Msc in Bioarchaeology

Bioarchaeology is a branch of Archaeology that focuses on the study of biological materials found in archaeological contexts to provide information about the life and environment of humans in the past. It is a fast-paced and continually evolving field with new breakthroughs and discoveries emerging almost every month. Studying the subject at Durham University opens the door to the latest developments and state-of-the-art laboratories in archaeological science, including stable isotope mass spectrometry, ancient DNA, materials analysis, luminescence dating, environmental archaeology, human osteology, and geoarchaeology.

The course is a lecture, seminar, and laboratory-based and designed so that students can specialize in a chosen field and obtain the skills and knowledge of how to obtain and interpret data from biological assemblages. We specialize and teach in areas such as human and animal dispersal and mobility, human health, palaeoenvironmental reconstruction, human-animal-environment relations, and subsistence strategies. Many of the human, animal and environmental assemblages our students work with for their research derive from ongoing staff research projects, current Departmental excavations or our in-house commercial unit, Archaeological Services. The course is aimed at inquisitive graduates from science or archaeology with or without past experience of Bioarchaeology, and for those who aspire to continue into a Ph.D. program or work in contract archaeology.