Archaeology

The MA in Archaeology can be studied on a full-time and part-time basis. Through sets of specialist modules, skills-oriented classes and workshops, and dissertation research it provides the opportunity to advance your skills and knowledge in archaeology with a view to progressing either to doctoral-level research or to gaining specialist and transferable skills to develop a career in commercial archaeology or in the wider employment market.

The MA Archaeology is designed to take advantage of the exceptionally wide research interests of the staff in Durham Archaeology, which range from the Palaeolithic of western Europe, through Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age Europe, to the Classical archaeology of the Greek and Roman worlds, through Egyptology, the archaeology of the ancient and Islamic Near East and Arabia, to Buddhism in South Asia and trade in the Indian Ocean, and the archaeology of the medieval, post-medieval and historic periods.

From this widespread students are able to select a combination of specialist taught courses and a dissertation topic in precisely the areas that interest them. At the same time, they will form part of a large cohort of students taking this and associated courses creating a student community amongst whom some courses in research, presentation and practical skills are shared, along with discussions and events. This structure offers the opportunity for interdisciplinary exchange combined with specialist training in key archaeological skills and knowledge, as well as making friendships and contacts from around the world.

By the end of this course, you will have gained detailed specialist knowledge related to your periods/areas of study from our team of leading experts; you will also have developed your skills and experience in areas such as the collection, management and analysis of archaeological data and materials; current archaeological approaches, methods, and practice; the presentation of archaeological research; and a range of practical skills.

Course structure

The MA in Archaeology is a 180-credit programme comprising two 15-credit modules in research and practical skills training in the first two terms (one per term), two 30-credit specialist research topic modules in the first two terms (one per term) and one 90-credit research dissertation of 20,000 words (developed in term 3 and the summer). It is also possible to take a 20-credit language module from the Centre for Foreign Language Study in lieu of the practical skills module. There is also the option of substituting a specialist research topic module with another MA module on offer in the department and in some instances one offered by another department in the University. See below for other modules offered in the department.

Part-time students are expected to complete the course in two years, typically taking the two 15-credit and two 30-credit modules in the first year and the dissertation in the second year.

Potential routes

In addition to MA Archaeology, you could choose to follow a specific strand or route which will allow you to specialise in certain areas of archaeology. Each route will give you the opportunity to advance your skills and expertise in different areas of archaeology dependent upon your interests and career aims, with a view to progressing either to doctoral-level research or to developing your career. It will enable you to develop skills and experience in areas such as the collection, management and analysis of archaeological data and materials; current archaeological approaches, methods, and practice; the presentation of archaeological research; and a range of practical skills.

You can confirm your route choice on application.

MA Archaeology Landscape Archaeology

Durham University has an impressive pedigree of research and teaching into landscape archaeology, with projects spanning the globe. The department was pioneering in its use of remote sensing to identify sites and features in Southwest Asia; this world-leading expertise has since expanded to integrate satellite imagery with data science and climate change (CLaSS Project – Dr Dan Lawrence); heritage management and training (EAMENA – Professor Graham Philip); and bioarchaeology (Multi-isotope basemaps – Professors Janet Montgomery and Graham Philip). Further research strengths include religious landscapes in Nepal (Professor Robin Coningham); megalithic landscapes in Neolithic and Bronze Age Europe (Dr Marta Díaz-Guardamino); 'globalisation’ in the Roman World (Dr Rob Witcher); landscapes of power in early medieval Northern Europe (Professor Sarah Semple); and linked locales of colonialism and slavery in Africa and the Americas (Dr Rui Coelho). We also have a large group of scholars working on landscapes and urbanism, from Iron Age Europe (Professor Tom Moore) to Egypt (Dr Penny Wilson) and China (Dr Ran Zhang) alongside a developing concern with the role of archaeology in the freshly designated Anthropocene Epoch (Dr Daniel Gaudio).

