70+ Archaeology Dissertation Topics for 2025 Research

Archaeology Dissertation Topics

If you’re ready to choose a dissertation topic in archaeology, the usual broad ideas won’t cut it. You need something that sparks interest, holds research potential, and sets your work apart.

Below is a curated list of 70+ archaeology dissertation topics. These aren’t random or vague — each one points toward a focused, researchable area that connects with current discussions in archaeology and related fields.

Prehistoric & Palaeolithic Archaeology

• Tool-use behaviour in Lower Palaeolithic hominins
• The symbolic role of cave art in prehistoric Europe
• Burial practices during the Mesolithic period
• Dietary patterns in Neanderthal populations
• Development of stone tool technologies across regions
• Migration routes of early modern humans into Europe
• The impact of climate shifts on Upper Palaeolithic communities

Classical & Mediterranean Archaeology

• Religious iconography in ancient Greek pottery
• Urban planning strategies in Roman provincial towns
• Trade networks in the late Bronze Age Aegean
• Domestic architecture in ancient Pompeii
• Social status and burial customs in Classical Athens
• Public bathhouses and hygiene in the Roman Empire
• Shipwreck archaeology in the eastern Mediterranean

British & European Archaeology

• Iron Age hillforts and their defensive functions
• Romanisation in southern Britain: Material culture evidence
• Anglo-Saxon cemetery patterns in eastern England
• Viking artefacts and their symbolic meanings
• Changes in rural settlement during medieval Britain
• Agricultural practices in Neolithic Scotland
• Industrial archaeology of post-medieval mining sites

Archaeological Science & Technology

• Stable isotope analysis in ancient diet reconstruction
• The use of LIDAR in uncovering lost landscapes
• Advances in ancient DNA recovery from skeletal remains
• Forensic methods in battlefield archaeology
• Use of ground-penetrating radar in burial site detection
• 3D modelling in archaeological site reconstruction
• Radiocarbon calibration techniques for high-precision dating

Funerary & Mortuary Studies

• Symbolism in Bronze Age grave goods
• Cross-cultural burial practices in the ancient Near East
• Ritualistic elements in Neolithic chambered tombs
• Infant burials and social value in Iron Age Europe
• Cremation vs. inhumation: Changing funerary traditions
• Use of osteological analysis in reconstructing health status
• High-status burials in Mycenaean civilisation

Urban & Settlement Archaeology

• Social structure in early urban Mesopotamia
• Planning of Indus Valley cities: A comparative study
• Water management in ancient urban settlements
• Spatial analysis of marketplaces in medieval Islamic cities
• Long-term settlement continuity in Tell-based sites
• Urban sprawl patterns in ancient Egyptian cities
• Rural-urban interaction in Roman Gaul

Environmental & Landscape Archaeology

• Human adaptation to environmental change in the Holocene
• The role of rivers in shaping ancient settlement patterns
• Woodland clearance in Bronze Age Europe
• Geoarchaeological indicators of early agriculture
• Peatland archaeology and preserved organic artefacts
• Reconstructing ancient coastlines and settlement loss
• Terracing and landscape management in pre-Columbian Andes

Religion, Ritual, & Symbolism

• Sacrificial practices in Mesoamerican cultures
• Megalithic monuments as centres of ritual activity
• Interpreting figurines in Neolithic shrine contexts
• Pilgrimage routes and sacred landscapes in medieval Europe
• Symbolic meanings of animal remains in ritual deposits
• Influence of astronomy in the layout of ritual sites
• Temples as power centres in ancient Mesopotamia

Conflict, Identity & Power

• Fortification systems in Iron Age central Europe
• The archaeology of slavery in the Roman world
• Cultural identity through pottery in Bronze Age Anatolia
• Reconstructing social hierarchy through grave analysis
• Military logistics in Roman frontier forts
• Resistance and revolt in colonial archaeological contexts
• Settlement destruction and rebuilding after conflict

Underwater & Maritime Archaeology

• Harbours and seafaring in ancient Phoenician sites
• Submerged prehistoric landscapes and human activity
• Maritime trade and ship design in the ancient Indian Ocean
• Cargo analysis of Roman merchant ships
• Ritual offerings in freshwater bodies during the Iron Age
• Port construction in the medieval Mediterranean
• Navigation technologies in early seafaring societies
• Impact of rising sea levels on coastal archaeological sites

Final Words

Choosing the right dissertation topic in archaeology isn’t just about picking something interesting — it’s about finding a subject you can stay curious about through months of research. Whether you’re drawn to ancient burial rituals, early cities, or how landscapes shaped human life, there’s plenty here to explore.

The best approach? Pick a topic that speaks to your interests, feels fresh, and has enough scope for real research. Once you’ve got that, the rest becomes a lot more manageable.