ObjectivesThe programme aims to foster a systematic, advanced understanding of the Middle Ages through the study and interpretation of archaeological evidence, and an ability to engage in independent research. It is designed to allow students to develop their specific interests in the medieval archaeology of Britain in the context of northern Europe, with an emphasis on multidisciplinary approaches to social archaeology. In the course of this programme, students will gain an ability to recognise current weaknesses in our understanding of the Middle Ages, either due to lack of evidence, poor methodology or inappropriate theory, and to propose means by which such weaknesses can be rectified, and strengths enhanced. It also aims to prepare students for doctoral study.
Academic titleMA in Medieval Archaeology
Course descriptionProgramme content
The profile which follows states which modules must be taken (the compulsory part) together
with one or more lists of modules from which the student must make a selection (the option
modules). Students must choose such additional modules as they wish, in consultation with
their programme adviser, to make 180 credits. The number of credits for each module is
shown after its title.
Students must take three 10-credit modules in Research Skills including Research Resources and
Skills and Issues and Debates in Medieval Archaeology and one technical optional modules (30
credits overall), three specialist optional modules of 20 credits each (60 credits overall), and write
a dissertation (90 credits). Students who have not previously studied Archaeology are advised
to take Archaeological Thought as one of the Optional technical modules.
Compulsory modules
Dissertation
Research Skills
Compulsory modules
Research Resources and Skills
Issues and Debates in Medieval Archaeology
Optional technical modules
(Not all optional modules will be available in any one year. The availability of all optional
modules is subject to availability of staff and will require a minimum number of participants.
Admission to optional modules will be at the discretion of the Programme Director).
ONE of:
Archaeological Thought
Archaeological Graphics
Applications of Micromorphological Analysis
Soils in Archaeology
Field Methods and Experimentation in Geoarchaeology
Geophysics for Archaeology
Laboratory Methods in Geoarchaeology
Optional specialist modules
(Not all optional modules will be available in any one year. The availability of all optional
modules is subject to availability of staff and will require a minimum number of participants.
Admission to optional modules will be at the discretion of the Programme Director).
THREE of:
Burial Archaeology
Palaeopathology
Coastal and Maritime Archaeology
The Archaeology of Food and Nutrition
Information Molecules: Biomolecular Method for Archaeologists
The Archaeology of Crusading
Vikings in the West
Later Anglo-Saxon England
‘Europe’ in the Later Middle Ages?
Geographic Information Systems
ONE of the following modules taught in the Graduate Centre for Medieval Studies can be taken instead of a specialist module: