MA Palaeolithic Archaeology and Human Origins

course leaflet This programme offers a unique opportunity to study the material evidence of our evolutionary history.

You will be trained in the practical analysis of Palaeolithic stone artefacts and encouraged to place this knowledge into a broad framework based on current interdisciplinary research. This will enable you to investigate the key questions in human evolution, including the development of technology and language; to understand the reasons why society evolved; and to participate in the long-running debate about the fate of the Neanderthals.

The course aims to examine the rich, global archaeological evidence for the study of our earliest origins, using Palaeolithic and Quaternary archives, and provides you with the basis for future research work.

The course is aimed at two groups of people:

  • Those with an undergraduate degree in archaeology who wish to prepare themselves for research work and Ph.D. Our course is designed as a bridge between the undergraduate and post-graduate experience, and the practical aspect of this is particularly important. Many of our students go on to achieve success at gaining AHRC funding for Ph.D.
  • People with a lively interest in Palaeolithic Archaeology and Human Origins who may not wish to pursue a research career, but who would like to deepen their knowledge of this most fascinating aspect of archaeology.

The course is offered either for full time students who will complete in 12 months, or for part time students who will complete in 24 months.

Core units: Research skills; Analysis and interpretation of stone tools; Contexts for human origins research; dissertation

For more information about the programme such as the course structure, field trips and the John Wymer lab please see the links in the menu to the left.

For further details on this programme see the Humanities website.

Download the course leaflet.