MA in Historical Archaeology of the Modern World
The Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Bristol offers a range of taught Masters degrees, including this MA (Masters) in Historical Archaeology of the Modern World. This leading and internationally recognised programme combines a theoretical and interdisciplinary introduction to historical archaeology around the world with practical training in the archaeology of historic landscapes, material culture and standing buildings.
The course may be taken as full-time study (one year) or part-time (two years). Applications from overseas students and mature students are particularly welcomed. You will usually need a first degree in archaeology, anthropology or history to apply for this course, although there are some exceptions to this rule. Applications for Autumn 2009 entry are currently invited.
Background
This programme offers an intensive and interdisciplinary 1-year introduction to historical archaeology - the archaeology of the most recent past. It includes a full introduction to European, North American and Australasian traditions of historical archaeology, as well as historical archaeologies elsewhere in the world. It is an ideal programme for students with a first degree in other subjects to gain training in Archaeology, or for those trained in archaeology to gain training in the historical period. 
This course provides students with a sound and broad (academic and practical) knowledge of the material culture of the modern period, and of current theoretical and professional issues in historical archaeology. The course provides a sound basis for a career in professional archaeology, museums or heritage management/CRM, or for further academic research.
Why Bristol?
The Department of Archaeology and Anthropology at Bristol is home to a young, exciting and rapidly expanding graduate school in archaeology. This innovative Masters programme is one of a very small number of British graduate programmes in historical archaeology. of the Department's research engages with global historical archaeology, and our international perspectives are at home in the modern, cosmopolitan city of Bristol. Today, Bristol has a strong community of international students in archaeology and anthropology: in recent years we have had the pleasure of teaching students from the US, Canada, the West Indies and Europe on a range of courses.
Bristol is not only one of the best cities in Britain to live in, but has always been an outward-looking place. The city benefits from unparalleled resources for the study of the later historical period - including rich historical built heritage and museum and library collections. The city's central historical role in the development of the Atlantic world especially during the medieval and later historical period makes Bristol a natural geographical location for the study of the historical archaeology of the modern world.
Structure
The historical archaeology programme comprises five taught units and a dissertation to a total value of 180 credit points. Historical context will be provided by an introductory unit, Materialities, plus Historical Archaeology which will focus upon the archaeology of AD 1500-2000, with a strong international perspective.
Three further taught units will comprise Landscapes, Artefacts, and Standing Buildings and Heritage . The course will enable students to acquire archaeological research skills, and to consider the material remains of the modern period in global context.
Students will acquire a detailed practical knowledge of artefact types, landscape survey and building recording or underwater survey. Techniques of archaeological investigation and recording will be taught. Students will research and write a thesis on a topic of their choice.
The students will be able to understand archaeological evidence, discoveries and interpretations, as well as being able to undertake research on their own using primary sources (both documentary and archaeological). We will expect students to acquire a good knowledge of the archaeological and heritage sector internationally, including the protective legislation, funding and employment structures.
The course is taught at the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, Old Baptist College, 43 Woodland Road. The programme also includes frequent practicals and field visits, making use of our dedicated fleet of Departmental landrovers (which graduate students may also book out for their own field trips and fieldwork).
Dates and Deadlines
The University of Bristol Academic Year consists of three terms. There are two four-week breaks - between Autumn and Spring terms, and between Spring and Summer terms - in which no teaching takes place. The full-time course runs annually from October, with a concentration of lectures and field visits until the end of March, and dissertation to be submitted by September. There is no formal application deadline.
Admissions
Prerequisites
Applications must be submitted through the University form, available at:
http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Registrar/Admissions/PG/pg-forms.htm
The course is aimed at graduates, who have a good honours bachelor's degree (normally interpreted as a 2.1 or equivalent). For overseas students whose country uses the cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) system, you should normally have obtained, or expect to obtain, a GPA of at least 3.2 (out of 4) in your Major. However, other applicants with demonstrable and considerable professional experience in archaeology or related fields may also be considered. Overseas students and mature students are particularly welcome.
Selection Criteria
Students on this course may have studied Archaeology, Anthropology, History or Geography as a first degree subject or major. However, the course may be taken as a conversion course by students with other backgrounds - whether in Fine Art, Social Sciences or Scientific disciplines. Most important is a genuine and demonstrable desire to work creatively with the material remains of the recent past.
Methods of Selection
Selection will be by suitable academic references, and two must be provided before the application can be considered. Where appropriate or practical, applicants may be interviewed. We are also delighted to show prospective students around the Department and campus, and for them to meet other students studying in the Department.
Notification of Admission
All candidates will be notified by post as to whether or not they have been successful in their application. There will be an opportunity offered to discuss reasons for rejection.
Course Programme
Unit 1. Materialities (40 credits)
‘Archaeology is about artifacts, and all artifacts are material culture.' This unique and multidisciplinary unit will provide students with a wide-ranging and comprehensive understanding of how many different kinds of archaeology can be investigated as variations of visual and material culture. The course will introduce key elements and concepts of Historical and Contemporary Archaeology, Landscape and Garden Archaeology, Maritime Archaeology, and Conflict Archaeology. It will also explore the relationships between theory and practice in what it means to be human, to possess culture, and to practice a modern and anthropological archaeology in the 21st century.
Unit 2. Historical Archaeology of the Modern World (20 credits)
An introduction to the historical archaeology of the modern world. The course will trace the archaeology of European expansion during the past 500 years, with particular reference to the medieval origins of the modern world system, 16th and 17th century migrations and trade, encounters and interaction with native populations, creolisation and plantation societies, international trade and transatlantic slavery, European social history, Africa and India in history, colonial government, the integration of the world system through mass-production and supply, the Atlantic world after the slave trade, identities, authenticity and post-colonialism. A series of case studies will be used to examine the material remains of these processes.
