COURSE CURRICULUM

The MSc specialisation in Archaeological Science at Leiden University provides students with the opportunity to focus their training and research in several distinct career profiles, each combining theoretical depth with practical expertise. In the profile of Archaeobotany and Archaeozoology, students engage with palaeo-botanical and palaeo-zoological topics spanning from the Palaeolithic to historical periods. This pathway emphasizes palaeo-environmental and palaeo-economical questions, evolutionary aspects of flora and fauna, and includes advanced methods such as isotopic and aDNA analyses. Students gain experience in reconstructing ancient ecosystems and understanding human-environment interactions.The Human Osteoarchaeology profile centres on the study of human remains and their broader archaeological contexts. Students acquire expertise in methods including stable isotope analysis, biomechanics, paleodemography, and disease indicators, as well as sex and age estimation. By working with skeletal collections housed at the Faculty of Archaeology, they learn to formulate novel, reproducible research questions while honing scientific writing skills. This track prepares students for further osteoarchaeological research or careers that require advanced analytical and interpretive expertise in human skeletal remains.Material Culture Studies offers a hands-on approach to artefact analysis, experimental archaeology, and theoretical engagement with material culture. Students work in both laboratory and field-based experimental stations, such as the Stone Age hamlet of Huize Horsterwold, where reconstructed environments allow for testing hypotheses about past technologies and lifeways.In Computational Archaeology, students develop high-level technical skills in data analysis, statistical modelling, and visualization. Training in Python and AI applications enables them to design and apply computational workflows across archaeological contexts. Theses in this profile often incorporate machine learning, remote sensing, simulation, and spatial analysis, with research questions embedded in larger archaeological projects.