Archaeological Science

DPhil in Archaeological Science

Course Code | 001300 

Oxford welcomes applications for doctoral research in most aspects of Archaeological Science. We have particular strengths and research interests in:

• Biomolecular Archaeology (especially stable isotope studies)
• The development and application of dating techniques (especially radiocarbon and luminescence)
• Archaeological Materials Science (especially ceramics, glass and metals).

Archaeology in Oxford has been top-rated in all recent Research
Assessment Exercises.

Current research projects on the Archaeology website

MSt in Archaeological Science

Course Code | 001330

MSc in Archaeological Science

Course Code | 001320 

These two taught courses both comprise two terms of taught material, covering equally the three strands of research represented in the Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art (RLAHA) - biomolecular archaeology, dating and archaeological materials science. The teaching is aimed at both students with a purely scientific background and also those with a first degree in Archaeology.

Teaching is all conducted in small groups, and includes hands-on laboratory practical work. Natural scientists taking the course are encouraged to attend courses and seminars in Archaeology in order to acquire the relevant background, and archaeologists may be given additional tuition in background science if necessary.

Following the two taught terms, MSc candidates are expected to undertake a substantial piece of research with a strong practical component with individual supervision, which is submitted as a dissertation at the end of the academic year. MSt candidates will submit an extended essay on a research subject in June.

Candidates for both courses are required to undertake three written unseen examination papers during Trinity (Summer) Term.

• Length of programme: Nine months (MSt in Archaeological Science), or twelve months (MSc in Archaeological Science)

The Research Laboratory for Archaeology and the History of Art (RLAHA) has extensive laboratory and analytical facilities, including several stable isotope ratio mass spectrometers, a GC-IRMS and an LC-IRMS for compound-specific determinations. The department also has an AMS for radiocarbon determinations, and shares a luminescence laboratory facility with the School of Geography and the Environment.

For inorganic materials, there are two electron microscopes with WD-XRF attachments, and two ED-XRF spectrometers designed for the semi-quantitative analysis of archaeological and museum specimens.

In addition to access to a range of world-class libraries in Oxford - principally the Sackler Library for Archaeology and Classics, and the Radcliffe Science Library - the department houses its own specialised library.

Oxford has outstanding archaeological, ethnographic and scientific collections in the Ashmolean Museum, the Pitt Rivers Museum, the Oxford University Museum of Natural History and the Bodleian Library.

Taught-course students predominantly continue their studies with a research degree, but because of the interdisciplinary nature of the course they are well-suited to enter archaeological employment.

DPhil students often continue into a research or academic career.