Experimental Archaeology & Material Culture

MSc Experimental Archaeology & Material Culture

Graduate Taught (level 9 nfq, credits 90)



• Experimental archaeology can be defined as the reconstruction of past buildings, technologies, things and environmental contexts so as to enable a better understanding of the character and role of materiality and material culture in peoples lives.



• It may also involve innovative, experiential interrogations of past lifeways and material culture, so as to explore and understand how people interact with each other and the world.



What will I learn?



Students will be introduced to the principles behind the identification, description, analysis and methods of experimental archaeological investigations, with a particular emphasis on the role of experimental archaeology in the investigation of past material culture and the properties of materials and objects, their manufacture, use and discard, and how this is communicated to the wide world.



On completion of this programme, a student will have been provided with:



• An introduction to the role of experimental archaeology in the investigation of the character and diversity of materials and material culture in the past, so as to create and communicate knowledge of the past in modern society.



• An introduction to the knowledge and skills required in designing original experimental archaeological projects, including the critique of project research questions, the application of methodologies to materials, the gathering and collation of data, the analysis of data and its interpretation.



• An introduction to the potential different means of communicating knowledge, using presentations, photography, videos, online websites and other means, with a particular emphasis both on scientific communication, but also public outreach.



• Develop an appreciation of how cultural heritage, craft and archaeological knowledge is communicated through scientific and archaeological publication, through Living History and Re-enactment communities, and in Europe’s and the world’s best traditional museums and Archaeological Open Air Museums (AOAMs).



• Ability to apply the skills and knowledge acquired to promote an interdisciplinary approach to studying past material culture.



• Ability to apply the research and scientific writing skills required in professional report writing.

Stage 1 Core Modules

ARCH41390 Masters Dissertation 2 Trimester duration (Spr-Sum) 30

ARCH41170 Material Culture Autumn 10

ARCH41180 Experimental Archaeology: Making, Understanding, Storytelling Autumn 10

ARCH40850 Practical Experimental Archaeology Spring 10



Stage 1 Options - A) Min 2 of:

Students must select at least 20 credits from the Level 4 modules listed below.

ARCH41240 Heritage Management Challenges Autumn 10

ARCH41250 Nature & Culture: A bridge Autumn 10

ARCH41310 Land / Landscape Autumn 10

ARCH41270 Archaeological Field Methods Spring 10

ARCH41340 GIS, Cultural Heritage and Spatial Thinking Spring 10

ARCH41410 Presenting & Managing Heritage Spring 10



Stage 1 Options - B) Min 0CR:

Students MAY select a maximum of 10 credits from Level 3 modules in List B&C (if not previously taken)

ARCH30500 Experiment Archaeology & Ancient Technologies Autumn 5

ARCH30920 Communicating Archaeology Autumn 5

ARCH31000 Archaeology, People and Cultures in Extreme Environments Spring 10

ARCH31030 Archaeology of Communities Spring 10



Stage 1 Options - C)0 of:

Students MAY select a maximum of 10 credits from Level 3 modules in List B&C (if not previously taken). Due to capacity restrictions, registration for ARCH31010 is not available online - if you wish to take this module please contact the School of Archaeology using this Google Form.

ARCH31010 Human Osteoarchaeology Autumn 10

Minimum Academic Criteria

A Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelors in Archaeology/Anthropology or a cognate area with a minimum 2.1 or an equivalent of a UCD GPA of 3.2. (NFQ Level 8 ) or equivalent. Candidates from cognate disciplines (e.g. History, Classics, Art History, Geography, etc) will have demonstrated previous experience and/or awareness of Archaeological or Experimental Archaeological methods and thought, by attending during their primary degree a number of Archaeology modules and/or working for a period on an Archaeological Excavation and/or working in a Museum, or Open-Air Museum. Previous academic education and/or experience in aspects of Crafts and/or Material Culture Studies will also be considered by the School. The School would reserve the right to assessing the extent and quality of such previous studies and experience. Applicants are required to submit original academic transcripts.



Additional Essential Criteria

A statement outlining the applicant's previous experience in Archaeology,, and/or cognate disciplines and the reasons for pursuing the degree, and the reasons why UCD is being chosen. Every applicant should complete this part of the application which should be approximately 300-500 words. Applicants whose first language is not English are also required to submit evidence of their English Language proficiency. It is expected that applicants will normally have reached on overall 7.0 in IELTS or equivalent. Foreign Language documentation must be accompanied by an official translation. If applicants are unable to provide final transcripts or any other required documentation by the closing date, they should contact the School directly by e-mail prior to this date.



References

For non UCD students and for UCD students who have not yet completed their Undergraduate degree, TWO references must accompany your application: one MUST be academic from the institution where your primary degree was awarded; the second reference can either be academic or from a professional employer in archaeology or from a cognate profession.



Please submit, or have your referees submit, a copy of a reference on your behalf via the Student Desk connector or email it to documentverification@ucd.ie



Your references should be provided as a signed, original letter, on headed institutional notepaper, with your application reference numbers clearly stated.



NOTE: if your primary degree was previously awarded by UCD, we request that a current CV is submitted with application and the Personal statement be completed.



These are the minimum entry requirements – additional criteria may be requested for some programmes



Non-EU Students



Please note that all non-EU students should check their visa requirements when applying to a programme and certainly before accepting a place on a course. Also note that visa restrictions limit some overseas students (e.g. Americans) to full time programmes only.



You may be eligible for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), as UCD recognises formal, informal, and/or experiential learning. RPL may be awarded to gain Admission and/or credit exemptions on a programme. Please visit the UCD Registry RPL web page for further information. Any exceptions are also listed on this webpage. https://tinyurl.com/2ae2ffax

1 year full-time, 2 years part-time.

Commencing September 2025

Graduates may progress to careers in further research (e.g. PhD), in academia, state or commercial archaeology, in cultural heritage studies, in education and public outreach, in traditional and archaeological open-air museums, in cultural tourism and heritage

management, amongst many other options



Further research, whether academic or professional

Professional archaeological practice

Museums, Living History and re-enactment

Communicating heritage

Heritage and education policy and practice