Programme Decription
This programme lets you explore the richness of European archaeology, a region that presents innumerable opportunities for archaeological research, through examination of a wide range of periods, geographical areas and themes. The flexible programme lets you tailor your individual studies to suit your interests and take advantage of the experience of our staff, as well as those in related programmes in history, classics and geography.
You will develop an understanding of European archaeology, with an emphasis on European prehistory, and a knowledge of topics including contemporary theoretical perspectives, methodologies and practice.
This programme incorporates transferable skills and training, while preparing you for a professional role in archaeology or further study at doctoral level. The School has excellent facilities: dedicated study space, archaeological and computing laboratories, teaching and reference collections.
The city of Edinburgh is ideal for archaeological study and research, allowing you to benefit from national and local institutions and heritage agencies, such as the excellent archaeological collections of the National Museum, the archival and bibliographic resources of Historic Environment Scotland, and the expertise and practical advice of staff in several commercial archaeology companies.
Programme structure
You will combine lectures, seminars, practicals, essays, research projects and one-to-one meetings in all areas of archaeology. You will complete one compulsory course and select a further five options from a wide range on offer. You will then complete a dissertation on an approved subject of your choice.
The compulsory course is:
- Research Sources and Strategies in Archaeology
Option courses previously offered include those listed below. Option courses change from year to year and those available when you start your studies may be different from those shown in the list:
- Frontiers in Archaeology: Research Seminars
- Archaeological Illustration
- Bronze Age Civilisations of the Near East and Greece
- Byzantine Archaeology: The archaeology of the Byzantine empire and its neighbours AD 500-850.
- Theoretical Archaeology
- Principles of GIS for Archaeologists
- Space, Place and Time: the archaeology of built environments
- Archaeology of the Roman Economy
- Etruscan Italy, 1000 - 300 BC
- From Foraging to Farming: the Beginnings of Agriculture in the Mediterranean and Europe
- Gallia from the Third Century BC to Augustus
- Human Evolution
- Ritual and Monumentality in North-West Europe: Mid-6th to Mid-3rd Millennium
- Conflict archaeology: materialities of violence
- Constantinople: The History of a Medieval Megalopolis from Constantine the Great to Suleyman the Magnificent
Learning outcomes
You will acquire:
- a good understanding of the distinctive nature of archaeology and its contribution to a critical and informed understanding of the past
- a good understanding of theoretical and methodological debates within archaeology
- a familiarity with a number of important fieldwork studies
- a broad knowledge of archaeological methods, techniques and practices in current use
Career opportunities
Archaeology graduates can follow a variety of career options. The programme equips you to go on to advanced study, and also provides a solid foundation for a career.
You will gain practical as well as academic experience, teamworking and analytical skills, and will be able to work in a variety of contexts. Examples of career paths available to archaeology graduates (although some may require additional training) include: higher education, heritage management and agencies, commercial archaeology, teaching, tourism industry, broadcasting and the police. An archaeology degree does not restrict you to a career in archaeology.
Visit the
European Archaeology (MSc)
page on the University of Edinburgh website for more details!
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