MSc Experimental Archaeology & Material Culture

Graduate Taught (level 9 nfq, credits 90)

The MSc in Experimental Archaeology and Material Culture will provide a comprehensive course of university learning and experience in experimental archaeology and material culture analysis. 
  • Experimental archaeology can be defined as the reconstruction of past buildings, technologies, things and environmental contexts so as to enable a better understanding of the character and role of materiality and material culture in peoples lives.
  • It may also involve innovative, experiential interrogations of past lifeways and material culture, so as to explore and understand how people interact with each other and the world. 

Curricular information is subject to change


Full Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. Yes

Part Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes
International (Non EEA) applicants currently residing outside of the EEA Region. No

MSc in Experimental Archaeology and Material Culture 


Programme co-ordinator: Dr Anita Radini 

Contact: anita.radini@ucd.ie

The UCD MSc in Experimental Archaeology and Material Culture is based in UCD School of Archaeology’s Centre for Experimental Archaeology and Material Culture and is designed, taught and assessed in its unique field facilities, laboratories and workshops.

In trimester 1, the programme is about teaching you to be thoughtful and reflective about how archaeologists might use different theoretical and practical approaches to investigating people, buildings and things in the past. The module Experimental Archaeology: Making, Understanding, Storytelling investigates how we think about past houses, buildings, agricultural and industrial technologies, pottery, lithics, metalworking, food and cooking, and other aspects of material culture, through projects and case studies. Material Cultureis an essential module for any archaeologist, and investigates how we observe, describe and analyse artefacts, using the principles of object biography, chaine operatoire, but especially scientific analytical methods, artefact photography, illustration, etc - vital skills for any archaeologist wishing to engage with "things” in their career. You then can further choose various 3rdyear or MSc level module options – such as Heritage presentation and interpretationCombat archaeology, or Early Medieval Ireland and Beyond, AD 400-1100.

In trimester 2, we will develop your practical and analytical skills for investigating landscapes, buildings and things. Practical Experimental Archaeologytakes a workshop and making approach, building an understanding of how people understood materials, modified them, used them to make, use and discard things: in the past, this has been done through everyone casting medieval bronze brooches using their own clay crucibles and clay moulds. Archaeological Field Techniquesintroduces students to field survey, the analysis of landscapes and buildings, their recording through survey instruments, etc, and may also involve some recording of archaeological features. Research Project Skillsteaches you how to design a project, ask research questions, devise methodologies, analyse data and interpret it in the context of wider archaeological knowledge. It provides a basis for how students learn to do an original MSc thesis. You can then choose such options as Heritage Marketing and ManagementRemote Sensingmodule, or an exciting new module 'Decolonising Ethnography'linked to architecture, folklore, anthropology, sociology, and archaeology. There is also the option of taking such 3rd year modules as Archaeology of FoodEnvironmental Archaeology in Practice,and Introduction to Human Bioarchaeology. The programme is taught through a diversity of teaching methods and innovative assessment types, by experienced professionals and gives you the opportunity to really develop your knowledge and skills in archaeological investigations, in a creative, inspiring and enjoyable setting.

In trimester 3, you do your own MSc thesis on a topic of your own choice, supervised by a member of UCD School of Archaeology staff. The choice of topic is wide, both in terms of chronology (prehistory, medieval, modern) and geography (e.g. America, Mediterranean, NW Europe, etc)!

Programme Website: http://www.ucd.ie/archaeology/study/graduateprogrammes/msc_experimental/

Website for UCD Centre for Experimental Archaeology and Material Culture

http://www.ucd.ie/archaeology/ceamc

Facebook UCD Experimental Archaeology Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/UCDExperimentalArchaeology/?multi_permalinks=1362055387222582&notif_t=like&notif_id=1491996513462984

Twitter accounthttps://twitter.com/EArchaeol

Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/ucd_experimental_archaeology/

Links to UCD Centre for Experimental Archaeology and Material Culture (CEAMC) at UCD School of Archaeology, University College Dublin, Ireland.

