Programme details
Human bones represent a major portion of finds recovered during archaeological excavations, and their analysis is essential to our understanding of ancient societies.
Remains of Bronze Age baby burial from Tell Ezero, Bulgaria
This intensive programme is designed for students who will normally have obtained a first or upper second class degree (or its equivalent) either in archaeology or in another related subject (anthropology, for example), or a group of subjects in which archaeology figures prominently.
Those receiving an MSc degree in Human Osteoarchaeology will be equipped with the knowledge and hands-on experience that allows them to carry out the analysis of human bone. Importantly, participants will also acquire a background in archaeological method and theory, enabling the proper interpretation of osteological remains recovered from a site.
Participants in the programme are expected to acquire knowledge of:
- theoretical bases of human osteoarchaeology
- physical properties and function of the human skeleton
- hands-on bone identification
- reconstruction of individual traits (age, sex, size, etc)
- analytical methods
- scientific and culture-historical interpretations of human osseous materials.
The taught course will integrate practical skills with theoretical understanding, putting specialist analyses in context.
The degree offers participants of this targeted programme the ability to:
- identify and interpret human bone remains from archaeological sites
- develop hypothesis testing skills
- carry out relevant scientific analyses, often in cooperation with experts in other disciplines
- engage in theoretical and methodological discussions relevant to osteoarchaeology
- design research strategies based on transferable skills, providing a basis for advanced studies.
Structure
The programme can either be taken over one year (full-time), or over two years (part-time). Students will be required to complete six courses over the two teaching semesters (September-March), of 20 credits each (normally 20 hours contact time). Individual courses will be delivered by means of lectures, seminars and hands-on practical work with archaeological assemblages and reference collections.
Course assessment is through coursework, which comprises essays (4000 words), reports, and both oral and written practical examinations. The assessments are designed to test satisfactory completion and understanding of the work covered in the various courses.
Successful completion of the taught component of the programme qualifies candidates to receive the Postgraduate Diploma. Those who attain a satisfactory standard in their assessed work (with an average minimum of 50%) may proceed to an MSc, undertaking a supervised project on an approved topic and submitting a dissertation (60 credits) of approximately 15,000 words by the end of the programme year (normally late August). Award of the degree is usually approved in time for November graduation.
Courses
| (All courses are worth 20 credits) |
|---|
| Human Musculo-Skeletal Anatomy |
| Analytical Methods in Human Osteology |
| Practical Osteology |
| Skeletal Pathology |
| Bioarchaeological Interpretation |
| Research Sources and Strategies in Archaeology |
Possible dissertation topics
The following represent a sample of Human Osteoarchaeology MSc dissertation titles submitted over the past four years:
- Evidence for behaviour from hand and wrist osteoarthritis: case studies from the Museum of London Centre for Human Bioarchaeology
- A critique of the national and international laws and policies governing the repatriation of human remains
- The utility of non-metric traits
- The cephalic index and its use in proving migration of the "Beaker Folk" in Bronze Age Britain
Transferable skills
In addition to specialist osteological skills students on the Human Osteoarchaeology programme will also gain numerous transferable skills including:
- data manipulation
- IT skills
- the application of theory to practice through practical sessions
- oral and visual presentation skills
- participation in debate at seminars and tutorials
- experience in the field
- experience in using 3D software
- experience in using statistical software.
This article was published on Sep 5, 2012