Funerary Archaeology

Entry requirements

To apply for this course, you will need a good honours degree (upper second or first class) or an equivalent qualification from an overseas institution in archaeology, anthropology or a related field.

Mature students or those with less conventional qualifications but with relevant experience in this field will be considered.

Months of entry

September

Course content

Past societies responded to and treated their dead in a huge diversity of ways, providing archaeologists with crucial insights into their workings. Funerary archaeology combines analysis of human remains with their archaeological context to take a truly interdisciplinary approach to studying both life and death in the past. The course at York offers the chance to develop skills in a range of different methods and techniques, but all centred on learning how to investigate death and burial in the past. The flexible nature of the course enables you to pursue your own particular period or methodological interests.

• Explore the varied archaeological and methodological approaches to funerary archaeology
• Work alongside internationally renowned specialists in a range of different periods and methodologies, by choosing either the MA or MSc route
• Gain ‘hands on’ experience of the analysis of human remains
• Learn through fieldtrips to local museums and relevant sites, e.g. the prehistoric monuments in the Yorkshire Wolds
• Choose modules to support your own research interests
• Use the latest techniques and equipment to build key practical skills
• Receive advice on developing your career and research interests from knowledgeable staff