The Graduate Certificate in Experimental Archaeology and Material Culture (Online/Distance Learning) would be closely linked to UCD School of Archaeology’s Centre for Experimental Archaeology and Material Culture (CEAMC), which established since 2012, is one of the only specifically designed and dedicated, on- campus university facilities in the world for experimental archaeology and material culture studies.

It links with Research projects at CEAMC, which are essentially driven by Principal Investigators, including academic staff, Postdoctoral Fellows, and also PhD and MA scholars, who design and carry out their own specific projects. Current and ongoing research projects include work on Mesolithic, Bronze Age, Early Medieval and Viking Age houses, on foods and cooking, on living environments, on pottery manufacture, on the use of stone, flint, chert and quartz technologies, on bronze, iron and glass-working, and on various aspects of early medieval/late medieval food technologies, production and processing. Multidisciplinary collaborations are also being established with other UCD Schools, including the Earth Institute, Engineering, Folklore, and Education, and there are also international academic collaborations through the Centre’s established connections with EXARC (the global network for Archaeological Open-Air Museums and experimental archaeology. The UCD Centre for Experimental Archaeology and Material Culture has already successfully attracted several Marie Sklodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships, Irish Research Council PhD scholarships and Teagasc Walsh PhD Fellowship, as well as external funding for various research projects.

It also benefits from CEAMC’s distinctive Teaching and Learning philosophy, where since 2012, there have been a range of innovative undergraduate and taught graduate experimental archaeology modules. These include the Level 3 module, “ARCH30500: Experimental Archaeology and Ancient Technologies” module, where students are taken through a week-long intensive module, and then design, implement and analyze the results of their own original project.

Graduate Certificate students would also access modules in the existing MSc/Grad Dip in Experimental Archaeology and Material Culture programmes, which have been transformative of UCD students’ practical experience of material culture, and are also innovative in their use of Problem-Based, Enquiry-Based and Peer Learning, encouraging project design skills, originality, creativity, resourcefulness, teamwork, and also facilitate multiple- intelligence learning experiences. The Graduate Certificate in Experimental Archaeology and Material Culture (Online/Distance Learning students, build on these past teaching experiences.

CEAMC’s third activity is Public Outreach, Engagement and Communications, whereby we communicate the research activities of CEAMC and UCD School of Archaeology to local, national and international audiences. CEAMC has organized 2 major international conferences (including EAC9, 9th Experimental Archaeology Conference, the largest ever); as well as numerous schools and community outreach activities.

We have an active social media strategy (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram). CEAMC is often used by UCD in its own websites and publications, for visiting dignitaries and groups, and it has also figured in television (e.g. RTE News), on newspaper (Irish Times, etc) and in websites internationally. We see public outreach and engagement as part of students training at UCD, and would expect students to be actively involved in communication of archaeology to the public.

 

Website for UCD Centre for Experimental Archaeology and Material Culture (CEAMC)

http://www.ucd.ie/archaeology/ceamc

CEAMC Facebook UCD Experimental Archaeology Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/UCDExperimentalArchaeology/?multi_permalinks=1362055387222582&notif_t=like&notif_id=1491996513462984

CEAMC Twitter account

https://twitter.com/EArchaeol

CEAMC Instagram account 

https://www.instagram.com/ucd_experimental_archaeology/

 

This programme will provide you with an introductory course to experimental archaeology and material culture, through Distance Learning/Online teaching means. Students of the Graduate Certificate (by Distance Learning) in Experimental Archaeology and Material Culture will:

•      Study in an exciting multidisciplinary programme, with online lectures by UCD staff and international experts, with full use of a wide range of online materials, including lectures, podcasts, videos and blog posts, and an optional (but not obligatory) one-week intensive practical course at UCD Centre for Experimental Archaeology and Material Culture (CEAMC).

•      Explore and investigate though online lectures, seminars, and their own practical projects how people in the past understood and worked with stone, flint, clay, pottery, wood, leather, woollen and vegetal textiles, and other materials, and how they constructed and inhabited buildings developed different technologies, and made and used things.

