The MA in Archaeology is an ideal postgraduate degree if you want to study the major developments in human societies from the origins of settled life to the florescence of the great civilisations.
Introduction
We’ll teach you a variety of practical archaeological techniques and cover in depth the prehistory of the Mediterranean region, the Near East and Northern Europe or Classical Archaeology.
This degree is great preparation for a research degree or a career in archaeology due to the practical skills that it covers. You will gain problem solving, analytical and team-working skills that are beneficial to many other types of employment.
Fieldwork is an important part of research in archaeology and we have projects based internationally, in Egypt, Greece, Bulgaria, Jordan, Turkey, Italy, Zambia, Kenya, Ethiopia and South Africa, as well as in the British Isles.
Who is this course for?
This MA is perfect for graduates in Archaeology or related disciplines who want to study the major developments in human societies and aspire to a career in research or Archaeology.
What you'll learn
Knowledge and critical understanding of the nature and development of past and contemporary cultures
Enhance your experience in archaeological field and/or laboratory work
Skills of archaeological analysis and interpretation, from assessing data from past societies to the analysis and interpretation of specific monuments/sites and their modern published records
Broad comparative knowledge of the archaeology of selected geographical regions and chronological periods
The principles and methods by which archaeological data are acquired and analysed and the problems associated with these processes
How to design, research and present a sustained piece of archaeological writing
The ability to apply and demonstrate a good understanding of theoretical concepts within archaeology
Problem-solving and discursive writing skills.
Course content
Discover what you'll learn, what you'll study, and how you'll be taught and assessed.
If you're able to study part-time, you'll
study the same modules as the full-time master's degree over a longer period, usually 24 months. You
can make studying work for you by arranging your personal schedule
around lectures and seminars which take place during the day. After you
complete all the taught modules, you will complete your final
dissertation or project and will celebrate your achievements
at graduation the following term.
Studying part-time means you can study alongside work or any
other life commitments. You will
study the same modules as the full-time master's degree over a longer period, usually 24 months. You
can make studying work for you by arranging your personal schedule
around lectures and seminars which take place during the day. After you
complete all the taught modules, you will complete your final
dissertation or project and will celebrate your achievements
at graduation the following term.
Semester one
Students take 30 credits of required modules and 30 credits of optional modules in Semester one.
Compulsory modules
RESEARCH SKILLS FOR ACE M-LEVEL STUDENTS (ALGY601)
Credits: 30 /
Semester: semester 1
This module will provide students with a set of skills that is necessary for the development, structuring and presentation of their dissertation topic (which can be later applied to PhD research) alongside transferable skills (clarity of written expression, critical faculty, advanced level ability to structure and present arguments in a range of media, and project management) applicable to academic and non-academic work environments; The module also aims to develop your abilities to engage with current historiographical and theoretical debates appropriate to MA level in an informed, analytical and critical manner.
Optional modules
RESEARCH THEMES IN THE NEOLITHIC OF THE NEAR EAST (ALGY656)
Credits: 15 /
Semester: semester 1
This module will examine the conceptual frameworks and research methods used in investigating the development of the world’s first agricultural, pastoralist and sedentary communities, all changes fundamental to the development of complex and modern society. We will explore the behaviours of these ‘Neolithic’ communities across the Near East and Europe in a thematic fashion, possible themes selected by students might include ritual and symbolism, mortuary practice, the development of the household, the development of religion, human-animal relationships, landscapes and landscape management, identities, the first monuments and institutions.
WOOD IN ARCHAEOLOGY AND PALAEOECOLOGY: WOOD AND CHARCOAL ANALYSIS (ALGY668)
Credits: 15 /
Semester: semester 1
This module provides students with a detailed overview of the theoretical principles and practical applications of archaeobotany and plant macrofossil analysis, focusing on the study of wood, seed and fruit plant remains retrieved from archaeological and palaeoecological sites. Students will have the opportunity to learn hands-on how plant remains are analysed (including botanical identification, recording and data analysis methods), what sort of information can be gained for reconstructing past economies, vegetation ecologies, landscapes and people-environment interactions, and how such analyses are integrated with archaeological and palaeoecological fieldwork projects, and other classes of archaeological and palaeoecological data. The module is delivered through a series of lectures, laboratory-based practical sessions, seminars and tutorials. Assessment is through one essay (students have a choice from a range of topics), one lab-based project report, and a portfolio of work undertaken during laboratory practical sessions.
