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 INVESTIGATIONS The 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 SKILLS To 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 PROFILE Most 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 STUDY Aarhus ANNUAL TUITION FEE EU/EEA/Swiss citizens: FREE Others: EUR 9,100 (60 ECTS) WWW masters.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