Once enrolled, you can tailor the degree to suit your needs. Specialist elective modules are designed to equip you with methodological understanding and in-depth knowledge of specific periods and regions. Landscape options can include GIS and Remote Sensing, 3D Modelling, Geophysical Survey, ‘Changing British landscapes through the Middle Ages’ and ‘Megalithic worlds: monumentality and society in later Prehistoric Europe’. The programme culminates in a dissertation, drawing on our wide expertise to support high level research in your chosen topic.

MA Archaeology Prehistory

The MA Archaeology Prehistoric builds on Durham’s long-standing reputation as one of the leading UK centres for the study of European prehistory, with active research projects from the Palaeolithic to the Iron Age and from Britain to Iraq. The prehistorians in the department include experts on the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age. With its long tradition of teaching and research on European prehistory, Durham has really excellent library facilities including a wide range of British and European national and regional periodicals. Our approach is exciting and dynamic, with an emphasis on theoretical perspectives and the development of humans in society, in their landscapes, and in their interaction with material culture.

From the wide range of topics on offer you are able to select a combination of specialist taught courses and a dissertation topic in precisely the area/s of Prehistory that interests you.

MA Archaeology Egypt, Asia, Near East

Durham is one of the leading UK departments for teaching and research on the archaeology of Egypt, the Middle East and South Asia, a presence which builds on the University's long tradition of excellence in both archaeology and Middle East studies. The interests of our current staff embrace Egypt, Syria-Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Arabia and the Gulf and South Asia. Chronologically we cover everything from the Neolithic through the Bronze and Iron Ages and into the Islamic period and early European colonial contact.

The geographical range of our research and teaching is unusual for departments of Archaeology and means that your studies will be conducted within a truly stimulating and broad-ranging research environment.

We actively encourage MA students to participate in our research, both amongst the world-class collections of Durham’s Oriental Museum as well as in the field and five of Durham’s MA cohort joined Professor Robin Coningham’s UNESCO-sponsored fieldwork in Nepal in 2020 and six worked on Dr. Penny Wilson’s project in Egypt in 2019.

From the wide range of topics on offer you are able to select a combination of specialist taught courses and a dissertation topic in precisely the area/s of Egypt, Asia, or the Near East that interests you.

MA Archaeology and Heritage of East Asia

Durham is the only UK Archaeology department specializing in teaching and research across the pre-historic and historic archaeology of China (from Shang China to the imperial Qing Dynasty) and East Asia. Staff research themes range from the Early Bronze Age to Imperial China, with particular strengths in historical archaeology (Dr Ran Zhang and Dr Derek Kennet), museum and heritage studies (Dr Qian Gao), artefact analysis and materials analysis (Dr Ran Zhang and Dr Kamal Badreshany), and trade and cultural exchange along the silk road and across the Indian ocean. Our research-led teaching strives to inspire MA students to engage deeply with themes that sit at the cutting edge of archaeological theory and practice centered on the region. With leading facilities for archaeological science and research projects spanning the globe, Durham provides an inspiring research environment for its students.

Our close links with the Palace Museum (Beijing) and pioneering fieldwork projects in the forbidden city provide exciting opportunities for our MA cohort and students can capitalize on our expertise and world-class laboratory and classroom facilities to inspire innovative new research on their chosen topic. The Oriental Museum is home to one of the world's best collections of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean material providing further opportunities for students to gain hands-on training and curation experience.

From the wide range of topics on offer, you can select a combination of specialist-taught courses and a dissertation topic that will allow you to gain an in-depth thematic understanding of an East or South East Asian centered topic of your choice.

MA Archaeology Classical and Roman

Durham is a world-leading department in Roman Archaeology, with one of the largest groups of specialists in the Roman world as well as interests in earlier Greek and neighbouring cultures.

The MA Archaeology Classical and Roman benefits from links with other specialists in the department, including scholars of European prehistory, the Ancient Middle East and the Medieval World, from links with other departments such as Classics, Geography and History, and from staff membership of university research centres such as the Centre for Visual Arts and Culture (CVAC) and the Centre for the Ancient Mediterranean and the Near East (CAMNE).

Our international reputation for innovative research and high-quality teaching derives from the breadth of our chronological and geographical coverage, extending from Ancient Greece and Archaic Rome to Late Antiquity, and from metropolis to frontiers, in areas such as Italy, North Africa, Anatolia, France and Britain.

