Oxbridge Archaeology and Anthropology Interview Questions

The best way to prepare for an Oxbridge Archaeology and Anthropology interview is through mock interviews. As well as giving you general interview experience, they focus your mind on the types of questions asked at an Oxford or Cambridge Archaeology and Anthropology interview, teaching you to think in the manner required for the real thing.

Below, we have compiled a list of questions of the type you may be asked in your Oxbridge Archaeology and Anthropology interview. Use them to gain an awareness of what's expected of you, plan out answers on your own, or give them to a teacher, friend, or family member, and ask them to conduct a mock interview with you.

Note: If you are doing mock interviews with us, we recommend waiting until afterwards to look through these questions, so that you aren't asked questions you have already prepared for (as you won't have that opportunity for the real thing!). If you haven't booked any mock interviews yet, you can do so here.

Archaeology and Anthropology Interview Questions

1. Why, might you argue, is excavating battlefields morally unacceptable? 

2. How would you test the material of pots and what are the different dating techniques?

3. How do you justify the government funding archaeology and anthropology studies?

4. What is the biggest challenge faced by modern anthropologists?

5. Do you think the Elgin Marbles should be London or Athens?

6. What is the role of archaeologists and museums?

7. Why do humans have cultures?

8. How would you explain human culture to an alien visiting earth?

9. If you had £500,000 to find out more about the origins of language, how would you spend it?

10. What are the differences between Neanderthals and Homo-Sapiens?

11. If you were to design your own research project in archaeology and anthropology, what topic or area would you choose? What methods and approaches would you employ?

12. What is the significance of ceramics in present society?

13. How would you define an archaeological layer?

14. How do you envision the relationship between archaeology and anthropology in uncovering the narratives of past societies and understanding contemporary human cultures?

15. How would you conduct research on Aboriginal people in Australia?

16. How would you bring a population out of poverty?

17. How would you describe your school from an anthropological perspective?

18. How important is social interaction in language acquisition?

19. How would you eradicate gender inequalities in society?

20. How do you think studying archaeology and anthropology can contribute to addressing societal challenges or promoting cultural understanding and appreciation?

21. Are sociological theories just evaluations of one another or can they stand alone?

22. If you were an anthropologist what aspects of British society would you study?

23. What makes us human?

24. What are your views on nature vs. nurture?

25. Is humanity destined to repeat the mistakes of history?

26. What do you consider as culture?

27. Can you discuss a specific archaeological site or anthropological study that has captivated your attention? What makes it significant or intriguing to you?

28. How would you approach the analysis and interpretation of an artefact or cultural practice?

And that's all of them! Hopefully, you now have a sense of the types of questions you may be asked. To be even better prepared, try answering these and other questions with our tutors - you can book your mock interviews here.