Human Osteology and Funerary Archeology

Satisfy your curiosity and understand people and populations of the past. Begin advanced training in the analysis of human skeletal remains and related funerary contexts.

Course description

This MSc course brings together the scientific analysis of skeletal remains, with theoretical study of funerary archaeology, ready for an exciting career in the heritage industry, or further study to PhD.

From the first week, you’ll begin advanced research training in order to master the latest techniques used in the archaeological study of human remains.

Practical lab work will form a large part of your learning. You’ll get hands-on with anatomy and osteology practicals, giving you a detailed understanding of skeletal and soft tissue anatomy by using plastinated prosections (such as preserved limbs and other human body parts) in our specialist labs. You’ll also have access to our vast collection of archaeological specimens to develop your research skills in the identification, analysis and interpretation of skeletal remains.

You’ll get the chance to complete fieldwork during your MSc too, including an optional field trip to dig at the extraordinary Creswell Crags site.

Your practical work will be complemented by lectures in funerary archaeology. Here you’ll cover topics such as the earliest hominin burials, the nature and interpretation of the burial record, and analysis of the residues of funerary ritual, to put the subject in context.

The biggest part of your course is the independent research project (dissertation). Here you’ll spend three months researching an area of human osteology and funerary archaeology that matches your future career aspirations, under the supervision of an expert in the field.

Example past research titles include:

• New interpretations of neolithic cave burial in Derbyshire and Yorkshire
• Meta-analysis of age assessment methods in the archaeological and forensic literature
• The impact of soil type on archaeothanatological interpretation: A comparative study of two late Anglo-Saxon burials
• Analysis of fetal and perinate ilia: Can 3D geometric morphometric and metric measurements from extant research of the ilia be used to biologically sex subadult skeletons?
• Feeding 20.000 saints: Dietary and mobility profile of early Medieval Bardsey Island using stable isotope analysis

The staff that teach on this course bridge the gap between sciences and humanities, giving you the opportunity to learn about these two integrated approaches to this fascinating subject. If you have a passion for archaeology, whether your background stems from arts, humanities, or science, we’ll help you to deepen your specialist knowledge, ready for an exciting career.

Please see our University website for the most up-to-date course information: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/courses