From the wide range of topics on offer, you are able to select a combination of specialist taught courses and a dissertation topic precisely in the area of Classical and Roman archaeology that interests you.

The Hodgson Binns bursaries (£2,000) provides support towards the cost of fees for taught postgraduate students studying for an MA in Archaeology, with a focus on Roman archaeology. The bursaries are primarily to support students researching on Hadrian’s Wall and the North of England during the Roman period, but it may also be used for research on Roman Italy, Latin Epigraphy, Roman pottery and the study of Roman burial.

To apply for these bursaries please email a one A4 page (maximum) statement on how your research interests and chosen Masters course relates to the themes of the bursary to archaeology.postgrad.taught@durham.ac.uk by April 30^th 2023. Please title the email ‘Hodgson Binns bursary application’ and attach the statement as a PDF file. You must have applied to the Masters programme by April 30th 2023 to be considered for one of these bursaries. An announcement of the awards will be made in May 2023.

MA Archaeology Medieval and post-Medieval

Durham University is recognised as a leading centre of excellence for medieval and post-medieval archaeology, with an international reputation for high-quality and wide-ranging research on the historic archaeology of Britain and Europe. Building on a long tradition of early medieval and medieval archaeology established at Durham University by Prof. Rosemary Cramp, the Department offers research and teaching expertise on the historic archaeology of Britain, continental Europe and beyond. Our research strengths include death and burial, religion and belief, monumentality, historiography, trade, urbanism and landscape in medieval and post-medieval Britain, Ireland and continental Europe.

From the wide range of topics, you are able to select a combination of specialist taught courses and a dissertation topic precisely in the area/s of Medieval and Post-Medieval archaeology that interests you.

Course modules:

Research and Study Skills in Social Archaeology (RSSSA) – 15 credits.

This module runs in term 1 and aims to provide you with information and skills relevant to pursuing archaeological research. It combines small group tutorials with a series of lectures and workshops introducing fundamental research tools and skills in archaeology. Assignments bring these together in projects that apply research skills to specialist topics of your choice. Recent assignment types include literature reviews and academic posters.

Practical Research and Study Skills (PRSS) – 15 credits.

This module runs in term 2, where you will select two topics from a range of options in ‘Master Classes’ led by professionals and academic experts, typically taught through workshops. Recent options have included: GIS, geophysics, ceramics analysis, materials analysis, glass analysis, numismatics, museum artefact cataloguing, and 3D imaging.

These classes provide the opportunity to develop professional skills which are assessed through ‘real-life’ assignments, such as professional-quality reports. As noted above, it is possible to substitute PRSS with a 20 credit language module from the Centre for Foreign Language Study.

Research Topics – 30 credits.

Research Topics are detailed courses examining particular periods, areas or themes, and are taught by the Department’s leading experts focussing on their specialist research areas. Teaching is typically delivered through a series of two-hour lectures and one-hour seminars/tutorials, usually over one term. You can choose two Research Topics according to which strand of the MA you are taking (eg ‘Prehistoric’, ‘Classical and Roman’ etc) or in a way that suits your aims.

Topics vary yearly, but as an indication, recent Research Topic options have included:

MA Archaeology: Palaeolithic Britain, Themes in European Upper Palaeolithic Art and Archaeology, Iron Age in Britain in its European Context, Environmental Archaeology of the North Atlantic Islands, Monuments and Landscapes in Atlantic Europe, Archaeology of the Egyptian State: Afterlife, Archaeology of the Egyptian State: Religious Life, The Ancient Near East: Early Complex Societies, The Ancient Near East: Middle to Late Bronze Age, Aspects of South Asian Archaeology, The Archaeology of the Gulf and Eastern Arabia, the Archaeology of the Indian Ocean, Cultural Landscapes of Eurasia, Aspects of Art and Archaeology in Ancient Greece and Beyond, Roman Landscapes of the Mediterranean, Pagans, Christians, Muslims: Changing Townscapes the Mediterranean (North Africa and the Near East) in the First Millennium AD, Iron Age and Roman Heritage: Barbarism, Civilisation and Frontiers, The Archaeology of Early Medieval England c. AD 400-1100, Archaeology of Bronze Age Britain, Death and Burial in Early Medieval Britain AD 400-1100, The Archaeology of Towns in Britain c. 12–18^th centuries, The Archaeology of Burial Practice in Britain, c. 12-18^th centuries, The Archaeology of the Battle of Dunbar, Human Bioarchaeology, and Medieval China.

