Archaeology and Social Anthropology - MA (Hons)

The University of Edinburgh

The archaeology and social anthropology degree examines the diversity of ancient and modern human social and material culture.Archaeology is the study of the human past from our origins several million years ago up to recent times. Archaeologists use physical remains to study the lives, societies and cultures of past peoples.In contrast, social anthropology is the study of human behaviour in living societies. Understanding a living society and its members involves participant observation. This can involve spending months or even years living with, and sharing the experiences of, the people being studied.Societies around the world vary enormously socially, culturally and politically. The study of these variations, and the common humanity that underlies them, is at the heart of social anthropology.Together, archaeology and social anthropology create a programme that studies past and present human behaviour. Your undergraduate dissertation in Year 4 can be in either subject.**Practical skills**We emphasise the importance of training in practical archaeological skills.You will have an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in artefact identification and analysis in practical sessions using artefacts from our own Vere Gordon Childe collection.**Fieldwork**You will complete three weeks of archaeological fieldwork at the end of Year 1. In later years of study, you will also have the option to do:* further fieldwork* projects in heritage management and public engagement* lab-based analysis of archaeological remainsIf you choose to do a dissertation in social anthropology, you can conduct your own research in the summer break between Years 3 and 4.**Programme benefits*** Combine the study of human behaviour with the practice of archaeology.* Complete a dissertation in either archaeology or social anthropology.* Take part in archaeological fieldwork in the UK or abroad.* Gain hands-on experience with the Vere Gordon Childe collection, learning artefact identification and analysis.* Visit the National Museum of Scotland for classes and field trips.

School of History, Classics and Archaeology