MPhil Modules
The Department of Archaeology offers students great flexibility in combining modules. Students may explore, for example, a region and a method, or choose an archaeological science emphasis.
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.
The modules offered each year vary - some are offered in either odd or even years - and applicants are advised to contact the Postgraduate Admissions Administrator for information about the year for which they are applying if they are in any doubt.
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 |