MA Archaeology Prehistoric: Palaeolithic Britain (Prof Mark White), Themes in European Upper Palaeolithic Art and Archaeology (Prof Paul Pettitt), Iron Age in Britain in its European Context (Dr Tom Moore), Environmental Archaeology of the North Atlantic Islands (Prof Mike Church), Monuments and Landscapes in Atlantic Europe (Prof Chris Scarre), Archaeology of Bronze Age Britain (Dr. Ben Roberts).

MA Archaeology Egypt, Near East and Asia: Archaeology of the Egyptian State: Afterlife (Dr. Penny Wilson), Archaeology of the Egyptian State: Religious Life (Dr. Penny Wilson), The Ancient Near East: Early Complex Societies (Prof Graham Philip), The Ancient Near East: Middle to Late Bronze Age (Prof Graham Philip), Aspects of South Asian Archaeology (Prof Robin Coningham and Dr. Mark Manuel), The Archaeology of the Gulf and Eastern Arabia (Dr. Derek Kennet), the Archaeology of the Indian Ocean (Dr. Derek Kennet), Cultural Landscapes of Eurasia (Dr. Dan Lawrence).

MA Archaeology Classical and Roman: Aspects of Art and Archaeology in Ancient Greece and Beyond (Dr. Catherine Draycott), Roman Landscapes of the Mediterranean (Dr. Rob Witcher), Pagans, Christians, Muslims: Changing Townscapes the Mediterranean (North Africa and the Near East) in the First Millennium AD (Dr. Anna Leone), Iron Age and Roman Heritage: Barbarism, Civilisation and Frontiers (Prof Richard Hingley).

MA Archaeology Medieval and Post-Medieval: the Archaeology of the Indian Ocean (Dr. Derek Kennet), Pagans, Christians, Muslims: Changing Townscapes the Mediterranean (North Africa and the Near East) in the First Millennium AD (Dr. Anna Leone), The Archaeology of Early Medieval England c. AD 400-1100 (Dr. David Petts), Death and Burial in Early Medieval Britain AD 400-1100 (Dr. Sarah Semple), The Archaeology of Towns in Britain c. 12–18th centuries (Dr. Pam Graves), The Archaeology of Burial Practice in Britain, c. 12-18th centuries (Dr. Pam Graves), The Archaeology of the Battle of Dunbar (Dr. Andrew Millard), and Medieval China (Dr. Ran Zhang).

Applicants are welcome to contact the department to inquire about options on offer in any given year.

It is possible, as noted above, to substitute one of the Research Topic modules for another MA module run by the Archaeology Department, or by another department. For example, in recent years students have taken Anglo-Saxon Societies and Cultures: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Early Medieval England in the Department of History. In discussion with both departments, students have also been able to take modules in other departments, such as the Department of Classics and Ancient History.

Archaeology Dissertation - the capstone of the degree is the dissertation, which allows you to develop your own line of inquiry and explore in-depth a topic of interest to you.

MA dissertations are 20,000 words in length and provide the experience of sustained, rigorous, independent research under the close guidance of a specialist academic supervisor that is a necessary foundation both for further post-graduate academic work and for professional report writing. It also demonstrates professional mastery of a particular area to employers. The topic may be drawn from previous experience or from one of your MA modules. You are supported and guided in choosing your topic, designing your projects, acquiring necessary skills and bringing them to completion through the training imparted in the RSSSA module and through one-to-one consultation with supervisors. You will be asked to identify a topic by term 2; term 3 and the summer are dedicated to dissertation work.