Osteoarchaeology

MSc Osteoarchaeology

Delivery method: Part-time
Course Reference: MSO

Course Overview

Osteoarchaeology is concerned with the study of both human and animal remains from archaeological sites. Human and animal bones can provide abundant information about past human populations’ diet, health, economy, society and the natural world.

The archaeological profession has a need for skilled osteoarchaeologists to help interpret archaeological sites and understand past human experience. The School of Conservation Science’s combined expertise in the study of both human and other animal remains enables it to offer a course to meet this need. The course also taps into the range of expertise from the Centre for Archaeology, Anthropology & Heritage and the Centre for Forensic Science.

The sub-disciplines of human and animal osteoarchaeology have much in common at a core level. By covering both human and animal remains, this course affords students a breadth of knowledge, while leaving them well placed to specialise further.

Students experience a wide variety of learning and teaching methods including human osteoarchaeology and zooarchaeology practicals, lectures, workshops, seminars, field trips and individual tutorials. Hands-on experience of analytical techniques and tools is an essential part of our teaching programme and Information Technology skills and a professional approach underpin the course. Methods of assessment are also varied and address theoretical issues, practical problems and tasks likely to be encountered in the professional environment. Coursework will include analysis of skeletal assemblages, production of professionally-structured reports, essays, oral presentations (in individual or group contexts), practical identification tests and the preparation of specialist assessments and reports based on the student’s own analysis of materials. From this blend of learning and assessment styles, students gain the confidence and skills to flourish in their chosen profession.

The School has a strong research-active academic community with collaborative links to other academic and professional institutions overseas and in the UK. It is part of European Union funded schemes such as Socrates- Erasmus, Tempus and Leonardo adding to the cultural diversity of the School and providing opportunities for overseas study.

Resources
The course is fully supported by extensive technical and scientific facilities available within the School of Conservation Sciences. These include dedicated research and analytical laboratories, with a wide range of instrumentation including a X-ray facility and Scanning Electron Microscope, workshops and layout rooms, a GIS and spatial information suite, map library and a postgraduate student computer laboratory. There are dedicated human osteoarchaeology and zooarcharchaeology laboratories and excellent archaeological and modern skeletal collections for both human and zoological remains.