Prospectus

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Introduction

Programme
Archaeological research makes large-scale use of methods applied in natural sciences. In the specialisation Bioarchaeology, the focus is on the natural science elements of archaeology, in particular botany, archaeozoology and human osteology.

During the programme, working with material from an archaeological context is central, using comparative collections. The first part (BA2) of the study programme is the same for all students of this specialisation. This constitutes a broad introduction, which includes artefact analysis and landscape in the subjects experimental archaeology and quaternary geology and soil science of the Netherlands.
In the second part (BA3), you choose a biological accent: zoology, botany or human osteology. Within this second part, you conduct your own research, which forms the foundation for the concluding Bachelor thesis. This specialisation prepares for the Master specialisation Material Culture Studies and the research master Bioarchaeology.

Further studies
After the Bachelor, you can specialise further in the Graduate School (MA/RMA) in the Master specialisations Material Culture Studies, Palaeoecology, Human Osteology and Funerary Archaeology and the Research Master Bioarchaeology.

Bachelor year 2

Bachelor year 2 with the specialisation Bioarchaeology consists of the following options:

A. Compulsory courses (25 ects)

B. Choose two of these BA2 profiles:

  • Early civilisations (15 ects)

  • Archaeology of North-Western Europe (15 ects)

  • Archaeological sciences (15 ects)

C. Choose a specialist course (5 ects) ór a broadening course (5 ects). The latter consists of a course of your choice from the remaining BA2 profile that has not been chosen.
The specialist courses are from the BA3 programme, and alternate each year so you will not follow the same course in the BA3.
This year the specialisation Bioarchaeology is offering the specialist courses Isotopes in archaeology (3 ects) plus Excursion Pleistocene (2 ects).

Course EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Compulsory courses

Archaeological heritage management 5
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) 5
Data analysis 5
Material studies 2 5
Internship 1 (field work) 5

Profile Early Civilisations

Hunter-gatherers and early farmers in the Near East and the Caribbean 5
Early cities and states in the Near East and Mediterranean world 5
Visual culture 5

Profile Archaeology of North-Western Europe

Early prehistory 5
Late prehistory and Provincial-Roman archaeology 5
Medieval archaeology 5

Profile Archaeological Sciences

Bioarchaeology 5
Experimental archaeology 5
Quaternary geology and soils of The Netherlands 5

Bachelor year 3

Bachelor year 3 with the specialisation Bioarchaeology consists of:

A. Compulsory courses (30 ects)

B. Three specialisation courses (15 ects)

For the remaining 15 ects, choose either of these options:

  • a second Archaeology specialisation

  • half a minor (Dutch or English)

The other Archaeology specialisations are:

Course EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Compulsory courses

Archaeological theory 5
Predictive modelling 5
Internship 2 10
BA3 thesis 10

Specialisation Bioarchaeology

Isotopes in archaeology 3
Excursion Pleistocene 2

Besides, choose 1 of the following courses:

Botany 10
Zoology 10
Osteoarchaeology 10