Postgraduate courses and subjects 2000

Archaeology

Coordinator: C Hope
Archaeology, together with ancient history, is the reconstruction of past societies using whatever type of data remains, whether this be structural, artefactual, documentary or literary. It explores the genesis, evolution and characteristics of the patterns of human existence on both cognitive and practical levels. The geographical focus is upon the cultures of the ancient Mediterranean world and temporally from the beginnings of urbanism among early agricultural communities until the fourth century CE, thus upon complex societies. Within this broad spectrum emphasis is placed on the study of Egypt and its interaction with neighbouring regions. Studies which combine a variety of methodological approaches are encouraged and priority is given to those which involve practical components, whether in the field or in relation to museum collections, both of which can be arranged through the centre. The application of scientific techniques to the study of archaeological material is welcomed. Research strengths include: settlement and mortuary archaeology with specific reference to the Predynastic Period - Old Kingdom, the New Kingdom and the Roman Period, both within the Nile Valley and the Saharan region; ceramic studies; ancient technology; numismatics; and the archaeology of early Christianity.
Supervision of PhD and masters by research candidature is available. Refer to the front of the Arts postgraduate section for course details.