ROMAN FRONTIER SYSTEMS: FROM THE LATE REPUBLIC TO THE END OF THE FOURTH CENTURY AD (ALGY698)
Credits: 15 /
Semester: semester 1
The study of the frontiers of the Roman empire represents one of the oldest branches of European archaeology. Their study has traditionally complimented explanations of Roman history and therefore the foreign policies of the various imperial dynasties. The discipline of Roman Frontiers Studies has, however, tended to be subservient to an interpretative framework initially derived from historical sources. Today the archaeology of the subject is now sufficiently self-confident to stand independent scrutiny. In turn more recent scholarship on the subject of the frontiers of the empire have focused on them as zones and regions rather than simply as linear barriers. This fresh outlook has, in turn, occasioned a greater awareness of the evidence of life, military and non-military, in frontier situations.
PYROTECHNOLOGY: THEORY, EVIDENCE AND EXPERIMENT (ALGY740)
Credits: 15 /
Semester: semester 1
An examination of the evidence for the role of fire in human history, from its acquisition as a source of heat and light to i ts exploitation in the transformation of the natural world. This module has opportunities for the development of both theoretical knowledge and practical experience of ancient pyrotechnology, through research in the library, analysis in the laboratory and experimental archaeology in the field.
REGIONALISM IN ARCHAIC GREEK WORLD (ALGY689)
Credits: 15 /
Semester: semester 1
This module examines the formative period in the development of the Greek world, marked by the rapid expansion of Greek culture and the emergence of distinct regional identities. Using small-group discussions, we will utilise diverse forms of archaeological evidence combined with early documentary and epigraphic sources (in translation) to examine this crucial proto-historical period, for which there exists a large and complex body of archaeological evidence at a time when Greek writing systems and historical traditions are in their nascence.
ISSUES IN EGYPTIAN SETTLEMENT ARCHAEOLOGY (ALGY676)
Credits: 15 /
Semester: semester 1
This module is designed to promote key skills in the collection, analysis and interpretation of primary material (archaeological and textual) relevant to a reconstruction of the nature and organisation of settlement in ancient Egypt;
It will use detailed case-studies to encourage students to develop their ability to formulate and present independent argument using this archaeological and textual material as data;
It will further encourage the presentation of such argument and analysis in a coherent format as might be appropriate for publication.
EARLY TECHNOLOGIES (ALGY763)
Credits: 15 /
Semester: semester 1
This module introduces the main technologies of the Palaeolithic including the working of stone, wood, bone, clay and the making of fire. The approach is a blend of the theoretical (frameworks of analysis) and the chronological (looking at the archaeological record) with the practical (making and analysing stone tools). If you intend to include lithic artefact analysis in your research then this module provides a sound foundation. More generally, it offers insight into the approaches used to studying cognitive evolution through technology.
Programme details and modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change.
Semester two
Students take 15 credits of required modules and 45 credits of optional modules in Semester two.
Compulsory modules
DESIGNING AND COMMUNICATING RESEARCH (ALGY731)
Credits: 15 /
Semester: semester 2
ALGY731 is a tutorial-based module that provides you with the opportunity to work with member of archaeology staff from the department examining key issues on a topic of personal interest. You will work with your chosen supervisor to identify a research topic, engage with and critically evaluate key literature and primary data, and evaluate the feasibility of potential dissertation topics. You will also have the opportunity to develop real public engagement activities on the basis of your research.
ACE MA AND MSC DISSERTATION (ALGY600)
Credits: 60 /
Semester: summer
ALGY600 provides the framework for MA students, in the Department of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, to undertake independent guided research on a scholarly topic of relevance in the discipline of their choice. This substantial piece of work is developed and written up over the course of the M-level study in conjunction with the ‘taught’ component of the programme.
Optional modules
ARTEFACTS AND ANALYSIS (ALGY737)
Credits: 15 /
Semester: semester 2
An introduction to the scientific examination of archaeological artefacts, this course provides students with a critical understanding of scientific research in the field of archaeological materials. It provides opportunities for the discussion of relevant theoretical and ethical issues in the study of artefacts and enables you to develop practical skill and experience in artefact analysis and reporting.
SOCIAL LIFE IN EGYPT (ALGY677)
Credits: 15 /
Semester: semester 2
The module examines the socio-economic behaviour of the Egyptians, through the evidence of texts (literary and documentary) and the archaeological record (tombs, town sites, art and objects). Egyptian documents providing socioeconomic and legal data, and literary discussions of morality and of proper behaviour are compared to the
documentary and archaeological data relevant to a description of social life in Egypt. Social organisation is examined, at the personal family level and in the political context, and related to economic behaviour and economic organisation. The integration between social custom and law provides a focus for developing an independent appreciation of the social realities of an ancient society. Students are expected to use the acquired knowledge base, and theoretical frameworks for the study of ancient society, as a context for collection, processing and evaluation of specific primary data for research writing.
