MSc Palaeopathology
As archaeologists we attempt to investigate the way past people lived, for example what they ate. This is usually achieved by studying cultural remains such as pottery, buildings and a multitude of other archaeological evidence; the actual people who created these cultural remains are often forgotten. Furthermore it should be remembered that people’s ill health can compromise how societies functioned, past and present. Palaeopathology is part of the discipline of Bioarchaeology and is defined as the study of past disease. This MSc will equip you with the theoretical and practical knowledge of how to study and interpret data collected from human remains. The emphasis is on health and well-being using a multidisciplinary approach, linking biological evidence for disease with cultural data (the bioarchaeological approach). In addition to learning techniques of analysis, this course is unique in the U.K. in its focus on trauma and disease in human skeletal remains. This MSc takes a holistic view of disease, as seen in a clinical context today, and prepares students for undertaking significant research projects in this subject.
What will I be studying?
The MSc uses lecture, laboratory, and seminar sessions for teaching and a variety of forms of assessment including a research dissertation. It provides students with a wide range of skills essential for working in the profession or undertaking future research. The course at Durham benefits from excellent learning resources and cross-collaborative links with other departments. You will be working in a department with a large number of PhD students and staff actively engaged in a broad range of Bioarchaeological research projects. We welcome applications from graduates in archaeology, anthropology and related disciplines.
Staff
The main staff teaching on the course and researching in this area are:
Professor Charlotte Roberts and Dr Rebecca Gowland
There are also staff who teach occasionally on the course in some of the modules and may research in the field of bioarchaeology; they are, as follows:
Professor Ian Bailiff
Dr Alex Bentley (Anthropology)
Dr Mike Church
Mr Phil Clogg
Dr Keith Dobney
Dr Pam Graves
My Phil Howard
Dr Jacqui Huntley
Dr Greger Larsen
Dr Andrew Millard
Dr Sarah Semple
Mr Jeff Veitch
Dr Rob Witcher
Not all may be teaching every year due to Research Leave. Details of their areas of expertise can be found via the Durham Archaeology website.
There are also a number of guest lecturers who include :
Richard Annis (Archaeological Services, Durham University)
Professor Don Brothwell (University of York)
Keri Brown (University of Manchester)
Professor Terry Brown (University of Manchester)
Professor Andrew Chamberlain (University of Sheffield)
Jacqueline McKinley (Wessex Archaeology)
Life after the MSc
This degree will provide you with a wide range of transferable skills for a variety of professions or future research. Many of our graduates have continued working with skeletal remains and have found employment in universities, museums, and as bioarchaeologists in the field. A number have continued their research at doctoral level and beyond. To see the destinations of, and quotes from, past students click here.
Download the Course Information here 
For application details please contact:
Postgraduate Admissions Secretary,
Dept of Archaeology,
Durham University,
South Road,
Durham
DH1 3LE, UK
tel: 0191 334 1109 (Monday - Thursday)
fax: 0191 334 1101
email: pgarch.admissions@dur.ac.uk
For informal discussions about the course and visits to the Department, please contact the course convenor Professor Charlotte Roberts (Tel: +44 (0) 0191 334 1154)
I am impressed with the rigor and breadth of the MSc course in Paleopathology at Durham University. It should be of interest to any serious student of ancient health and disease.
Professor Jane Buikstra, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, USA
