MPhil in Archaeology
MPhil in Archaeology (Medieval Archaeology)
Co-ordinators: Dr James Barrett and Dr Catherine Hills. Other contributors: Dr Helen Geake and Dr Carenza Lewis; Dr Sam Lucy (Cambridge Archaeological Unit); Dr Kate Pretty (Homerton College); Dr Mark Blackburn and Dr Martin Allen (Fitzwilliam Museum); Dr Anna Gannon (History of Art)
This MPhil teaches the medieval archaeology of Britain and northern Europe, covering more than a thousand years between the end of the western Roman Empire during the 5th century AD and the Reformation of the 16th century AD. This era was characterized by profound social and economic disintegration and metamorphosis during which the world of North European late antiquity was transformed into a recognisable antecedent of the modern period. Key themes of this era which are covered in this course include the process of state formation, the spread of Christian ideology which accompanied it, the collapse and revival of urbanism and the market economy, the evolution of the physical and political landscape and the impact of expansion and catastrophe.
Medieval archaeology benefits from a wealth of archaeological, scientific and historical evidence ranging from microscopic fragments of DNA to entire landscapes best viewed from the air. Study of the archaeologies of power, justice, conflict, migration, identity, settlement, domestic space, the family, religion, death and disease bring new perspectives to familiar institutions and monuments such as churches, castles, towns and villages. This course uses the full range of archaeological method and theory, and also fosters interdisciplinary approaches in incorporating the study of history, art history, anthropology, historical geography, literary sources and scientific methods (a rare combination of approaches for which this subject is unusually well suited). There are ample opportunities for fieldwork including group visits, volunteering on established research programmes and independent research.
As a wide-ranging course the Medieval Archaeology MPhil option is intended for students with a diverse range of educational backgrounds (indeed such diversity enriches the learning environment). Students can come to the Medieval Archaeology MPhil option from previous study in archaeology including medieval or historical archaeology, from related subjects such as history, anthropology or geography or be new to the subject.
For your three main modules, you take:
- Core Archaeology, a seminar-based module shared with other MPhil in Archaeology students which reviews fundamental concepts in archaeological theory and practice and provides a shared basis for approaching archaeology.
- Medieval Europe: 5th-11th centuries AD OR Medieval Europe: 11th-16th centuries AD. These modules are lecture-based, but also include small-group seminar discussions and (in the latter case) field trips.
- A second Medieval Archaeology module OR any other module taught within the Department of Archaeology, subject to the instructor's consent and the approval of the MPhil co-ordinator. Where relevant to your dissertation and career plans you may choose from methodological courses in archaeological techniques, other area or period based courses, and thematic courses in museums and heritage: see here for complete list of modules offered in the MPhil in Archaeology.
In addition, you would attend a Research Skills module and write a 15,000 word dissertation on a topic in Medieval Archaeology. The dissertation offers a chance to undertake an independent, original research project under the guidance of academic staff. Some projects are based on laboratory analyses, fieldwork or studies of museum collections, others on analysis of existing databases or published literature. Specific dissertation supervision expertise at Cambridge includes:
- Time, Space and Themes:
- Dr James Barrett (The Viking Age; Political Economy; Anthropological Approaches)
- Dr Catherine Hills (The Migration Period in North-western Europe; Anglo-Saxon Archaeology)
- Dr Mark Blackburn (Early Medieval Coinage; Monetary History; North-Western Europe)
- Dr Anna Gannon (Art History; Numismatics)
- Dr Helen Geake (Medieval Metalwork; Early Christianity; Public Archaeology)
- Dr Carenza Lewis (High Medieval Archaeology; Landscape Archaeology; Public Archaeology)
- Dr Sam Lucy (Anglo-Saxon Archaeology, particularly Burial Practices; Archaeologies of Identity; Roman-Saxon Transitions)
- Dr Kate Pretty (Early Medieval Archaeology of the Insular World)
- Dr Susan Oosthuizen (Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Settlement and Field Systems)
- Scientific Methods:
- Dr Charly French (Geoarchaeology)
- Professor Martin Jones (Archaeobotany)
- Dr Preston Miracle (Zooarchaeology)
- Dr Tamsin O'Connell (isotopic analysis, ancient diet and climate)
You may also choose to attend lectures offered by Cambridge's Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic.
For further information, contact Dr James Barrett or Dr Catherine Hills, co-ordinators for this option, or Dr Elizabeth DeMarrais, overall MPhil co-ordinator for the Department of Archaeology.