Archaeology PhD | Archaeological sciences PhD

Our Archaeology and Archaeological sciences PhD candidates typically become student members of the university’s Past Human and Environment Dynamics Research and Enterprise Group, and benefit from specialist and cross-disciplinary support.

Projects for doctoral research draw on methodologies from a variety of fields, including environmental science, geology and geography, drawing directly on the interdisciplinary ethos of the School of Applied Sciences. 

We offer interdisciplinary supervisory combinations with other university departments, for example the work of digital 3D-imaging and heritage research or that of the Centre for Memory, Narrative and Histories.

You can develop research plans and apply methods involving both quantitative and qualitative data, supported by appropriate research methods training.

Apply to 'Environment' on the portal

Key Information

As an Archaeology | Archaeological Sciences PhD student, you will benefit from: 

  • a supervisory team comprising 2-3 members of academic staff. Depending on your research specialism you may also have an additional external supervisor from another school, research institution, or industry. 
  • desk space and access to a desktop PC, either in one of the postgraduate offices on the sixth floor of the award-winning Cockcroft Building, or within the adjacent Heavy Engineering Block. 
  • access to a range of electronic resources via the University’s Online Library, as well as to the physical book and journal collections housed within the Aldrich Library and other campus libraries.
  • state-of-the-art research facilities on the Moulsecoomb site, including geochemical and geotechnical laboratories, microscopy laboratories (optical and scanning electron microscopes), as well as a large array of field equipment. 

Academic Environment

Archaeological sciences draw on the broader interests of experts across the School of Applied Sciences, which has an established track record of pioneering research in the subject areas of environmental sciences, geoarchaeology, geology and geography.

Researchers within the School of Applied Sciences are engaged in work across a wide range of topic areas, and your PhD research could pursue interests across the diversity of archaeological science. Our particular areas of specialism currently include:

  • Deposit modelling
  • Digital heritage
  • Geoarchaeology
  • Geochemical analysis in archaeological contexts
  • Human origins and evolution
  • Later Prehistory of Western Europe
  • Lithic provenancing
  • Origins of language and cognition
  • Prehistoric cannibalism 
  • Prehistoric metal-working
  • Stone Age technologies
  • Past Human and Environment Dynamics Research and Enterprise Group

Some of our supervisors

Profile photo for Dr James Cole

Dr James Cole

I am interested in supervising postgraduate research students in the following areas: Human Evolution; Palaeolithic Archaeology; Acheulean handaxes; hominin dispersals; evolution of language; evolution of symbolism. 

Profile photo for Prof David Nash

Prof David Nash

I am interested in supervising postgraduate research students in the following areas: reconstructing historical climate change; arid zone geomorphology; environmental change in southern Africa; silcrete provenancing in archaeology.

Profile photo for Dr Norman Moles

Dr Norman Moles

I have previously supervised several PhD students researching various types of mineral deposits, mineral exploration methods, and aspects of metal contamination. I would be pleased to supervise further postgraduate research students - MRes or PhD - in the following areas: ore deposit geology particularly sediment-hosted barite and Zn-Pb-Cu sulphide deposits; gold mineralization in orogenic contexts, and geochemical exploration in glaciated terrains. As of 2021, I am keen to supervise MRes projects on two topics:

(a) Zircon U-Pb dating and heavy mineral provencancing of a probable palaeoplacer conglomerate in the Hawick Group Silurian of County Down, Northern Ireland

(b) Geological architecture of the Duntanlich barite deposit, Scottish Highlands, using drillcore from new mine development and historical exploration

 For further supervisory staff including cross-disciplinary options, please visit research staff on our research website.