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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 encouraged to attend B2, B3, and B4, as well as any of the one-term papers (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 but can sit in on any that are relevant to their research with the permission of the module coordinator.

Papers running in 2023-24 

The following year-long papers will be available to Archaeology Masters Students in the Department of Archaeology in 2023-24 (any marked TBC have not been confirmed to run):  

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

  • Heritage papers are restricted to MPhil in Heritage students only due to numbers. 

 

 

Title 

Coordinator 

G01 

Research Skills  

TBC

G04 

Palaeolithic and Mesolithic archaeology 

Dr Alastair Key 

G05 

European Prehistory 

Prof John Robb 

G06

The Medieval Globe 

Dr Susanne Hakenbeck

G08 

Mesopotamian archaeology 2: territorial states to empires  

TBC

G12 

Historical archaeology of ancient Egypt II 

TBC

G16

The archaeology of Mesoamerica and North America 

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 

TBC

G23 

Heritage management 

Dr Andreas Pantazatos 

G24 

Special topics in Heritage 

Dr Lila Janik

G25 

Egyptian Language I 

TBC

G26 

Middle Egyptian text/ Advanced Egyptian language 

TBC

G27 

Old and Late Egyptian Texts 

Dr Hratch Papazian  

G28 

Coptic 

Dr Hratch Papazian 

G29 

Demotic 

Dr Hratch Papazian 

G30 

Babylonian Language I 

Dr Adam Howe 

G31 

Mesopotamian culture I: Literature

Dr Jonathan Tenney 

G33 

 Intermediate Babylonian Language 

Dr Jonathan Tenney 

G34 

  Advanced Babylonian and Assyrian 

Dr Jonathan Tenney 

 

The following year-long papers will be available to Biological Anthropology Masters Students in the Department of Archaeology in 2023-24: 

 

B2 

Human ecology and behaviour 

Dr Nikhil Chaudhary 

B3 

Human evolution 

TBC

B4 

 Comparative human biology 

TBC 

B5 

From Data to Interpretation 

TBC 

 

The following term-long papers will be available to Archaeology Masters Students in the Department of Archaeology in 2023-24: 

 

 

Title 

Coordinator 

A50 

Special topics in Palaeolithic archaeology & human evolution (=B14) 

Dr Alastair Key 

AS1 

Foundation Statistics 

TBC 

AS3 

Geographical information systems in archaeology 

David Redhouse 

AS5 

Human Osteology (= B18 decoding the skeleton)  - TBC

TBC

AS6 

Archaeobotany [POSSIBLY NOT OFFERED]

TBC

AS8 

Biomolecular Archaeology -TBC

TBC 

AS9 

Archaeological Materials and Technologies 

Dr Carmen Ting 

G02 

Archaeological concepts 

Prof John Robb and Dr Elizabeth DeMarrais 

G19 

Principles of Archaeological Science 

Dr Carmen Ting 

G20 

Practice of Archaeological Science 

Dr Carmen Ting 

 

The following term-long papers may be available to Biological Anthropology Masters Students in the Department of Archaeology to sit in on in 2023-24. Note that those that are running have not yet been confirmed: 

 

B11 

Special topics in biological anthropology 1 (The Human Species: Evolution, Dispersals and Diversity) 

Prof Marta Mirazón Lahr 

B12 Special topics in biological anthropology 2 (The Inner Ape: Hominin Origins and Evolution)

TBC

B13 

Special topics in biological anthropology 3 (Culture Evolves) 

Dr Enrico Crema 

B14 

Special topics in biological anthropology 4 (A technologically dependent lineage) 

Dr Alastair Key 

B15 

Special topics in biological anthropology 5 (Friends, Relatives and Communities: Human social evolution) 

Dr Nikhil Chaudhary 

B17 

Special topics in biological anthropology 7 (Our Extended Family: Primate Biology and Behaviour) 

Dr Sylvain Lemoine 

B18 

Special topics in biological anthropology 8 (decoding the skeleton) = AS5 - TBC

TBC 

 

The following year-long papers will not be offered in 2023-24: 

 

Title 

 

G06 

The Medieval Globe 

G07 

Mesopotamian archaeology I: Prehistory and Early States

G11 

Historical archaeology of ancient Egypt I 

G13

Ancient India I: the Indus civilisation and beyond 

G14 

Ancient India 2: early historic cities of South Asia 

G15 

Ancient South America

G21

G21 Landscapes, Built Environment and material culture of Ancient Egypt

G32 

Mesopotamian culture II: Society, Economy and Politics

G35 

Sumerian 

 

 

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