MA Archaeology
Entry requirements
A level: ABB (required: no specific A level subjects required) IB: 34 points with 655 at HL
About this course
MA (Hons) in Archaeology, an archaeology degree examining the human past and material remains through multidisciplinary approaches. Core topics include Fieldwork, Human Behaviour. Students complete three weeks of archaeological fieldwork at the end of the first year. The first year covers methods of site discovery, excavation, recording and analysing artefacts, and the scientific analysis of animal and human remains. The second year examines the recolonization of Scotland after the last ice age, world heritage sites in Scotland, and the Roman advances into Scotland. The third year explores the history of archaeology, archaeological theory, and contemporary practice in the UK and beyond. Optional modules allow students to study topics such as Mesolithic and Neolithic Europe, the prehistoric Mediterranean, ancient Egypt, archaeology of human remains, archaeological illustration, conflict archaeology, ritual and monumentality, and scientific methods in bio-archaeology.
Modules
- methods of site discovery
- excavation
- recording and analysing artefacts
- scientific analysis of animal and human remains
- recent and innovative approaches to reconstruct the life ways of past peoples
- further fieldwork
- projects in heritage management and public engagement
- lab-based analysis of archaeological remains
- the recolonization of Scotland after the last ice age
- the world heritage sites in the 'heart' of Scotland (such as Neolithic Orkney)
- the ways the environment shapes human behaviour
- the lasting impact activities like farming had on the Scottish landscape
- the Roman advances into Scotland
- Study the history of archaeology from its antiquarian beginnings in the 18th and 19th centuries and its development as an academic discipline.
- Consider the theories that archaeologists have used to understand and interpret the remains that they have found and examine how these ideas have changed over the past 150 years.
- Study the contemporary practice of archaeology in the UK and beyond. You will gain insights into the roles and activities of professional archaeologists, and the practical and transferable skills sought by employers in the cultural heritage sector.
- Mesolithic and Neolithic Europe
- the prehistoric Mediterranean
- ancient Egypt
- archaeology of human remains
- archaeological illustration
- conflict archaeology
- ritual and monumentality
- scientific methods in bio-archaeology