skip to content
 

MPhil Modules

Students in Archaeology MPhil programmes take the equivalent of three year-long modules (which can be made up of a combination of one- and two-term long modules) in a combination specific to their chosen MPhil option, as well as taking the Research Skills module and completing a dissertation.

Students in Human Evolutionary Studies are expected to attend B2, B3, and B4, as well as any of the one-term modules (B11-B18) in which they are particularly interested or that are directly relevant to their dissertation. B5 is a compulsory module.

Students taking the MPhil in Archaeological Research or the MPhil in Biological Anthropological Science are not required to attend any modules (except G01 for Archaeological Research) but can sit in on any that are relevant to their research with the permission of the paper coordinator. 

Papers running in 2025-26 

The following year-long modules will be available to MPhil Students in the Department of Archaeology in 2025–26:  

  • Note that language papers will only run if there is suitable demand. 

  • Heritage modules (G22, G23, G24) are restricted to students in the MPhil in Heritage Studies due to the high number of students in that programme. 

 

 

Title 

Coordinator 

G01 

Research Skills  

TBC

G05 

European Prehistory 

Prof Simon Stoddart

G06

Medieval Europe on a Global Canvas

Dr Susanne Hakenbeck

G08 

Mesopotamian Archaeology II: Territorial states to empires

Dr Steve Renette

G12 

Historical Archaeology of Ancient Egypt 2   

Dr Kate Spence

G16

Ancient North America and Mesoamerica 

Dr Elizabeth DeMarrais 

G17 The Archaeology of Africa

Prof Paul Lane

G21

Landscapes, Built Environment and Material Culture of Ancient Egypt

Dr Kate Spence

G22 

Socio-Politics of the Past

Dr Dacia Viejo-Rose

G23 

Heritage Management 

Dr Andreas Pantazatos 

G24 

Special Topics in Heritage 

Dr Lila Janik

G25 

Egyptian Language 1 (enrolment only at the agreement of the instructor)

Dr Hratch Papazian  

G26 

Middle Egyptian Texts / Advanced Egyptian Language 

Dr Hratch Papazian  

G27 

Old and Late Egyptian Texts 

Dr Hratch Papazian  

G30 

Introductory Akkadian Language and Texts

TBC

G31 

Mesopotamian Culture 1: Religion, Literature, and Scholarship

TBC

G33 

Intermediate Akkadian Language and Texts

TBC

G34 

Advanced Akkadian Language and Texts

TBC 

G35 Sumerian Language and Texts TBC

 

The following year-long modules will be taken by Human-Evolutionary Studies MPhil students in the Department of Archaeology in 2025–26. Other MPhil students can audit, but not take these for credit: 

 

B2 

Human Ecology and Behaviour 

Dr Nikhil Chaudhary 

B3 

Human Evolution 

Prof Marta Lahr

B4 

Comparative Human Biology 

Dr Mark Dyble

B5 

From Data to Interpretation

Dr Enrico Crema

 

The following term-long modules will be available to MPhil Students in the Department of Archaeology in 2025–26: 

 

Title 

Coordinator 

A62 

Historical Ecology

Prof Paul Lane

AS2 

Quantitative Modelling in Archaeology and Biological Anthropology  Dr Enrico Crema

AS3 

Geographical Information Systems in Archaeology

David Redhouse 

AS6 

Archaeobotany

Dr Alexander Weide

AS8 

Biomolecular Archaeology

Prof Matthew Collins

AS9 

Archaeological Materials and Technologies 

Dr Agnese Benzonelli

G02 

Archaeological Concepts 

Dr Elizabeth DeMarrais 

G19 

Principles of Archaeological Science 

Dr Agnese Benzonelli 

G20 

Practice of Archaeological Science 

Dr Agnese Benzonelli

 

The following term-long modules will be available to audit (but not to be taken for credit) in 2025–26: 

B12 Evolution of the human skeleton  Dr John Rowan

B13 

Modern Human Origins: Models, Timescales & Controversies 

Prof Marta Lahr

B15 Human Sociality: Evolutionary Perspectives on Cooperation, Culture and Cognition 

Dr Nikhil Chaudhary 

B16 Human evolutionary genetics: diversity, ancestry and the human past 

Dr Guy Jacobs

B17 

Our Extended Family: Primate Biology and Behaviour

Dr Sylvain Lemoine 

 



 

 

MPhil Modules Enquiry