THEMES IN THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF ROMAN BRITAIN (ALGY634)
Credits: 15 /
Semester: semester 2
This module explores a number of themes and issues which are central to the ongoing debate in the study of the history and archaeology of Roman Britain.
The study of Roman Britain was for many decades treated as an insular subject, where the part of archaeology was to supplement or ‘flesh-out’ the historical account of the island. In turn, many of the questions asked by Roman archaeologists of the island in that period arose from the framework created by the study of the historical/literary sources for the province, where their research was designed to illuminate particular events or circumstances revealed in the ancient written evidence. Since the 1960s, however, Romano-British archaeology has become more free-standing and its research directions have been influenced by theoretical developments in a range of disciplines including anthropology and sociology and especially prehistory. One of the consequences of these developments is that our comprehension of the so-called romanisation of Britain, a process which began in the C1st B.C., owes much to the work of specialists working in the Iron Age.
ECONOMIES AND EXCHANGE IN THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST (ALGY688)
Credits: 15 /
Semester: semester 2
This module introduces the students to key issues, methods and evidence essential to the conducting archaeological and historical research on production and trade in the Ancient Near East, from the Fifth to the First Millennium BC, with a focus on the earliest history of Mesopotamia.
COLLECTORS AND COLLECTIONS: THE HISTORY AND PRACTICE OF COLLECTING GREEK AND ROMAN ANTIQUITIES (ALGY735)
Credits: 15 /
Semester: semester 2
Much of what we know about the material world of Greek and Roman cultures is derived from collections of artefacts, public and private. Studying collections and their contents provides not only direct, personal access to the past; it also enables students to engage with the aims and practices of collectors.
DECIPHERING SYMBOLS: APPROACHES TO AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE EARLIEST SYMBOLIC BEHAVIOUR (ALGY761)
Credits: 15 /
Semester: semester 2
In the last 15 years, specialists have largely agreed that the defining characteristic of the behavioural abilities of modern humans is the ability to use symbolism defined as the use of one thing – such as a word, an object, a colour, or an image – to make reference to another. The recognition and identification of symbols and the interpretation of symbolic behaviour through the archaeological record, however, is considerably harder to prove than say, especially in the context of the first possible evidence. There are significant problems in knowing what early symbols and symbolic behaviour might look like, the contexts in which it might operate and the advantages, if any, of its use as individuals living within cultures that are full of symbols and symbolic activity, and have been this way for tens of thousands of years. This module addresses three key aspects of symbolic activity in the context of human evolution. The first aspect relates to the identification of a symbolic and materially embodied behaviour as a distinctive and new element of anatomically modern humans and the inferred advantages that this capacity conveyed over hominins that did not possess it. The second looks at the evidence for the first material culture that is unambiguously identified as symbolic and the context of its interpretation. The third looks at evidence for more complex information recorded or presented symbolically, and the manner in which we can ‘read’ and unambiguously interpret these artefacts. As part of this process we shall also explore the various different ways in which symbolism, art, design, and communication have been given shape through academic language through the
anthropological, art historical and psychological literature.
HUMAN OSTEOLOGY (ALGY762)
Credits: 15 /
Semester: semester 2
In this module students are introduced, through practical classes, to the identification and study of human skeletal remains from archaeological / palaeontological contexts. The module covers the identification of adult and juvenile human bones, ageing and sexing, palaeopathological conditions and taphonomy. These aspects are taught through the assignment of one adult and one juvenile skeleton to each student, which they then study through the different classes. At the end of the module students provide a written report on their material. Students will also become familiar with how human / hominin remains have proven crucial to the understanding of one area of archaeology / palaeontology of their choice.
BRONZE AGE AND IRON AGE BRITAIN (ALGY786)
Credits: 15 /
Semester: semester 2
This module covers the Bronze Age and Iron Age in Britain from 2300 BC until AD 43. We will focus on the development of later prehistoric studies in Britain, and the themes of settlement, traditions of artefact deposition, land use, burial traditions, and the understanding of later prehistoric social organisation. The aims of the module are to provide an advanced understanding of later prehistoric studies and an opportunity to practice critical method in approaching this material.
Programme details and modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change.
Final project
The Dissertation (ALGY600) is taken over the summer period.
Compulsory modules
ACE MA AND MSC DISSERTATION (ALGY600)
Credits: 60 /
Semester: summer
ALGY600 provides the framework for MA students, in the Department of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, to undertake independent guided research on a scholarly topic of relevance in the discipline of their choice. This substantial piece of work is developed and written up over the course of the M-level study in conjunction with the ‘taught’ component of the programme.
Programme details and modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change.
