Archaeology Masters Degrees

The Athens trip usually runs later in Semester 2 and is subject to minimum number of interested students.  It is an optional part of the Graduate Seminar in Greek Archaeology. Students are responsible for extra costs related to the trip. 

Preparation

Planning for the trip begins before Christmas. There'll be a special meeting for all MA students taking CAH8016 - Graduate Seminar in Greek Archaeology in Semester 2. We'll provide you with resources such as a booklet with maps and plans, the itinerary, risk assessment, and so on.

Activities and sites

• a visit to the Acropolis Museum
• an early-evening tour of the British School at Athens' library
• an evening lecture on underwater archaeology

Students have visited sites such as:

• the Acropolis and Acropolis museum
• Kerameikos
• Olympieion
• the National Archaeological Museum
• the Agora

Other activities

We encourage students to take a full and active part in the trip. We'll encourage you to ask questions and give presentations in museums and on site.

You'll get a chance to socialise over drinks and dinner.

You may decide to stay in Greece longer. Students often travel for a few days before or after the Athens trip to visit Delphi and Olympia. 

Professor Ian Haynes runs the Rome trip. It is part of the module ARA8150 - Graduate Seminar in Roman Archaeology but open to any other students enrolled on the MA Archaeology programme.  The trip is subject to minimum number of interested students. We expect every student to take part in all activities. The trip takes place at the end of Semester 1. Students are responsible for extra costs related to the trip. 

Activities and sites

The packed itinerary begins at the Roman Forum. It continues with sessions at the Colosseum, the Arch of Constantine and the Church of St Clement. 

Day two takes place in the Forum of Caesar, the Imperial fora including Trajan’s Column and Trajan’s Markets. In the afternoon, we visit a major museum/study collection. 

Day three begins at the Ara Pacis and includes the Column of Marcus Aurelius and Faustina, the Pantheon and Hadrian’s Mausoleum. 

The final day begins with a visit to the Theatre of Marcellus. You'll then explore the Round Temple, the Baths of Caracalla and the Cathedral of St John Lateran and the Lateran Baptistery. 

Other activities 

At each location, students will deliver an on-site presentation. 

You can spend your remaining time pursuing your own research interests. For example, you might decide to carry out a study of the catacombs or the cities of Vesuvius. 

You can organise to stay in Italy longer. Students often travel for a few days in Italy before or after the Rome trip to visit sites such as Herculaneum and Pompeii. 

Other activities

At each location, students will deliver an on-site presentation. 

You can spend your remaining time pursuing your own research interests. For example, you might decide to carry out a study of the catacombs or the cities of Vesuvius. 

You can organise to stay in Italy longer. Students often travel for a few days in Italy before or after the Rome trip to visit sites such as Herculaneum and Pompeii. 

Gain hands-on skills to deepen your subject-specific knowledge in archaeology in the following modules.

ARA8025 Graduate Seminar in Roman and Early Medieval Finds Analysis lets you work with a range of artefacts.

ARA8117 The Archaeology of Animal Bones provides you with the introductory skills to identify and interpret animal bone remains recovered from archaeological sites.

ARA8119 You Are What You Make: The Archaeology of Technology and Production uses experimental archaeology to showcase how our human technology has evolved over long periods of time. Practical classes include topics such as smelting metals and flame-working glass beads.

ARA8120 Recording Historic Buildings gives you a chance to investigate a building on site. You'll use specialist surveying equipment and computer software for recording and interpretation.

ARA8186 Ancient Metals: Technology and Scientific Analysis is good for building archaeology skills. You'll learn two methods of metalwork analysis: metallography and use-wear analysis.

ARA8292 Graduate Seminar in Lithics Analysis provides students with advanced lithic analysis skills.

ARA8294 Graduate Seminar in Post-Medieval Artefacts familiarises students with the identification, analysis and recording of artefacts most commonly recovered from post-medieval/historical period excavations. These include coarse and refined earthenwares, ceramics, smoking pipes, glass bottles, coins, etc.

ARA8234 Landscape Archaeology: Theory and Practice will enable you to develop your skills in landscape research, analysis and management.

Other archaeology options incorporate seminar-based teaching. This requires significant amounts of library research and active participation in class. Several of these modules also involve field trips.

You can also take optional modules from other disciplines, schools and faculties within the University. The system lets you take modules that are not formally listed in the programme regulations.

Popular optional choices outside archaeology include Latin or Greek, Modern Languages, Geographical Information Systems and Museums and Heritage Studies.

Optional modules in other disciplines are subject to timetabling. You'll need the permission of the Degree Programme Director.

You'll complete a dissertation in semester 3 on a research question of your choice.

This project is a substantial piece of research, up to 15,000 words. You'll carry it out with the supervision of an academic in the subject of your named degree programme.

We encourage MA students to add to their learning experience while with us and to participate in active field and laboratory research programmes. 

You're most welcome to sit in on relevant undergraduate lectures in archaeology, classics and history. This is especially helpful if you've transferred from another discipline. 

You're encouraged to take a full and active part in the research culture of the School. You'll have the opportunity to contribute to a range of thematic research strands. These meet regularly throughout the semesters. 

Our world-class Greek and Roman collections include armour, coinage, sculpture and pottery. They are an ideal resource for developing expertise and doing ‘hands-on’ work with material culture.

Our Roman material contains artefacts from almost every major site on Hadrian’s Wall. It has one of the most important collections of inscriptions from Roman Britain. It is an invaluable asset of international importance.

This research library brings together our extensive and internationally important collections in prehistory, classical and historical archaeology.

It holds a world-class collection of artefacts and epigraphy from Hadrian’s Wall.

Our collection of books at the University library offers one of the best resources for the study of Greek art and archaeology in the UK.

We are fortunate to have access to the Gertrude Bell Archive. This includes papers, letters, diaries, 6,000 photographs and Bell’s own library.

It is a major resource for the teaching of Byzantine archaeology and early Islamic archaeology in particular.

Other important sources for the study of Byzantine archaeology include the Michael Gough Archive and the substantial collection of publications in both the Great North Museum and Robinson libraries.

Professor Brian Shefton taught Greek archaeology at Newcastle University from 1955 to 1984. He founded the Shefton Collection of Greek Art and Archaeology at the Great North Museum.

One of the main strengths of the collection is the extensive range of pottery. It covers all the major periods of Greek history from the Mycenaean to the Hellenistic.

Find out more about these Greek objects on the Great North Museum website.