Urgeschichte und Naturwissenschaftliche Archäologie

Student Testimonials

Madison McCartin

"After spending several summers excavating at sites in the Swabian Jura, I decided to continue my studies in Tübingen and join the master’s program in Naturwissenschaftliche Archäologie. As a student, I have had many chances to work closely with renowned researchers and other students from around the world. These interactions often come over a leisurely cup of coffee at café Hanseatica, in one of our state-of-the-art labs, or even sometimes in the 11th century castle dungeon, where some of our collections are housed.
In addition to research, I’ve also gained practical experience through excavations and through my job as a collection’s assistant. Money from my job and low tuition fees means I can be relatively self-sufficient – something that wouldn’t be possible if I studied in the US.
The town of Tübingen is also a wonderful place to be a student. Historic buildings, proximity to nature, and a lively food and beer culture means there is always something to do. Even then, the town is small enough to still feel cozy and there is always the chance to meet a friend on the street and enjoy a quick chat before parting ways."

Gabriele Russo

"The first time I heard about the faculty of Naturwissenschaftliche Archäologie in Tübingen, it was from several German Erasmus students during my bachelor in Rome, who told me about this University of Excellence and the internationally renowned program in Archaeological Sciences.
If your goal is to become an expert in Archaeological Sciences, this is the place for you. The University of Tübingen is well integrated with the international academic community and many faculty members are leaders in their field. This international and multi-disciplinary environment has allowed me to learn new research methods, to increase my general knowledge, and to form connections with other archaeologists around the world. Studying here, I had the opportunity to choose my own research topics, work with different research groups, publish my research, excavate at archaeological sites of great importance, and work as a paid research assistant on a part-time basis to support my studies.
The medieval castle is one of the main facilities and is located in the center of the small and idyllic town of Tübingen. Between a coffee in Willy's and a beer in Storchen, it is also very nice to take a stroll downtown or along the river. While the city itself has everything I could ever need, all around there are wonderful forests for hiking and the Swabian Alps just a stone's throw away. This is a great place to be a student."

Siah Beattie

"The highlight of my time at the University of Tübingen has been the numerous field/lab opportunities it has provided me. In my year here I have had the opportunity to work with expert researchers at sites that are changing the way we understand prehistory. I spent a season on a beach in South Africa excavating Sibhudu rock shelter, and a season in the Swabian Alb, working in Hohle Fels cave.  These experiences have expanded my understanding of prehistoric archaeology and introduced me to uncountable researchers, ideas, and methods. Furthermore, when not in the field, the city of Tübingen is charming and fortuitously situated in close proximity to a number of amazing archaeological sites and cultural meccas."

Baptiste Solard

"My first experience with archaeology started with an internship in a ceramics laboratory in France during my chemistry masters. After this, I decided to marry my background in chemistry with my love for archaeology and moved to Tübingen to join the master of Naturwissenschafliche Archäologie. As a student here, I was able to learn how to apply my knowledge in natural sciences to archaeological artefacts. I especially enjoyed working as a student assistant in one of the department's laboratories, directly in contact with researchers and their projects.
Living as an international student in Tübingen is not too difficult, as the University welcomes many internationals every semester. Although I arrived with limited proficiency in German, I quickly learned the language thanks to the many German classes available for foreign students.
Tübingen is a wonderful city to live in, with its charming medieval city centre, and plenty of lovely places to visit in the surroundings!"

James Keppeler

“I first learned about The University of Tuebingen’s MSc. program while working on the paleolithic excavation in Schoeningen in 2018. I began my studies the following year in the Fall of 2019, and since then I have not only had the opportunity to study Archaeological Science from a variety of researchers in their fields, but also done so while living and exploring the beautiful and historical Swabian city of Tuebingen.
In addition to studying these topics, my fellow students and I were also given the opportunity to work alongside our professors in HIWI jobs (paid internships) within their desired area of focus and work on excavations all around the world in the time between semesters. With the weekly NWA Colloquia, we also have the opportunity to hear from researchers at a variety of different institutions, and if desired, even coordinate and conduct these interviews ourselves.
In addition to these, the student community in the Naturwissenschaftliche Archäologie MSc. is a very welcoming and friendly one. Students of different cohort years work together to help each other, organizing study sessions and outings together.”

Arvin Raj Mathur

"When I arrived in Tübingen in 2018, I had very little natural science background, but after engaging with many of the opportunities offered for students of the MSc., I can now confidently engage in archaeometric research for my PhD. Being in the MSc. exposes you to some of the world’s best and brightest scholars and scientists. I was given the opportunity to work in two different labs doing both organic residue analysis and ceramic petrography. One lab was more wet chemistry/mass spectrometry focused and the other was more mineralogically focused. For my internship module, my advisor sent me to the British Museum, which allowed me to meet and work with other key researchers in the field. These experiences and the diverse battery of coursework helped me to understand the mechanics of biomolecules, minerals, bones, sediments and many other topics and develop my own ideas, which I was encouraged to pursue. Recently, I was able to present these ideas as a project and was awarded the NSF-Graduate Research Fellowship for my PhD.
The NWA program also puts you in contact with a diverse group of remarkable students, many of whom will give you quite fond memories. The city itself is also a great place. Many of our courses and research activities take place in a c. 1000-year-old castle, and there are tons of historic buildings, beautiful landscapes, and many tons of sports, clubs and social events. In addition to options in Tübingen, the much larger city, Stuttgart is quite close and has even more opportunities to attend events and parties."