MA Medieval Archaeology

Duration

Full-time 12 months

Part-time 24 months

This is a new MA for students who wish to develop their knowledge of the Middle Ages (400-1500 AD) through the advanced study of medieval archaeology. The University of Reading has one of the largest concentrations of medievalists in the UK. The programme is distinctive in emphasising social archaeology and interdisciplinary approaches, and focuses on Britain set in the context of northern Europe. Students select their own chronological or thematic options from modules offered in the Department of Archaeology and the Graduate Centre for Medieval Studies, which will prepare them for writing a substantial dissertation.

Programme Content :

Students attend core modules on Research Resources and Skills, and Issues and Debates in Medieval Archaeology. They then choose a further module from Archaeological Thought, Archaeological Graphics, Soils and Archaeology, Geophysics in Archaeology,  Medieval Latin (one for beginners, another advanced), and Medieval Palaeography. Two modules are chosen from a wide range of options.

Some are essentially chronological, and include Early Anglo-Saxon England, the Twelfth Century, the Late Medieval Crisis and Later Medieval Religion. Others are thematic, such as Gender Archaeology and Burial Archaeology, and more scientific options including Palaeopathology, the Archaeology of Food and Nutrition, Coastal and Maritime Archaeology and Environment and Landscape in Historical Periods. English and European historical and art historical modules are also available through the Graduate Centre for Medieval Studies. Finally, students write a dissertation of 20,000 words on a topic of their choice.