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Archaeology & Anthropology
Archaeology & Anthropology courses
Archaeology and anthropology allow us to explore how humans lived and died in in the past and also in modern-day forensic contexts, by examining the physical remains of the individuals and the material traces of their activities.
Your study at BU will be supported by a dynamic community of highly qualified and experienced scientists, scholars, research and support staff. All of us are actively engaged in cutting-edge research in the field, in areas as diverse as human evolution and adaptation, human health and violence in the past, human interactions with the environment and other animals and how those have varied across time and space, and also in finding and identifying skeletons in modern-day contexts, such as victims of mass disasters or of murders, and understanding the circumstances of their death.
We also regularly host internationally renowned researchers at conferences, talks and other events in Bournemouth and benefit from being situated in a part of the world known globally for its iconic archaeological sites, from Stonehenge to Maiden Castle. Our postgraduate qualifications in these subjects are designed to give students a wide array of skills that increases employability in many varied professions. Hands-on, practical teaching and learning using our world-class teaching and research facilities, equipment and collections is a hallmark of our qualifications. As a result, a Master's from BU provides a world-leading foundation in professional practice that is highly valued by employers in the sector and indeed beyond, since many of the skills we support you in developing are also highly transferable – in analysis, communication, logistics and project management.
My time studying and working within the archaeology department at Bournemouth University gave me the skill set to pursue careers within both academia and commercial archaeology.
Samuel James Walker, graduate
MSc Bioarchaeology (Anthropology) 64 MSc Bioarchaeology (Osteoarchaeology) 64 MSc Forensic Anthropology & Archaeology
(Osteology)
MSc Forensic Anthropology & Archaeology
(Search & Recovery)
Case study: Viking massacre
In 2009, the small town of Weymouth in Dorset was preparing itself to host the sailing events of the 2012 London Olympics. As contractors cut through the chalk in an area called Ridgeway Hill as part of the Weymouth relief road they were building, they made a shocking discovery.
In a shallow grave that has been dated to Viking times, they discovered a group of decapitated corpses – 54 bodies and 51 heads, to be precise. Carbon dating placed the deaths at between 980 and 1030 AD, a time when Anglo Saxon England was under attack from Vikings.
Historical finds
These hugely important historical finds are to be displayed in Dorset Museum, but have been loaned to BU so that BU academics – including PhD student Heather Tamminen, can analyse the findings using cuttingedge methods that will allow an accurate record of the bones to be preserved forever in digital form.
Working together
When the work is complete, and the bones have all been recorded and preserved, the BU team will work with Dorset Museum to put the bones on display and to explain what happened to the bodies. The evidence suggests that they were brutally attacked, with multiple injuries to each victim, and that they were most likely unarmed when they were killed. Thanks to the work of a large group of archaeologists, including the team at BU, their story can now be told, a thousand years after their shocking deaths.
MSc
Key Information Duration & delivery:
1 year full-time, 2 years part-time
Start date: September
Tuition fees:
UK/RoI: £7,750 Overseas: £14,500
Entry requirements:
A Bachelor's Honours degree with 2:1 in a required subject, or equivalent
Required subjects:
Archaeology, History, Biological Sciences, Biological Anthropology, Anthropology, Forensic Investigation, Forensic Biology, or Forensic Science
If English is not your first language:
IELTS 6.0 (Academic) with a minimum of 5.5 in each component, or equivalent
Bournemouth University International College:
Have you considered Pre-Sessional English or a Pre-Master’s to help meet your entry requirements? To find out more, visit
www.bournemouth.ac.uk/ international-college
Why choose this course?
Bioarchaeology covers the investigation of human and animal skeletal remains to understand the lives of individuals and communities in the past, in relation to their social, cultural, economic, palaeoenvironmental and evolutionary contexts. The subject links both science and humanities within archaeology and anthropology.
Animal bones and human remains are amongst the most common finds on archaeological excavations of all periods. The archaeological profession has an established and increasing need for staff with osteoarchaeological training to assist in the interpretation of archaeological sites and understanding the human experience in the past, particularly their relationships with animals.
Our facilities are first class with cutting-edge equipment. We have an extensive collection of human skeletal remains, comprising more than 700 specimens. This is one of the largest such collections to be held by any UK university. Our zooarchaeology collection contains over 500 known reference skeletons of mammals, birds, fish and reptiles, including everything you need from cows and wild boar to mice and frogs. We also have a wealth of archaeological animal remains to support your learning and research.
We offer two specialist pathways within the overall context of bioarchaeology – Anthropology and Osteoarchaeology.
Course overview – Anthropology
The anthropology pathway is set within the wider context and perspective of archaeological studies, with options to explore evolutionary and palaeoenvironmental themes.
This pathway provides opportunities to understand the deeper human past and is ideal if you intend to pursue doctoral level study of human evolution.
Course overview – Osteoarchaeology
The osteoarchaeology pathway gives you the opportunity to engage in more advanced study of non-human faunal remains. Practical experience of the methods and techniques used for recording and analysing osteological remains is imperative and therefore embedded throughout the course.
This pathway is suited to graduates from a number of fields as well as practising archaeologists looking to expand their knowledge. It provides an excellent foundation if you want to pursue a career as a specialist osteoarchaeological practitioner, researcher or as an academic within the archaeological profession.
Principles & Methods in Human Osteology:
This unit will introduce you to human osteology and the principles of analysis and interpretation involved in the study of skeletal remains of modern humans from archaeological and forensic contexts, focusing on the anatomy of hard tissues and related soft tissue structures plus the principles and application of biological profiling from the skeleton. Specific characteristics covered include age at death, biological sex, stature, metric and non-metric variation. You’ll also gain an understanding of the differences between human and non-human animal bone.
Principles & Methods in Zooarchaeology:
This unit provides a solid foundation in the principles and practice for identification of skeletal remains of mammals and birds and the recording and analytical methods currently employed in the study of animal bones from archaeological sites. You’ll also develop your knowledge of the principles and scope of zooarchaeological studies and an appreciation of how zooarchaeological data informs our understanding of past human societies and how animal bone studies are integrated with other aspects of archaeology.
Archaeology of Human Remains: On this unit you’ll develop a contextualised understanding of human remains through a combined appreciation of the osteological and archaeological evidence, and natural science applications. Study themes include demography, diet, health and disease, activity, mobility, genetics and mortuary behaviour, complemented by fundamental considerations of taphonomy and degradation.
Research Project: You’ll explore in detail core aspects of your subject area while developing methodological, research and presentation skills. You may develop a research paper suitable for publication in an externally recognised journal, or a dissertation.
Specialist unit – Anthropology pathway
Primate & Human Evolution: This unit will focus on the global record of primate evolution from the earliest beginnings of the fossil record starting 65 million years ago, considering theories around primate and human evolution in light of behavioural, climatic and ecological changes. You’ll investigate many lines of evidence including fossils, geochronology, palaeoenvironmental change and ancient DNA, as well as a diverse range of modern primatology studies and their relevance for understanding human evolution.
Specialist unit – Osteoarchaeology pathway
Applications of Zooarchaeological Science:
On this unit you’ll develop advanced faunal identification skills and a firm foundation in the identification and interpretation of skeletal remains from a diverse range of taxa, including large mammals, small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and fish. You’ll also explore case studies to promote your understanding of the potential applications of zooarchaeological science in order to investigate past human societies.
I got to learn the differences between humans, hominids and all other animal skeletons.
This degree provided me with fantastic hands-on experience and opened my perspective to new, exciting areas of study.
Emilia Hunt, graduate