 

 

Students of the Graduate Certificate in Experimental Archaeology and Material Culture (Online/Distance Learning) will be introduced to the principles behind the identification, description, analysis and methods of experimental archaeological investigations, with a particular emphasis on the role of experimental archaeology in the investigation of past material culture and the properties of materials and objects, their manufacture, use and discard, and how this is communicated to the wide world.

On completion of this programme, a student will have been provided with:

•      An introduction to the role of experimental archaeology in the investigation of the character and diversity of materials and material culture in the past, so as to create and communicate knowledge of the past in modern society.

•      An introduction to the knowledge and skills required in designing original experimental archaeological projects, including the critique of project research questions, the application of methodologies to materials, the gathering and collation of data, the analysis of data and its interpretation.

•      An introduction to the potential different means of communicating knowledge, using presentations, photography, videos, online websites and other means, with a particular emphasis both on scientific communication, but also public outreach.

•      Develop an appreciation of how cultural heritage, craft and archaeological knowledge is communicated through scientific and archaeological publication, through Living History and Re-enactment communities, and in Europe’s and the world’s best traditional museums and Archaeological Open Air Museums (AOAMs).

•      Ability to apply the skills and knowledge acquired to promote an interdisciplinary approach to studying past material culture.

•      Ability to apply the research and scientific writing skills required in professional report writing.

View All Modules Here

  • Study in an exciting, new multidisciplinary programme, with lectures by UCD staff and international experts, with practical training in laboratories and the Centre for Experimental Archaeology, and fieldtrips.
  • Explore and investigate though lectures, seminars, and practical project learning how people in the past understood and worked with stone, flint, clay, pottery, wood, leather, woolen and vegetal textiles, and other materials, and how they constructed and inhabited buildings developed different technologies, and made and used things.
  • Gain key professional skills in object and materials analyses, including the use of artefact photography, 3D laser scanning, photogrammetric modeling and visualization technologies, and GIS, and the use of optical microscopes and Scanning Electron Microscopes. Through the MSc programme you will have access to training in Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray Diffraction, thus gaining insights into how we investigate past material culture through detailed elemental analysis.
  • Design, implement and analyse the results of their own project, which may be completed as an MA thesis or MA Research Placement in semester 3 (i.e. in the summer term).

 

View All Modules Here

Modules

•      ARCH41180 Experimental Archaeology: Making, Understanding, Storytelling (10 credits) explores how we think about past houses, buildings, agricultural and industrial technologies, pottery, lithics, metalworking, food and cooking, and other aspects of material culture, through a review of projects and best-practice case studies. Experimental Archaeology can be defined as the reconstruction of past buildings, practices, technologies, and things, based on archaeological evidence, and their investigation through testing, recording, and experience, so as to create a better understanding of people and their material culture in the past. In this module, we will explore through project case studies, the nature of experimental archaeology, and outline its key principles and achievement. We will discuss how experimental archaeology projects can investigate how prehistoric and medieval houses were built, used, and abandoned; how people produced, processed and prepared food and drink; how people used different raw materials, tacit knowledge and embodied skills and technologies to make things, such as pottery, iron tools, non-ferrous metals, organics and textiles. We will also explore the relationships and changing boundaries between experimental archaeology, experiential archaeology, living history, and re-enactment, and explore how these all can help us to practically re-create things from the past, understand the past and the archaeological record, and to tell stories about them. This module will be taught through seminars, lectures, and practical tasks) and Online/Distance Learning resources.