How you'll learn
Most modules are delivered on campus in small group seminars and occasionally via lectures. Certain modules include practical work. Independent study is fostered by essay-work and set preparation for seminars that grows progressively demanding as your knowledge increases over the course. A range of bibliography is set to assist with independent study also. Feedback is given on all submitted work to help your reflective engagement and progress in future exercises and assessment activities.
The compulsory research skills module, ALGY 601 is delivered via a number of teaching sessions on subjects such as library and scholarly research and careers talks by members of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology.
Preparation for the MA dissertation is undertaken over the length of the programme and completed in the summer period. You will receive one-to-one supervision sessions with a research-active member of staff who will oversee your research on your approved dissertation topic. As part of your dissertation work you may choose to: design experiments, carry out analyses of a body of data or perform GIS studies.
How you're assessed
Assessment is normally by essay and a portfolio of practical work but examinations are included in some modules.
Within the research skills module, ALGY 601, you will develop research skills through the production of work that is assessed and which includes a presentation of your dissertation research topic to a staff and student audience.
You will prepare for the MA dissertation over the length of the programme, however delivery and completion will be in the final four months of the course. The dissertation counts for 60 credits (one third) of your masters. Your finished dissertation is assessed on the quality of your research, your handling of the scholarship, engagement with an issue, organisation and effective presentation.
Liverpool Hallmarks
We have a distinctive approach to education, the Liverpool Curriculum Framework, which focuses on research-connected teaching, active learning, and authentic assessment to ensure our students graduate as digitally fluent and confident global citizens.
Your experience
The Department of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology is part of the School of Histories, Languages and Cultures. Teaching takes place across campus, including in specialist facilities in the Central Teaching Hub and Garstang Museum of Archaeology.
Support for students with differing needs from the Disability advice and guidance team. They can identify and recommend appropriate support provisions for you.
Why Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology at University of Liverpool?
Fantastic on-campus facilities such as the Garstang Museum with its outstanding archaeological collections and GIS suite for archaeological drawing
Our extensive laboratories used for conservation, lithics, geomagnetism, stable isotope, trace elements, finds processing and sample preparation
An enviable library which has been built up since the Ancient World and Archaeology has been studied at Liverpool since the 1880s
Opportunities to learn ancient languages such as Greek, Latin, Akkadian, Sumerian, Egyptian and Coptic
Archaeological projects based internationally, in Egypt, Greece, Bulgaria, Jordan, Turkey, Italy, Zambia, Kenya, Ethiopia and South Africa, as well as in the British Isles
The Archaeology MA delivers career opportunities for further study and employment within the field of Archaeology. As a graduate of the MA, you are also well equipped for a wide variety of jobs in private or public sector employment.
Career support from day one to graduation and beyond
The Archaeology MA provides a strong platform from which to progress to further research at PhD level either within the University of Liverpool or at other Universities.
Career opportunities within Archaeology exist in sectors including:
University
Museums
Local government (posts in planning and archaeology)
Private professional archaeological companies.
With the Archaeology MA you are also well equipped for a wide variety of jobs in sectors such as:
Finance
Journalism
Law
The police
Civil Service
Retail management
Environmental consultancy
Teaching
Tourism and heritage management (where high-level knowledge of archaeology and cultural heritage is a specific advantage).
Fees and funding
Your tuition fees, funding your studies, and other costs to consider.
Tuition fees
UK fees (applies to Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Republic of Ireland)
Full-time place, per year
£10,350
Part-time place, per year
£5,175
International fees
Full-time place, per year
£21,150
Part-time place, per year
£10,575
Fees stated are for the 2023-24 academic year.
Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching and assessment, operating facilities such as libraries, IT equipment, and access to academic and personal support.
We understand that budgeting for your time at university is important, and we want to make sure you understand any course-related costs that are not covered by your tuition fee. This could include buying a laptop, books, or stationery.
A 2:1 or equivalent undergraduate degree in Archaeology or related field such as (but not limited to): Anthropology, some science subjects (Biological, Physics, Geology, Geophysical), History and Geography.
International qualifications
If you hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, but don’t meet our entry requirements, you could be eligible for a Pre-Master’s course. This is offered on campus at the University of Liverpool International College, in partnership with Kaplan International Pathways. It’s a specialist preparation course for postgraduate study, and when you pass the Pre-Master’s at the required level with good attendance, you’re guaranteed entry to a University of Liverpool master’s degree.
Liverpool bursts with diversity and creativity which makes it ideal for you to undertake your postgraduate studies and access various opportunities for you and your family.
To fully immerse yourself in the university experience living in halls will keep you close to campus where you can always meet new people. Find your home away from home.
Discover what expenses are covered by the cost of your tuition fees and other finance-related information you may need regarding your studies at Liverpool.
Contact us
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