language, culture and history international study guide 2013

MA in Prehistoric ArchAeology*Making the distant past present

the Ma in prehistoric archaeology programme explores the prehistory of humans from their earliest traces in the stone age to the end of the Viking age. the emphasis is on southern scandinavian archaeology, but developments here are also related to the rest of europe and beyond. Scandinavian archaeology has a long tradition and a unique find mate-rial. there are the spectacular shell mounds of the hunter-gatherers in the Mesolithic age, thousands of megaliths and large causewayed enclosures constructed after the advent of agriculture, well-preserved oak log coffins from the early Bronze age, great mounds, intriguing rock carvings from the Late Bronze Age, the bog bodies and war booty sacrifices of the Iron Age, and the royal sites of the Viking age, to mention just a few of the high-lights. The MA in Prehistoric Archaeology programme offers an opportunity for in-depth study of these and other finds and the societies from which they came

interdisciPlinAry investigAtionsthe programme is characterised by interdisciplinary cooperation, both within the humanities and with the natural sciences. prehistoric archaeol-ogy shares theoretical common ground with social anthropology and sociology, and themes overlap with evolutionary biology, history and me-

dieval and classical archaeology. The investigation of archaeological finds increasingly exploits isotope and environmental analyses and methods from the geosciences. thus students come into contact with a wide range of possible specialisations.

strong AnAlyticAl skillsTo cover the distance between the archaeological finds and past socie-ties, the Ma in prehistoric archaeology is both theoretical and practical. Courses are offered on the various main prehistoric periods with a the-matic focus, for instance on war, mobility and religion. You choose your own subjects within the overall themes. Furthermore, students gain an insight into general anthropological and social theory. the emphasis on analytical methods develops your abilities to systematise, structure and interpret the often very extensive and complex data sets with which ar-chaeologists work. thus your it skills will also be enhanced.

cAreer ProFileMost graduates from the Ma programme choose to work as archaeolo-gists, mainly at museums where they assume responsibility for excavations or for the dissemination of knowledge about the past or cultural issues in general. some are employed within cultural administration, where their general analytical and theoretical abilities lead to very varied jobs. there is also the option of making a research career. You can apply for a phd scholarship, either during the first year of the MA programme or after com-pleting your Ma thesis.

*PlAce oF stUdyaarhus

AnnUAl tUition FeeeU/eea/swiss citizens: FreeOthers: eUr 9,100 (60 eCts)

wwwmasters.au.dk/prehistoricarchaeology

i decided to come to denmark because here they strike a nice balance between theory and objects or artefacts. in the uK, it is more theory, and

in germany they have a tendency to focus on the objects. ideally, i would like to move on to a postdoc position after my Phd studies. i wouldn’t mind staying in aarhus, but working here has provided me with a great network, so the chance of going somewhere else is very good, which is also a huge advantage of studying here.

constAnze rAssMAnn, Phd student in Prehistoric archaeology, from germany

language, culture and history international study guide 2013

MA in Prehistoric ArchAeology*Making the distant past present

*PlAce oF stUdyaarhus

AnnUAl tUition FeeeU/eea/swiss citizens: FreeOthers: eUr 9,100 (60 eCts)

wwwmasters.au.dk/prehistoricarchaeology

FAcUlty oF Arts

“Our goal at arts is to contribute to local and global cultural, social and economic development that improves people’s lives, through the high quality of our research and teaching activities and of our researcher talent development and knowledge exchange programmes.”

Mette thunø, dean

clAssicAl And Modernknowledge without action is empty – but action without knowledge is blind. The Faculty of Arts encompasses many distinct fields of inquiry which are joined by interdisciplinary ties and a shared goal: to produce knowledge which allows us to act in the best interest of our society, guided by the values of welfare, sustainability and an active civil society.the faculty has two campuses: the aarhus campus in the heart of aarhus, denmark’s second-largest city and the regional capital of the Jutland peninsula, and the emdrup campus outside of Copenhagen, close to the government agencies that arts advises and serves. the Faculty of arts spans classical humanities and theology disciplines, government consultancy services in the field of educational theory and practice, and a focus on entrepreneurship and innovation.

northern eUroPe’s lArgestarts is the largest centre for research and teaching on cultural practices and modes of expression in northern europe, with an annual budget of DKK 1bn, 800 academic staff, 350 PhD students, 12,500 BA and MA students, and 2,500 students following continuing/further education programmes.