MA (Landscape Archaeology)

Course details

The landscape has become an increasingly important and significant concept in today’s Ireland, and is a central avenue for both academic research as well as for contemporary heritage management.

Drawing on a wide range of expertise in prehistoric and historic landscapes, the MA (Landscape Archaeology) offers an intensive one-year programme in landscape archaeology. The course provides a critical understanding of landscapes, their components, character and relevance in today’s society.

A strong element of the programme is the field-based teaching, held in various archaeological landscapes around Ireland. A series of Field Survey workshops is also part of the programme, teaching you the basics in manual surveying, total station survey and geophysical surveys, as well as high precision GPS survey.

Key facts

Entry requirements

A NQAI Level 8 degree in Archaeology awarded at Second Class Honours Grade 2 standard overall with at least a Second Class Honours Grade 2 in Archaeology or its equivalent in education and professional experience. An interview forms part of the selection process.

Course outline

The history of landscape archaeology is explored, as are contemporary philosophical treatments of the concept of landscape. Various issues surrounding the protection, management, and presentation of archaeological landscapes are considered and case-studies are used to examine the wide range of such landscapes and their components. There is emphasis on fieldwork training and a critical understanding of the range of sources used. Students are provided with a basic foundation in GIS and its applications in archaeology and are introduced to electronic survey and digital mapping, geophysical prospection, and data processing. Practical demonstrations and field exercises are an important element of the programme.

Programme content (subject to change):

• Landscape Perspectives
• Interpreting Landscapes
• Managing Landscapes
• Investigating Landscapes
• Digital Landscapes
• Geographical Information Systems and Landscape Archaeology
• Dissertation

The programme is based on six modules:

• Landscape perspectives: you are introduced to the fascinating world of landscape studies, and its theoretical foundations.
• Interpreting landscapes: this module focuses on how different archaeological landscapes can be read and interpreted based on case studies reaching from the Neolithic to the present day.
• GIS and Landscape Archaeology: this is an introduction to the basic concepts of GIS, and via tutorials you will gain basic proficiency in a selection of archaeological applications in ArcGIS 9.3.
• Managing landscapes: the role of archaeology in the planning process is explored. You are also introduced to the politics of landscape and Public Archaeology.
• Investigating landscapes: the wide range of sources and methods used in landscape archaeology are explored, with a focus on their potential and limitation.
• Presenting landscapes: via tutorial you are introduced to Adobe Photoshop. The module also consists of a week’s field school in the Burren, Co. Clare.

Requirements and assessment

Course modules are assessed by a combination of essays, class projects, assignments and/or seminar presentations, to a total of 450 marks (50% of total). The dissertation of 15,000 words comprises the remaining 450 marks (50%).