[See Undergraduate Prospectus entry for UCAS Code: F421]
Environmental archaeology — the study of ancient environments and how people lived in them — is central to any understanding of ancient societies. It seeks to understand the development of the human environment, the interaction of natural environmental change and human activities, and the role of humans in shaping the landscape we see around us today. In attempting to understand the society and ecology of ancient peoples, Environmental Archaeology employs concepts and techniques drawn from archaeological, earth and biological sciences. Edinburgh archaeologists are undertaking research on sites, regions and landscapes across Britain, Europe and the Middle East, and students have opportunities to participate in these fieldwork projects.
In Edinburgh we advocate building up a knowledge of the ancient human environment from four standpoints: by means of a regional perspective that examines the patterns of landscape and settlement through time; by means of long-term historical sequences of environmental change; by the analysis of plant and animal resources from archaeological sites; and by the critical analysis of how humans interacted with that environment. Through a study of landscape context and an emphasis on the region as well as the site we aim to provide students with a wide-ranging and holistic understanding of the environment of human communities.
In the first two years, students combine the study of Archaeology with the study of environmental systems and processes, using complementary courses drawn from the School of Geosciences and the School of Biology.
The
third and fourth years centre upon three
core courses — the Theoretical Archaeology,
Archaeology in Practice and Isotopes and
Archaeology — around which students
take a further seven option courses. These
options include period or regional studies
ranging from the origins of man to the rise
of the first civilizations, together with
thematic courses in which students have
the opportunity to acquire particular specialist
skills in areas such as landscape archaeology,
geoarchaeology and archaeozoology. In addition,
fourth-year students undertake a dissertation
in which they apply their new-found research
skills to a real archaeological problem.
Entry to this degree is through the College of Science and Engineering.
This is the only Archaeology degree with a specific entrance requirement.
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