Research course

Archaeology

Institution
University of Liverpool · School of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology
Qualifications
PhDMPhil

Entry requirements

For full entry requirement details, please see the course page on the University website.

Months of entry

Anytime

Course content

Current research in Archaeology at Liverpool uses state-of-the-art interdisciplinary methods and approaches to study the Palaeolithic and Neolithic societies of Southwest Asia, Mediterranean Europe and Africa, human evolution, archaeobotanical science, archaeozoology, bioarchaeology, archaeomaterials, classical archaeology, the cultures of the ancient Near East and the Mediterranean, later European prehistory and Medieval and post-Medieval archaeology.

The Department of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology is internationally reputed for its world-class interdisciplinary research in diverse fields ranging from the origins of humanity and Old World prehistory to the cultures, languages and texts of the late antiquity and the archaeology of the historical periods.

ACE has particular research strengths in the fields of Old World prehistory (especially the Palaeolithic and Neolithic of Southwest Asia, Mediterranean Europe and Africa), Human evolution, Archaeobotanical science (archaeobotany & anthracology), Archaeozoology, Bioarchaeology (stable isotopes and human remains), Archaeomaterials, Classical archaeology, the archaeology and cultures of the Ancient Near East and the Mediterranean, Later British and European prehistory and Medieval and post-Medieval archaeology.

Fieldwork is an important part of our research and we have several field projects based in the UK and abroad (Bulgaria, Egypt, Greece, Italy, Iraq, Kenya, Jordan, Turkey, Zambia).

With 42 academic & research staff and over 60 postgraduate researchers ACE forms one of the largest hubs for the academic study of the human past in the UK.

We welcome Archaeology PhD research proposals that provide a close match with our research strengths in Old World prehistory (especially the Palaeolithic and Neolithic of Southwest Asia, Mediterranean Europe and Africa), Human evolution, Archaeobotanical (seeds, charcoal) science, Bioarchaeology, Archaeozoology, Archaeomaterials, the Iron Age in the Mediterranean and the Near East, Classical archaeology, Mesopotamian texts, languages, cultures and economies, Later British and European prehistory, and Medieval and post-Medieval archaeology.

Research themes

Our research themes are:

Human Evolution:

  • Long-term evolution of cultural abilities
  • The development of stone tool technologies from the Oldowan to the Upper Palaeolithic
  • The emergence of symbolism, language, and artistic traditions
  • Innovation, social transmission and learning
  • The origin of human ecological adaptations
  • Speciation, extinction, and dispersals
  • Responses of prehistoric humans to climate change.

Prehistoric Archaeology & Human Palaeoecology:

  • The transition from foraging to farming
  • The impact of environmental and climate change on human societies
  • The evolution of anthropogenic landscapes, ecologies & human foodways
  • Plant & animal domestication
  • The (pre)history of disease
  • The histories and evolution of prehistoric households & social complexity
  • Processes of colonisation, settlement dispersals and acculturation.

The Archaeology of the Ancient Mediterranean and the Near East:

  • The Iron Age in the Mediterranean and the Near East
  • Classical Archaeology
  • Regions and regional interactions in the Mediterranean
  • Households & landscapes
  • Cultural translation
  • Mesopotamian texts, languages, cultures and economies.

Later European & British prehistory:

  • European Iron Age society & social organisation
  • British pre-Roman Iron Age
  • Gender archaeology
  • Household & settlement archaeology
  • Roundhouse architecture
  • People-climate interactions.

Historical Archaeology:

  • Western Britain and Ireland from the Iron Age to the present
  • Roman Britain
  • Early medieval Britain and Ireland; post-medieval/historical archaeology
  • Heritage management and interpretation
  • Memory and identity
  • Conflict archaeology
  • Biography in historical periods.

Qualification, course duration and attendance options

  • PhD
    part time
    48-72 months
    • Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
    full time
    24-48 months
    • Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
  • MPhil
    part time
    48-72 months
    • Campus-based learningis available for this qualification
    full time
    24-48 months
    • Campus-based learningis available for this qualification

Course contact details

Name
Postgraduate Recruitment
Email
irro@liverpool.ac.uk