On this course, students will have the choice to specialise in any of the following options: Archaeological Heritage and Museums; Archaeological Science; Archaeology of the Americas; Egyptian Archaeology; European Prehistory; Medieval Archaeology; Mesopotamian Archaeology; Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Archaeology and South Asian Archaeology. All MPhil students in the Division of Archaeology take a Research Skills Module and write a dissertation (15,000 words maximum). The core topics on this course introduces current debates in archaeological theory and the history of archaeological thought, as well as archaeological methods (ranging from the study of prehistoric exchange to bio-archaeological techniques to artefact studies, quantitative analyses and dating methods). Area option courses examine the archaeology of a particular region of the world (such as South Asia or Europe) in detail. Students are encouraged to choose a third module from the range of MPhil options on offer in the Division of Archaeology to complement their specific interests (e.g., heritage, science, material culture, etc). The topics are all of academic importance and the teaching focuses on a theoretical understanding of the issues involved, with practical examples used as case studies. The aim is to educate you within this expanding field and to activate further research. This course covers a broad range of scientific archaeological approaches with geo- and bioarchaeological foci, from theoretical, methodological and practical points of view. A series of recurrent case studies is used to introduce the questions, techniques and ideas applicable in each archaeological situation. In addition, this MPhil equips students with analytical skills in archaeological science.