Study Contents MSc Archaeological Sciences and Human Evolution (ASHE) (starting WS 21/22)

This modules gives an overview of theoretical concepts of evolution as applied to the human lineage. Students are introduced to the human fossil and cultural/behavioral records, extant human variation, and genetic methods of reconstructing human past from extant population and from ancient DNA. Methods for the dating, paleoenvironmental reconstruction, and site formation processes are also reviewed in this module that culminates in a final written exam. 

In this discussion based module, students read, present on, and discuss key texts on the theoretical and methodological developments in archaeology. At the end, students will submit a term paper for this module.

This module constitutes participation in the IASHE departmental colloquium, where national and international speakers present their results on their newest research in the field of scientific archaeology. Students are expected to participate in critical reflection of state-of-the-art research in the subject of archaeology. ASHE students must attend this colloquium for a total of three semesters.

In this seminar, students learn and review proper academic writing and presenting. Student practice writing (writing effective sentences, paragraphs, sections) and structuring (writing effective abstracts, introductions, body, and conclusions, formulating proper research questions and research goals, effective presentation of results, building logical discussions, training in proper citation skills and bibliographic referencing) academic papers and proposals. Students also learn and practice academic presentation structuring (preparing coherent presentations, time allocation to different parts of the presentation) and academic presenting skills (designing clear and efficient slides, designing figures and tables, speech and vocal training). At the end of the course, students will write an academic paper or project proposal and give a presentation on the same topic for their final grade to showcase what they've learned. 

This course is an import from the Biology department: Introduction to Biostatistics. In this introductory level course, students are introduced to practical data processing and statistics in biology using common statistical software. Students are graded through written examination(s).

Project and work experience requirements can vary widely and are best dicussed with your wing head for more details on the individualized requirements. For their master's theses, students pursue their own original research study. They have the chance to become involved in various international research projects or to create their own research design and pursue their individual research questions. Students specialize in one of seven disciplines: Archaeobotany, Archaeometry, Geoarchaeology, Paleoanthropology, Paleogenetics, Stone Age Archaeology, or Zooarchaeology. Ideally, the research design and results of the master thesis should be of high quality so that the thesis is publishable in an international peer-reviewed journal. Students write up their master's theses and participate in the master colloquium to present and defend their master's thesis.

In this course, students are introduced to archaeobotany and its different fields of specialization (macroand micro-remains), basic field methods and taphonomy, laboratory methods, quantification, and interpretative tools. Students will gain a principle understanding of archaeobotany and its potential to address questions, relevant to the history of humankind as well as knowledge of the main approaches and methods used in archaeobotany.

This module will serve as an introduction to the application of archaeometric techniques to key themes in archaeology, including diet, migration, manufacture and provenance. The course content will not be exhaustive of the techniques available, but will serve as a general introduction to the science behind the different methodologies and their archaeological application. Lectures will cover key techniques and applications, and this will be supplemented by seminars addressing the archaeological questions and demonstrations of the laboratories and equipment used in Archaeometry. This module will serve as an introduction to the specialisation modules in Archaeometry

This module provides a general introduction to the field of geoarchaeology, with a particular emphasis on common depositional environments and processes encountered at archaeological sites. Key topics include sedimentary processes in different environments, basic concepts of archaeological stratigraphy, the effects of different environments on the preservation and formation of the archaeological record, occupation deposits, human impact on landscapes, soil-forming processes in the archaeological record, and post-depositional alteration processes This course is foundational for further courses offered in geoarchaeology. Through completion of the course, students will gain a basic knowledge in essential theoretical and practical concepts of geoarchaeology. They will gain expertise in assessing the stratigraphy of archaeological sites, and will learn how to interpret archaeological landscapes. Furthermore, they will be able to assess postdepositional alteration processes of the archaeological record. Through the seminar, they will be exposed to classic case studies and literature.

Students in this module are exposed to evolutionary theory concepts and current topics in Paleoanthropology, various osteological, biochemical and population genetic methods for the analysis of fossil remains and their advantages/limitations. Students also gain practical experience and knowledge of recording basic osteological data.

This module is an introduction to the basics, methods, and analytical procedures of Paleogenetics. Students give a presentation of specific molecular genetic methods and analytical procedures and write a final exam.

This module is the introductory part of the specialization Stone Age Archaeology. The lecture provides an introductory course and diachronic overview of the archaeology of the global Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic in its Quaternary ecological context. Students learn basic knowledge and terminology of Stone Age archaeology. They understand the different find categories, applied methods and overarching research questions pursued in this field of study. Students will be enabled to critically reflect on the data, methods, theory and interpretations commonly employed in archaeological research of the Stone Age. They can integrate current research into the history and issues of the field and are able to develop and pursue basic research questions of the Stone Age in written and oral presentation.

In this module, students are introduced to basic zooarchaeological questions and the methods used when working with faunal material. In the lecture, current topics and problems in zooarchaeological research are presented, and conventional methods and biomolecular applications such as isotope studies and molecular zooarchaeology are discussed. The students are also introduced to basic skeletal anatomy, and in the seminar, recent studies that use zooarchaeological and biomolecular analyses are read and critically evaluated. Students are graded on a written exam.