Structure and Curriculum
The master’s programme consolidates existing fundamental knowledge in the field of archaeology in the Roman provinces and provides you with a wide-ranging education in theoretical and applied skills. To do so, the Institute for Archaeology, Heritage Conservation Studies and Art History offers a wide range of subjects.
The programme comprises a core component in Archaeology of the Roman Provinces (50 ECTS), two required elective components (each at least 20 or 15 ECTS, respectively) and a distribution elective component that can be chosen individually (at least 5 ECTS); in addition to this, students write a master’s thesis (30 ECTS). The core component is made up of a foundation module, two advanced modules, one field trip and a practical module, archaeological fieldwork (excavation or prospection) and/or internships of at least six weeks.
The programme is structured around the skills objectives both in terms of academic work and career-oriented practice:
- Academic work in archaeological research as a basis for interpretation from a cultural studies perspective
- Heritage studies in the form of practical training on archaeological finds, field trips to archaeological sites, exhibitions and museums
- Preparation for professional practice through participation in digs and internships at official agencies and research institutes
Contents and skills-based objectives
- Source-related, literary and methodological knowledge in the following thematic areas: urban settlements, rural forms of settlement and agriculture, military and fortifications, population history, spirituality and religion.
- Ability to present academic content in speech and writing and knowledge of suitable sources for the discipline’s central issues.
[15 ECTS points]
Contents and skills-based objectives
- Knowledge of finds from the Roman provinces and the ability to categorise them chronologically and in terms of function.
- Theory and practice-oriented approaches to provincial Roman material culture and the independent identification of sets of Roman finds using the relevant specialist literature. Ability to present material-oriented academic content orally.
[7 ECTS points]
Contents and skills-based objectives
- Problem-oriented knowledge of sources, literature and approaches in the following fields: urban settlements; rural forms of settlement and agriculture; military and fortifications; spirituality and religion; population history; and issues related to Romanisation, acculturation and life in post-Roman times with regard to each of these topics.
- In-depth knowledge of the subject areas in module group A from a cross-regional and comparative perspective, critical and intensive engagement with the current literature, including aspects of the history of research and with a problem- and discourse-oriented approach.
- Developing discursive, oral and written skills to communicate problem-oriented content at an academic level.
[20 ECTS points]
Contents and skills-based objectives
- Gaining knowledge of heritage sites and analysing them as a key component of archaeological studies.
- Learning how to recognise and interpret specific topographical layouts.
- Analysing functional and spatial contexts.
[2 ECTS points]
Contents and skills-based objectives
- Six weeks of participating in a dig or prospection as part of a dig led by the institute or with an official heritage conservation agency or a research institution in Germany or abroad; or three weeks of participating in a dig or prospection as part of a dig led by the institute with an official heritage conservation agency or a research institution in Germany or abroad combined with a three-week internship in a museum, a research institution or in the archaeological heritage department of an official heritage conservation agency; or a three-week internship in a museum, a research institution or in the archaeological heritage department of an official heritage conservation agency.
- Preparation for the professional field of practical archaeology (heritage conservation/museums).
[6 ECTS points]
Required electives and distribution requriements
Required elective component 1
Contents
One or several modules from one of the following degree programmes/subjects at the University of Bamberg or the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg are to be completed, as long as they have been approved for selection in the distribution components of other master’s programmes:
- Medieval and Post-Medieval Archaeology or
- Prehistoric and Ancient Archaeology or
- Digital Geoarchaeology or
- Christian Archaeology and Art History (University of Erlangen-Nuremberg) or
- Classical Archaeology (University of Erlangen-Nuremberg) or
- Ancient History
You can find further information in the current module handbooks for each of the programmes/subjects named above.
Required elective component 2
Contents
One or several modules from one of the following study programmes/subjects at the University of Bamberg or the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg are to be completed, as long as they have been approved for selection in the distribution components of other master’s programmes and haven’t already been selected in the first required elective component:
- Islamic Art and Archaeology or
- Ancient History or
- Latin Studies or
- Cultural Heritage Preservation (heritage conservation – building archaeology and history – materials and preservation science in preserving buildings of historical importance) or
- Historical Geography or
- Cultural Informatics
You can find further information in the current module handbooks for each of the programmes/subjects named above.
Distribution electives
Contents
One or several modules from one of the University of Bamberg’s free elective subjects are to be completed, as long as these modules have been approved for selection in the distribution elective components of other master’s programmes and haven’t already been selected in the first or second required elective component.
The current version of the relevant module handbook provides further information on the selected subject.
[40 ECTS points]
Master’s thesis
Master’s thesis
Contents and skills-based objectives
The master’s thesis provides proof of the ability to do the following:
- Independently and academically approach a topic from the field of Archaeology of the Roman Provinces at the level of academic discourse and with a clearly recognisable, evaluative conclusion. The basis of this thesis is the knowledge, application and consultation of the relevant primary and secondary sources, with primary sources in the field of Archaeology of the Roman Provinces explicitly including ancient written sources.
- Write an archaeological paper in accordance with the relevant formal and content-related standards and in line with the publication guidelines of the relevant institutions (e.g. the German Archaeological Institute (DAI)).
- Compile and critically evaluate secondary literature on the topic under discussion.
[30 ECTS points]