Buried Degrees: Where is BA Archaeology at SOAS?

Melina Tavakoli Moghaddam, Sub-editor, BA Politics and International Relations with a Year Abroad

You know when you walk up the stairs of the main library, find yourself on D floor, and notice on your right the breadth of resources dedicated to art and archaeology in Africa? Stacks and bays full of field excavation research, ceramic culture texts, and various explorations of diasporic art and antiquities inaccessible elsewhere. And yet, I had to leave SOAS for an entire academic year to be able to study archaeology. 

One would think that with the university being merely a five-minute walk away from the British Museum, SOAS staff members and administration would, at the very least, attempt to offer the archaeology department some CPR. As the materials collect dust and the modules drop off by the second, the inconspicuous cut of BA Archaeology has rarely, if ever, been discussed among the student body. Despite hours of Googling, the last proof of life I could find of the degree was on The Student Room forum in 2017: a thread posted by a prospective student wishing to meet other classmates. 

It is a shame that archaeology is only offered at a postgraduate level today, and even then, only when paired with History of Art, unless one goes onto a stand-alone PhD. But is it really a surprise? 

I could write pages upon pages about the SOAS archaeology alumni who have, since their studies, contributed significant archaeological discoveries in their fields. What is more important, however, is emphasising SOAS’s history as an institution, one that has continuously tarnished the degrees it is known for. 

Cultural erosion is the new normal at SOAS. The 2020 restructuring of classes eliminated 60 programmes and 247 modules to prevent financial deficit due to the effects of COVID-19. This short-term solution has only undermined the university’s reputation, especially for academics whose lifelong research was so easily jeopardised for fear of financial loss. Money comes back, as it did in 2023 when SOAS made a unrestricted surplus of £4.5 million, but years of mastering a field do not. 

The option to pursue a year abroad at Leiden University, one of the most significant institutions for archaeological research, then became clear to me. Although I had a job, a good group of friends and led a comfortable life in London, I still had to take a risk to escape the rigidity of my course at SOAS. 

Archaeology is a massively overlooked discipline that we desperately require for our wider understanding of politics and international relations (my official degree). Without the knowledge of our prehistory, it is impossible to approach historiography, as the latter is often polluted with colonial accounts. As a discipline, at its foundation, international relations is about social organisation and interaction. The actors involved in these relations cannot be studied adequately without a look into their true roots, and not merely their formation. I am certain that I will return to my fourth year of BA Politics and International Relations with a cemented understanding of social and political theory, not least because of the archaeology classes I took during my year abroad. 

Unfortunately, this isn’t and will not be the case for most students. Beyond archaeology, several calls have been made for the SOAS administration to revisit their so-called ‘transformation’ policies of 2020; even your classes were most likely affected. I asked the university for a comment regarding the lack of a BA Archaeology course and the more restricted curriculum:

‘Undergraduate students can still study archaeology at SOAS. The BA History of Art and the BA Creative Arts and Cultural Industries offer archaeology and provide a solid foundation for students seeking to continue with postgraduate study. We are also exploring ways in which partnerships both in London and overseas can provide access to scientific expertise, lab facilities, and participation in field projects. 

The Covid pandemic placed enormous strain on universities, and many, including SOAS, made difficult decisions to ensure financial sustainability[…]. SOAS offers over 200 postgraduate and over 150 undergraduate programmes that are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect student feedback. We now offer more industry experience or study abroad opportunities, reflecting the evolving needs of our students and changes to the jobs market.’ *

It is fascinating how quick SOAS is to dodge questions of why certain disciplines, within which the university has expertise, do not exist independently, beyond the confines of, for instance, BA History of Art and BA Creative Arts and Cultural Industries. It seems that silencing academia is becoming the new standard of higher education at SOAS.

*(Note that the entire comment was not included in this article due to its length)