Archaeology and Social Anthropology MA (Hons)

Archaeology

In Year 1, you will study Archaeology 1A and Archaeology 1B.

These courses offer a broad introduction to our human past. They cover the period from the evolution of the first humans several million years ago, to the emergence of farming and the development of civilisations in Europe, Egypt and the Near East.

These courses also cover the key techniques that archaeologists use, including:

• methods of site discovery
• excavation
• recording and analysing artefacts
• scientific analysis of animal and human remains

Social anthropology

You will study introductory courses in social anthropology.

Social Anthropology 1A: The Life Course introduces you to the practice of social anthropology and includes themes like:

• gender
• personhood
• work and making a living
• the house
• consumption and exchange
• health
• the body

Social Anthropology 1B: Anthropology Matters asks what anthropology has to say about some of the most important issues facing us today.

The issues explored will vary from year to year. Examples include:

• climate change
• hunger
• wellbeing
• body modification
• human rights

Option courses and fieldwork

You will choose from a wide range of option courses outside your primary subjects.

Over the long holiday at the end of Year 1, you will undertake three weeks of fieldwork.

Archaeology

In Year 2, you will study the archaeology of Scotland, from the earliest evidence of human occupation at the end of the last ice age to the Roman incursion in the early first millennium AD.

Key themes include:

• the world heritage sites in the "heart" of Scotland (such as Neolithic Orkney)
• human-environment interaction
• the ways in which the environment shapes human behaviour
• the lasting impact activities such as farming had on the Scottish landscape

A field trip to visit archaeological sites and visits to the Museum of Scotland are core components of this course.

You will also study Archaeology in Action, which develops your understanding of professional archaeological practice. It also explores exciting innovations in archaeological methods through real-world applications and hands-on practical exercises.

Social anthropology

In Ethnography: Theory and Practice, you will study the theory and practice of ethnographic fieldwork through:

• practical group work involving participant observation
• writing of field-notes
• conducting interviews

Social Anthropology 2: Key Concepts introduces you to the major ideas that define social anthropology today and the historical development of anthropological thought.

Option courses and fieldwork

You will again choose from a wide range of option courses outside your primary subjects.

You may have opportunities, normally in the holidays after Years 2 and 3, to complete archaeology fieldwork or other practical assignments in the UK or abroad. This work is optional, but can be assessed as part of your programme.

Archaeology

In Year 3, you will: 

• Study Theoretical Archaeology, which explores the history of archaeology from its antiquarian beginnings in the 18th and 19th centuries and its development as an academic discipline.
• Consider the theories that archaeologists have used to understand and interpret the remains that they have found and examine how these ideas have changed over the past 150 years.
• Study Archaeology in Practice, which focuses on the contemporary practice of archaeology in the UK as well as internationally, providing an insight into the practical skills required of professional archaeologists.

Social Anthropology

You will choose at least two social anthropology courses from a range of courses on important anthropological themes, including:

• anthropological theory
• kinship
• ritual and religion
• consumption, exchange and technology

Option courses

You will select two more courses from available option courses in archaeology and social anthropology.

Honours-level courses in archaeology can focus on a time period or a geographic area, for example:

• Mesolithic and Neolithic Europe
• the prehistoric Mediterranean
• ancient Egypt

Alternatively, courses can focus on a particular theme or approach, such as:

• archaeology of human remains
• archaeological illustration
• conflict archaeology
• ritual and monumentality
• scientific methods in bio-archaeology

Dissertation choice

If you choose to write your dissertation in social anthropology, you will have the opportunity to conduct your own research in the summer break between Year 3 and Year 4.

Your dissertation supervisor will help you plan and develop your research project which can take place in the UK or overseas.

You will also take the course Imagining Anthropological Research in preparation for your fieldwork.

In Year 4, you will:

• Choose two archaeology courses and two social anthropology courses from a wide range of honours-level options.
• Complete a dissertation, which can be written and supervised in archaeology, social anthropology, or on a topic bridging these disciplines.