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Archaeology: Research Master

A Research Master is an advanced two-year postgraduate programme with an even higher research component than the Master’s programme, and provides excellent scope for individual student initiative.

The Research Master programme in Archaeology focuses on the research areas that are strongly represented in Leiden. The heart of the programme is organised around the excellent research with which Leiden has made a name for itself internationally.

RMA-students share several modular courses with MA-students. However, there will be some differentiation in the learning objectives and assignments between MA and RMA. Depending on the courses, options for RMA-specific assignments could include one or a combination of the following:

  • a different focus in the essay and/or presentation assignment, for example: formulating new avenues for innovative future research for the theme selected, and/or

  • presenting a theoretical or methodological “meta” approach to the literature, e.g. in order to critically assess the intellectual position taken by the author(s), and/or

  • placing the research topic into a broader international context, making interregional comparisons in research outcomes and/or methodology; and/or

  • formulating a text on a specialist archaeological topic that is specifically aimed at a non-specialist audience;

  • organising, leading and reviewing a session discussion (either within the class environment or at a separate event);

  • attending and reviewing an international conference or workshop that is related to the course theme;

  • contributing to a publication by the research track that is related to the course theme;

  • presenting a poster or paper that is related to the course theme at an international conference or workshop.

Programme year 1

Vak EC Semester 1 Semester 2

For RMA students only:

Advanced Archaeological Theory 5

For RMSc students only:

Advanced Scientific Methodology in Archaeology 5

General courses

Advanced Themes in Archaeology 5
Conferences and Workshops (ARCHON) 5
Teaching Assistance Year 1 5
RMA Thesis Archaeology year 1 15

Research track

Choose 1 research seminar (see the 'Research seminars' tab above) (10 ec)

Modular courses

Choose 2 modular courses (see the 'Modular courses' tab above') (2x5 ec)

Elective

Choose 1 elective course (see the 'Electives' tab above) (5 ec)

Programme year 2

Vak EC Semester 1 Semester 2

General courses

Epistemology of Archaeology 5
Conferences and Workshops (ARCHON) 5
Teaching Assistance Year 2 5
RMA Thesis Archaeology year 2 20

Research track

Choose 1 research seminar (see the 'Research seminars' tab above) (10 ec)

Modular courses

Choose 2 modular courses (see the 'Modular courses' tab above') (2x5 ec)

Elective

Choose 1 elective course (see the 'Electives' tab above) (5 ec)

Research seminars

Choose 1 seminar (10 ec).
For the timetables, see the research master time schedule.
Please note that some courses consist of 2 or more blocks.

Vak EC Semester 1 Semester 2
Research Seminar: Archaeology of Hominin Diversity 10
Research Seminar: The Deep History of European Societies 10
Research Seminar: The Visual Power of Objects in Antiquity: Meaning, Materiality and Style 10
Research Seminar: Post-Classical (Mediterranean) Archaeology: The Rise of New Societies 10
Research Seminar: Archaeology of Marginal Landscapes 10
Research Seminar: Heritage and Museum Studies 10
Research Seminar: Communicating Communities 10
Research Seminar: Taphonomy 10

Modular courses

Choose 2 courses (2 x 5 ec).
For the timetables, see the research master time schedule.
Please note that some courses consist of 2 blocks.

Vak EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Prehistory

Advanced Studies in How Deep History Shaped the Human World 5
Advanced Studies in Key Developments in European Prehistory 5
Research Internship: Human Origins 5
Research Internship: Prehistory of Europe and Eurasia 5

Heritage & museum

Advanced Community Heritage and Global Challenges 5
Advanced Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage Management 5
Advanced Critical Museology 5
Advanced Studies in Archaeological Site Management 5
Advanced Studies in Underwater Archaeology and Maritime Landscapes 5

Classical world & the Near East

Advanced Archaeology of Early Roman Imperialism 5
Advanced Archaeology of the Crusades 5
Advanced Studies in Neolithisation in the Near East 5
Advanced Studies in Diversities of Doing Greek: 'Hellenisation' and 'Hellenism' in Ancient Eurasia 5
Advanced Archaeology of the Assyrian Empire 5
Advanced Master Class: The Classical Body 5

The Americas

Advanced Studies in Mobility, Interaction and Colonialism in the Americas 5
Advanced Current Issues in the Archaeology of the Americas 5

Roman period and Middle Ages

Advanced Current Issues in the Archaeology of the Frontier Regions of the Roman Empire 5
Advanced Urban Archaeology 5

Sciences

Advanced Studies in Palaeoecology and Quaternary Stratigraphy 5
Advanced Palaeopathology 5
Advanced Current Issues in Quaternary Research 5
Advanced Methods and Issues in Human Osteoarchaeology 5

Electives

Choose 1 course (5 ec).
For the timetables, see the master or research master time schedule.
Please note that some courses consist of 2 blocks.

Vak EC Semester 1 Semester 2

Block 1 (9 September - 18 October 2019)

How Deep History Shaped the Human World 5
The Archaeology of Early Roman Imperialism 5
Mobility, Interaction and Colonialism in the Americas 5
Seminar Material Culture Studies: Crafts and Society 5
Current Issues in the Archaeology of the Frontier Regions of the Roman Empire 5
Master Fieldwork / Internship 5

Block 2 (28 October - 13 December 2019)

Neolithisation in the Near East 5
Archaeology of the Crusades 5
Environmental History of the Near East 5

Block 3 (3 February - 20 March 2020)

Key Developments in European Prehistory 5
Urban Archaeology 5
Diversities of Doing Greek: ‘Hellenisation’ and ‘Hellenism’ in Ancient Eurasia 5
The Archaeology of the Assyrian Empire 5
Current Issues in the Archaeology of the Americas 5
History of Construction and Heritage 5

Block 4 (30 March - 15 May 2020)

Hunter-gatherer Archaeology 5
Forensic Archaeology 5
An Introduction to Palaeoanthropology 5

In addition to the above, ONLY RMSc students can also choose from the following:

Palaeoecology and Quaternary Stratigraphy: A Basic Introduction 5
Palaeopathology 5
SPOC Modelling and Simulation in Archaeology 5
Digital Applications in Archaeology: 3D GIS 5
Current Issues in Digital Archaeology 5
Current Issues in Quaternary Research 5
Methods and Issues in Human Osteoarchaeology 5
Techniques of Artefact Analysis 5