Unit 3. Historical Landscapes (20 credits)
An introduction to the principles and practice of landscape archaeology, through a series of case studies drawn from around the world. Themes will include agrarian landscapes and enclosure, parks and gardens, industrial landscapes, urban landscapes, colonial landscapes, 20th century landscapes. The Unit will include training in the principles and practice of landscape archaeological survey. A series of field trips to a variety of landscapes will be provided.
Themes will include research skills and the use of documentary, cartographic and pictorial sources, the archaeological use of data bases, techniques of remote sensing, geophysics, air photography, historic maps and illustrations, the conservation of historic landscapes, and the organisation, presentation and dissemination of research materials.
Unit 4. Material Culture (20 credits)
This Unit gives students a broad understanding of some of the most important issues in the development of material culture, as studied by historical archaeologists and anthropologists, and to the range of material culture in the modern and contemporary worlds. The global contexts of artefact manufacture, trade and consumption will be emphasised throughout. This unit will also include practical skills training in the analysis and conservation or artefact assemblages.
Unit 5. Standing Buildings and Heritage (20 credits)
An introduction to the history and archaeology of buildings in the modern period. The Unit will include full training in the architectural and archaeological recording of standing buildings. Themes will include the development of religious buildings, elite houses, workers' housing, agricultural buildings, industrial buildings and factories, institutional buildings (prisons and hospitals), military buildings, colonial buildings, buildings conservation, legislation and statutory requirements. The Unit will include lectures and field trips. Case studies will be drawn from around the world.
Dissertation
A dissertation providing substantial academic work on an aspect of historical archaeology (15,000 words).
Assessment
There will be no formal examinations, but assessments will provide a progressive evaluation of the student's abilities in both archaeological research methods and in media skills. The emphasis will be on individual project work, which may involve written output, but may also include audio-visual submissions or a combination of both. Students must achieve a minimum mark of 50% overall on coursework and examinations and 50% on the dissertation in order to qualify for the Degree of Master of Arts. Please note that the dissertation must also reach the 50% standard in order to qualify. It is not possible to carry over marks from dissertation to taught courses or vice-versa. Students who do not reach the required standard in the dissertation may nevertheless be able to qualify for the award of a Postgraduate Diploma in Historical Archaeology if their performance in the taught part of the course is deemed satisfactory by the examiners.
Tutors
Dr Nicholas Saunders (Programme Director) Nicholas.Saunders@bristol.ac.uk
Dr Nicholas J Saunders specialises in the archaeology and anthropology of 20th century conflict, working on the battlefields of the First World War in France, Belgium, and Jordan. He is particularly interested in the material culture and landscapes of modern conflict, and has been involved in many European museum exhibitions on this topic. He is also an expert in the pre-Columbian and Historical archaeology of the Americas, focusing on symbolism and landscape, and has worked in Mexico, Argentina, and the Caribbean. His two current research projects are on the symbolism of light and brilliance in Amerindian material culture, and field research of the Nazca Lines in southern Peru.
Dr Mark Horton FSA
Professor of Archaeology. Specialist in landscape archaeology and fieldwork techniques. Research interests include Medieval, post-Medieval and industrial landscapes, tropical and desert environments. He has worked in historical archaeology since 1979, and has directed excavations in Panama, Honduras, Cayman Islands, St Kitts, St Lucia, Egypt, Kenya, Zanzibar, Sri Lanka, as well in the UK. Dr Horton's publications include The Swahili (2001, with John Middleton) and Shanga (1996, British Institute in Eastern Africa).
Dr Saunders has published extensively and appeared many times on television and radio. His most recent books are the bestselling Killing Time: Archaeology and the First World War (Sutton, 2007), Alexander’s Tomb (Basic, 2006), Peoples of the Caribbean: An Encyclopedia of Archaeology and Traditional Culture (ABC-Clio, 2005), and Ancient Americas (Sutton, 2004). He is responsible for the M.A. in Historical Archaeology, M.A. in Archaeology and Screen Media, and the new M.A. in 20th-century Conflict Archaeology (October 2008). For further details about Nick's South American research, and his Conflict Archaeology work, go to http://www.bris.ac.uk/archanth/staff/saunders/
Course Fees
In 2009-10, the tuition fees for home and EU students are UKP 4770 (or UKP 2390 per year part time). The fees for overseas students are UKP 11450.
Tuition fees include the full use of university facilities, including the library, computer services and Landrovers as well as the cost of fieldtrips associated with the programme and the annual field residential field trip to Exmoor.
Scholarships and Bursaries
Applicants from the UK may consider applying to the Arts and Humanities Research Board (competition A) for support. Prior to any application to the AHRC, you will have had to be accepted by the University.
Applications
Further details and application forms may be obtained from:
Alison Johnston
Postgraduate Secretary
Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
University of Bristol
43 Woodland Road
Clifton, Bristol BS8 1UU, UK
tel: +44 (0)117 954 6069
fax : +44 (0)117 954 6001
email: alison.johnston@bristol.ac.uk
You can download an application form from the University's website at:
http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Registrar/Admissions/PG/pg-forms.htm
For an informal discussion about this MA, please don't hesitate to contact the Programme Director:
Dr Nick Saunders (Department of Archaeology and Anthropology)
Nicholas.Saunders@bristol.ac.uk
(Please note: The Department believes that the information given on this page accurately describes the programme it offers. However, the Department reserves the right to withdraw or amend programmes, fees and facilities or services available from or provided by the University without notice. )