MSc Archaeology Bioarchaeology

Learn how to uncover the secrets of past lives through the study of human and animal skeletons. With this specialist master’s in bioarchaeology, you’ll gain expertise in human anatomy, with unlimited access to our large skeletal collection. You’ll also develop skills in faunal analysis; we have one of the largest reference collections of mammals, birds and fish in the UK.

We're ranked 7th in the UK for archaeology (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2022).

Your specialist bioarcheology learning will cover:

Beyond your specialist modules you can personalise this MSc bioarchaeology degree to your areas of interest through a range of optional modules.

This archaeological science master's is a very practical degree, but you don’t need prior knowledge of biology or anatomy. You’ll spend a lot of time in our dedicated archaeology laboratories and you’ll have access to specialist isotope labs and a scanning, imaging and micro-CT suite.

You’ll work closely with experts in our Centre for Learning Anatomical Sciences and benefit from opportunities to apply your learning in real-world settings.

There's an opportunity to apply your learning on a 4-week placement, where you’ll gain valuable real-world experience of the archaeology sector and heritage industry. Previous placements have included Historic England, Wessex Archaeology and The Nautical Archaeology Society.

We bring expertise together from across the University, including Medicine, Humanities, the National Oceanography Centre, Engineering and Winchester School of Art, to enable you to gain both scientific skills and cultural understanding.

This bioarchaeology master's offers a balance between vocational and research skills. During your dissertation you’ll be able to embed with one of our research groups to do original research on a topic that you choose. There is the possibility that this work will be published.

Southampton is close to the World Heritage sites of Stonehenge and Avebury and we have research projects engaged with both sites, as well as a range of other archaeological projects across the Globe.

If you prefer, you can apply to study this course as:

Your modules and fees may vary if you choose a different study option.

Dr Jacobo Weinstock is an Associate Professor of Archaeology at the University of Southampton. He has experience in the analysis of faunal remains dating to different periods and geographical areas, from the Pleistocene and up to Early Modern times. Including a zoological study from Troy (in today’s western Turkey) and Carthage (Tunisia).

He has a BA in Archaeology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and an MA in Environmental Archaeology and Palaeoeconomy at the University of Sheffield. Before joining Archaeology at Southampton, he spent time as a postdoctoral research fellow at the Ancient Biomolecules Centre (Oxford University), and the Centre for GeoGenetics (Copenhagen).

For more information view Dr Jacobo Weinstock's staff profile

If you’d prefer a less specialised archaeology master’s degree, or you’d like to focus on a different specialism, you can choose from our 3 other Archaeology MSc pathways. When you join us you’ll have 2 weeks in which you can change pathway if you wish.

Archaeology - Personalise your study of archaeology and build real-world skills through a heritage or archaeological placement with this QS top 30 Archaeology Master’s.

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