•      ARCH41170: Material Culture (10 credits) is an essential module for anybody interested in “things”, and investigates how we observe, describe and analyse things, using the principles of object biography, chaine operatoire (sequence of making from raw materials to finished things), but also both practical and scientific analytical methods, artefact photography, illustration, etc - vital skills for anybody wishing to engage with "things” in their career. This module will provide students with an in-depth introduction to the identification, analysis, and interpretation of archaeological material culture (i.e. objects produced and used by past peoples). While standard approaches to object analysis and interpretation have tended to emphasise their finished form or aesthetic characteristics, this module will add to this by examining the evidence for production, making and use. By incorporating these elements, a more holistic understanding of material culture can be gained, allowing us to better research and understand how and why these objects came to be made / used. The overall objective in this module will be for you to learn how researchers have sought to describe, analyse and think about some of the more common archaeological artefact types. You will be introduced to specific terminologies, methods for data capture and some of the more common analytical techniques used by specialists and researchers, including microscopy, lipid analysis, archaeometallurgy, spectroscopy and 3D modelling. A key focus of this module will be assessing various approaches taken by researchers to answer specific research questions and their application of analytical techniques. Teaching using online lectures, videos, images, technical graphics, and practical demonstrations by archaeologists.

•      ARCH4XXX: Ancient Crafts, Traditional Practices and Storytelling Today (10 credits) Experimental archaeology investigates how people in the past built and occupied houses, managed and interacted with their landscapes, made objects using sophisticated knowledge of materials and how natural processes have impacted archaeological remains. It also enables us to reflect on past materialities through practical engagement with ancient technologies, which provides us embodied experiences of raw materials, processes and technologies not normally used today. For archaeologists interested in material culture, this module allows us to directly explore how archaeology truly is the “discipline of things”. This module introduces you to the practical aspects of experimental archaeology and ancient technologies. Students may wish, though this is not obligatory, to attend an intensive, enjoyable and reflective week of practical experimental archaeological tasks at our UCD Centre for Experimental Archaeology and Material Culture (CEAMC) facility and its workshops, pottery kilns and furnace rooms, OR if you wish for financial or time commitment reasons not to travel to CEAMC in Ireland, you will instead design and complete a series of specific practical tasks investigating aspects of past crafts and technologies, as agreed with you by the programme archaeologists, and carried out by you in your own home place. You will make something. You will participate in the class in reflecting on a range of practical experiments on houses, stone/flint, pottery, organics, food & cooking, amongst other potential topics. The module will be primarily assessed by means of 1) a Reflective Learning Journal and 2) a Portfolio, whereby you produce Blog Post(s), Podcast(s), or a YouTube/Vimeo video telling stories about your preferred craft or technology. Seminars held online during term will help you design, carry out, and report on your project.

 

MSc Experimental Archaeology & Material Culture (W349) Full Time
EU          fee per year - € 9100
nonEU    fee per year - € 22600

MSc Experimental Archaeology & Material Culture (W350) Part Time
EU          fee per year - € 5040
nonEU    fee per year - € 11300

***Fees are subject to change

Tuition fee information is available on the UCD Fees website. In terms of higher education, notwithstanding Brexit, UK students will still be eligible for the EU fee rate.

Please note that UCD offers a number of graduate scholarships for full-time, self-funding international students, holding an offer of a place on a UCD graduate degree programme. For further information please see International Scholarships.

From 2018 students on this programme will also be eligible to apply for the Kay Mahon bursary, valued at €3,000 to be set against fees. See website for details.

MSc Experimental Archaeology & Material Culture (W349) Full Time
EU          fee per year - € 9100
nonEU    fee per year - € 22600

MSc Experimental Archaeology & Material Culture (W350) Part Time
EU          fee per year - € 5040
nonEU    fee per year - € 11300

***Fees are subject to change

We expect the Graduate Certificate in Experimental Archaeology and Material Culture (Distance Learning) fees to be €67.80 per credit (€2,034 for 30 credits) for both EU and non-EU students (no difference made).

Minimum Academic Criteria

A Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelors in Archaeology/Anthropology or a cognate area with a minimum 2.1 or an equivalent of a UCD GPA of 3.08 (NFQ Level 8 ) or international equivalent is required. Candidates from cognate disciplines (e.g. History, Classics, Art History, Geography, etc) will have demonstrated previous experience and/or awareness of Archaeological or Experimental Archaeological methods and thought, by attending during their primary degree a number of Archaeology modules and/or working for a period on an Archaeological Excavation and/or working in a Museum, or Open-Air Museum. Previous academic education and/or experience in aspects of Crafts and/or Material Culture Studies will also be considered by the School. The School would reserve the right to assessing the extent and quality of such previous studies and experience. Applicants are required to submit original academic transcripts.

