Archaeology (MA)V400

Archaeology is the study of the human past from our origins several million years ago to recent times. While historians are primarily concerned with oral, written and transcribed accounts of the past, archaeologists use material remains to study the lives, societies and cultures of past peoples. This programme: covers current thinking on some of the best known and most spectacular archaeological sitesconsiders the most pressing questions in archaeological researchprovides an introduction to the tools and skills archaeologists use to reconstruct the past Our teaching is multidisciplinary, reflecting the broad range of disciplines that underpin archaeological method and theory. You can study a broad range of time periods and different approaches to reconstructing the past. These include: human evolutionlater hunter-gatherersthe first farmersthe later prehistoric societies of the Iron Age Our geographical scope reaches from the north of Scotland over central and southern Europe, the western and eastern Mediterranean to Egypt and the Near East. We also specialise in osteology, the study of the skeletal remains of humans and animals. In Years 3 and 4 you can choose to specialise in a specific time period, geographic area or culture. We emphasise the importance of training in practical archaeological skills. You will have an opportunity to gain hands-on experience of artefact identification and analysis in practical sessions using artefacts from our own Vere Gordon Childe collection. At the end of Year 1, you will complete 3 weeks of archaeological fieldwork. In later years of study you will also have the option to complete: further fieldworkprojects in heritage management and public engagementlab-based analysis of archaeological remains You can choose to take a professionally accredited pathway in this programme. This pathway is accredited by the University Archaeology UK (UAUK) and the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA), the leading professional body representing archaeologists working in the UK and overseas. Accreditation recognises that the Edinburgh degree provides skills relevant to a career in the historic environment and provides you with the opportunity to joinCIfAas a means of supporting your professional development.