Course director: Dr Jonathan Finch
The MA in Historical Archaeology is a well established post-graduate course offered by the Department, linked to one of its research strengths in terms of staff and resources. It is designed to offer flexible learning for graduates of a range of disciplines, including history, anthropology, geography and art history, as well as archaeology. It offers a wide range of opportunities for those who wish to extend and deepen their understanding and research experience of the material world in the historic period (c. 15th-20th century).
The Department of Archaeology at York was one of the first in Britain to specialise in the historic period and sees this as a major growth area in research and employment within archaeology in Britain and round the world. It continues to promote innovative research approaches and this is reflected amongst the internationally recognised staff in the department, including :
- Jonathan Finch: specialises in landscape studies and church archaeology. He has published articles on historic landscapes, fox hunting, and has editted a volume on estate landscapes,. He has also written about the use of narratives and biography in understanding the use and meaning of designed landscapes. His work on commemoration and memory explores the relationship between the deployment of text in church and domestic spaces in the aftermath of the Reformation.
- Kate Giles: the York Minster Archaeological Research Fellow, reponsible for carrying out and encouraging research on the standing fabric of the Minster and its estate. She specialises in the archaeology of buildings, particularly medieval and early modern 'public' architecture.
- Paul Lane: specialises in the historical archaeology of East Africa, and he is directing a large scale research project on historic landscapes and colonialism.
- Mark Edmonds: A landscape archaeologist who has worked on both prehistoric and historic aspects of a numebr of landscapes, including those of the Lake District and North wales.
Elements of the course are taught by experts from the city and region. The programme also benefits from its involvement with the Centre for Eighteenth Century Studies which is a leading interdisciplinary research Centre for the period, and the Yorkshire Country House Partnership.
The MA is structured around two signature modules covering key themes and data sets from the late medieval through to modern periods (c. 15th-20th century). This sets British and European archaeology against a global perspective, with particular reference to the well-developed though diverse traditions of historical archaeology in North America, Australia, and Africa. Students then choose from a wide range of supplementary modules that reflect the research interests of the staff within the Department, and are drawn from other masters programmes, such as Buildings Archaeology, Field Archaeology, Medieval Archaeology, Archaeological Heritage Management or Historic Landscape Studies.
The teaching is conducted in small groups, seminars and tutorials, giving each student the opportunity to develop within a supportive and friendly environment. Students research a dissertation that allows them to use primary materials to ask cutting-edge questions of relevance to historical archaeology in Britain and more widely.
Graduates have continued on to doctoral research or entered contract archaeology and heritage management or interpretation posts, as well as going on to a range of non-archaeological careers.
The City of York is renowned for its rich historical archaeology and has hosted the international conference of the Society for Historical Archaeology, The varied resources of the surrounding countryside include the many villages and country houses such as Castle Howard, Beningborough Hall and Harewood, and agricultural and industrial complexes of many kinds. The architecture and landscape of York and Yorkshire offer a marvellous environment for the teaching of historical archaeology, as do the famous museum collections including those of the Castle Museum, Yorkshire Museum and the National Railway Museum.
At present, a major 5-year research project on Hungate (late medieval housing and 19th-century workers housing and small industrial sites) is under way, with collaboration between the York Archaeological Trust, The Department, and Community Archaeologists. This offers a unique opportunity to be involved with a major, internationally important, research project taking place within the context of contract archaeology.
Last updated by JF October 2008