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 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.
The modules offered each year vary—some are offered in either odd or even years—and applicants are advised to contact the Teaching Administrator for information about the year for which they are applying if they are in any doubt.
Papers running in 2025-26
The following year-long modules will be available to MPhil Students in the Department of Archaeology in 2025–26:
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Note that language papers will only run if there is suitable demand.
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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 |
|
G14 |
Ancient India II: Early Historic Cities of South Asia | Prof Cameron Petrie |
|
G16 |
Ancient North America and Mesoamerica |
Dr Elizabeth DeMarrais/Jimena Lobo Guerrero |
| 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 |
