three disciplines, so you'll have an internal DoS) but we're a very small college (which is worth considering if you have strong views on college size). Unless you're 100% certain what your subject interest is I wouldn't worry too much about trying to find a DoS with similar interests. You'll be interviewed in all three areas, so don't worry about getting a grilling on genetics or similar. My soc anth supervisions were out of college, this wasn't a problem as all it meant was a 10 minute walk to Newnham.

When I came to Cambridge I was determined I wanted to do Archaeology (having done it at A level) and had the same fears about bio anth (I hadn't done any science since GCSE) a year later i'm taking part two Bio Anth :p:

Doing all three creates a great base for what ever you specialise in, in second/third year as the three disciplines are so closely related. Bio Anth, although fairly scientific can definately be done without A level biology (although you may want to read up on genetics.) My main interest now is Primatology which I hadn't even considered til studying Bio Anth.

:smile:

Reply 6

Elanor Sarralyn

I'm planning to apply to Arch and Anth...in 2010. (Yeah, I have these weird issues with having fits early about unis. Just ask my friends.) Probably Open, as I don't particularly care about which college--I'm in the US, and frankly, I'll be ecstatic if I get in at all. Evidently it's very, very rare for US applicants to be accepted straight from high school.

How far does it get into genetics? And with the interviews, do they switch from subject to subject, or do they tend to focus on whatever subject you happen to delve into first?

Reply 7

Catsmeat

13

Elanor Sarralyn

How far does it get into genetics? And with the interviews, do they switch from subject to subject, or do they tend to focus on whatever subject you happen to delve into first?

As to your first question, the lectures last year (note that the course has changed several modules, and may well have altered the teaching) provided a single 'course' on genetics (including the application of genetics to population studies, so it remained 'relevant') comprised of eight-or-so hour lectures. For one who has not studied genetics or human biology systematically since GCSE (and even then it was hardly complex), the material was relatively easy to digest. Some of the papers that you read may appear daunting, but a graduate level understanding is not required in Part I. Indeed, the important aspect of the genetics course concerns its application to anthropology/archaeology in relation to areas such as population studies and the genome-mapping project for fossil hominids; in this case, the results are more important than 'how they got there'. I'm a Part IIA archaeologist, so as to the intensity of genetics in biological anthropology in IIA/B I have little idea. We do continue the study of archaeogenetics, however, but again this is concerned more with the application of results than their calculation.

As for your second question, the interviews really do vary; there is no such thing as the 'ordinary' interview. It depends on the interviewer(s) personal training, your responses, and the nature of any current debates in the disciplines. Mine had nothing to do with biological anthropology, for example, and revolved principally around ethnographic film and museums' practice. Some interviewers might tack to a certain wind, if you'll excuse the expression, but there's no way to predict this.

I hope that helps.

Reply 8

Elanor Sarralyn

Thanks. ^^ Are there any particular colleges that are especially good for Arch and Anth?

Reply 9

Catsmeat

13

Elanor Sarralyn

Thanks. ^^ Are there any particular colleges that are especially good for Arch and Anth?

Colleges tend not to specialise, so it's difficult to judge. Principally you'll receive most of your teaching through the Faculty, especially in Part II archaeology. The amount that any college invests in a particular subject must be decided at some level, and I'm sure it's probably relative to the number of students who require teaching that year; however, wherever you attend you'll receive the same 'style' (i.e., supervision) of teaching in college, with lectures and seminars (including practicals) through the Faculty, and at the same quality. Make a choice based on more domestic aspects; housing, location, facilities, and so forth.

Reply 10

dakws

Hi,
Other people applying for this course! That's so exciting! Does anyone have any tips on good background reading for the interview?

Reply 11

The West Wing

18

Arch and Anth is awesome!!!

Reply 12

johan_89

9

The West Wing

Arch and Anth is awesome!!!

Agree! It seems awesome. I applying next year though, through CSAS, do you think that I could receive a offer having 39-40 IB-points? (I dunno my exact number of points yet, as I just did my math exam this november).

Reply 13

The West Wing

18

johan_89

Agree! It seems awesome. I applying next year though, through CSAS, do you think that I could receive a offer having 39-40 IB-points? (I dunno my exact number of points yet, as I just did my math exam this november).

Possibly, it's hard to tell, and CSAS does complicate things.

Reply 14

johan_89

9

The West Wing

Possibly, it's hard to tell, and CSAS does complicate things.

OK. I presume applying through CSAS won't be a disadvantage, if I have valid reasons? Is Arch and Anth a popular course?

Reply 15

The West Wing

18

johan_89

OK. I presume applying through CSAS won't be a disadvantage, if I have valid reasons? Is Arch and Anth a popular course?

It won't be an advantage or a disadvantage, it will mean they consider you in different circumstances. Arch and Anth is reasonably popular. It doesn't attract the most applicants, but the ones that apply are all very dedicated and enthusiastic. There are some people here who know a scarily high amount about primates...

Reply 16

dakws

The West Wing

Arch and Anth is awesome!!!

I agree! However when I tell people what I want to do no one seems to know what it is...

A query to west wing; are you at Clare college? What's it like? I have applied there for Archaeology and Anthropology but I don't really know that much about it (other than it's pretty! Ha). Did you start out doing Archaeology and Anthropology or something else? How flexible is the course? I really interested in the Akkadian option but...I don't know! Sorry for bugging you!

Reply 17

The West Wing

18

dakws

I agree! However when I tell people what I want to do no one seems to know what it is...

A query to west wing; are you at Clare college? What's it like? I have applied there for Archaeology and Anthropology but I don't really know that much about it (other than it's pretty! Ha). Did you start out doing Archaeology and Anthropology or something else? How flexible is the course? I really interested in the Akkadian option but...I don't know! Sorry for bugging you!

It's very beautiful. Reasonably serious and academically focused, though also fun - it tends to balance the two well. I'm in PPS but I do a Bio Anth option, and my supervisor is the DoS in Arch and Anth so I see her a lot.

I'd say the course is one of the most flexible in Cambridge and you can do a lot of what you want. In the first year you can do Politics, Sociology or Psychology if you wish to (although nobody at Clare seems to do this), and in terms of specialisation you can do interdisciplinarian modules or stick to one option. It's a lovely department which is very friendly and I think it's a fantastic course. If you want to know more about an aspect of the course there's no harm bringing it up at the interview, the DoS is incredibly lovely.

Reply 18

*whitenoise*

dakws

Hi,
Other people applying for this course! That's so exciting! Does anyone have any tips on good background reading for the interview?

There's a reading list on the cambridge website which I found helpful.

I've got an interview at Clare next weekend, really exciting and utterly terrifying, has anyone else on here got interviews there too? There's an essay we have to write before interview, does anyone know what kind of questions there might be- as in how general?

Edit: Just read the discussing interviews post, ooops, but still, anyone else with interviews at Clare?

Reply 19

llys

17

Catsmeat

Presumably, you were offered the reinvigorated course (i.e., offering modules in Assyriology/Egyptology)?

Hi - just curious: I was wondering how many students choose to go down that route? I know this is a new thing in the Arch and Anth tripos, but am assuming that current students have these options as well now?

I know it does not matter for anything; I'm just really curious how many students are actually interested in Ancient Mesopotamia / History & Archeology specifically of the Ancient Near East (as opposed to other geographic locations).

Cambridge Archaeology and Anthropology Students and Applicants

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