Additional Essential Criteria

A statement outlining the applicant's previous experience in Archaeology,, and/or cognate disciplines and the reasons for pursuing the degree, and the reasons why UCD is being chosen. Every applicant should complete this part of the application which should be approximately 300-500 words. Applicants whose first language is not English are also required to submit evidence of their English Language proficiency. It is expected that applicants will normally have reached on overall 7.0 in IELTS or equivalent. Foreign Language documentation must be accompanied by an official translation. If applicants are unable to provide final transcripts or any other required documentation by the closing date, they should contact the School directly by e-mail prior to this date. 

References 

For non UCD students and for UCD students who have not yet completed their Undergraduate degree, TWO references must accompany your application: one MUST be academic from the institution where your primary degree was awarded; the second reference can either be academic or from a professional employer in archaeology or from a cognate profession. 

Please submit, or have your referees submit, a copy of a reference on your behalf via the Student Desk connector  or email it to documentverification@ucd.ie

Your references should be provided as a signed, original letter, on headed institutional notepaper, with your application reference numbers clearly stated.

NOTE:  if your primary degree was previously awarded by UCD, we request that a current CV is submitted with application and the Personal statement be completed. 

These are the minimum entry requirements – additional criteria may be requested for some programmes 

Non-EU Students 

Please note that all non-EU students should check their visa requirements when applying to a programme and certainly before accepting a place on a course. Also note that visa restrictions limit some overseas students (e.g. Americans) to full time programmes only.

Chase Minos
MSc Experimental Archaeology and Material Culture.

“I came to University College Dublin from San Diego, California because I had strong interests in both learning about and practicing experimental archaeology. I never quite expected just how much I would get out of this programme. I engaged not only with the practical and academic aspects of experimental archaeology but I also developed a new skill, wheel-throwing pottery. This skill was unexpected and propelled me not only to employ it aspart of my thesis but also in pursuing a PhD. This combination of practical and academic experience with excellent teaching makes the MSc programme in experimental archaeology one of the best.” 

How will students learn?

The Programme will be available online through Brightspace and other online resources.

•      Teaching and Learning strategies will be varied and include

-        Traditional learning activities including lectures, seminars, workshops and group work, available through Brightspace

-        Use of virtual teaching environments (Zoom or Brightspace Virtual Classroom) to enable UCD and other

-        International experts will contribute to key sessions/discussion

-        Practical demonstrations online using Videos, including synchronous ones, at CEAMC.

-        A practical, intensive one-week course to be held at UCD Centre for Experimental Archaeology and Material Culture (CEAMC)

The online format allows you to study at your own pace, any place and any time (within given timeframes). You will be assessed through continuous assessment which will be submitted online and you will be asked to participate in online discussion forums.

The advantages of Distant Learning include reduced costs associated with travel and living abroad, however it is very different to traditional, on-campus courses with face-to-face lectures and access to your tutors and peers. It is important that you like to learn independently, that you are self-motivated and that you can manage time effectively.

The online forum will allow you to share your crafts and experimental archaeological or living history experiences with other practitioners and people with similar interests from a diverse range of countries and backgrounds, which will create a dynamic and valuable learning environment.

•      Assessments may include

-        Projects, portfolios and essays focused on key themes

-        Oral presentations through Zoom/Brightspace

-        Development and publication of Videos in Vimeo/YouTube of own projects

The following entry routes are available:

MSc in Experimental Archaeology & Material Culture FT (W349)
Duration
1 Years
Attend
Full Time
Deadline
Rolling*
MSc in Experimental Archaeology & Material Culture PT (W350)
Duration
2 Years
Attend
Part Time
Deadline
Rolling*

* Courses will remain open until such time as all places have been filled, therefore early application is advised