The course has the goal of training archaeologists with a solid theoretical and methodological education. They shall own professional skills which will allow them to develop several tasks in Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, namely in scientific research, or in management and safeguard.
We will aim that the student:
Shall be capable of dealing with complex and contradictory informations, in archaeological, historical, anthropological and patrimonial themes;
Shall be capable of analysing and synthesizing the available information about a theme and expressing it in a written or oral form;
Shall be capable of integrating multidisciplinary teams and developing research;
Shall have a critical conscience about Man’s role and place in the world and about Archaeology’s social role.
These generic competences are transversal to all subjects and are achieved by fostering in the students the interest for a specific bibliography, the development of a critical mind and a demanding culture, open to a permanent knowledge update; as well as promoting the presentation of papers and oral expositions as basic components of the learning process.
Our goal is to allow students to have the following competences, at a more specific level:
To master the fundamental conceptual and methodological instruments for the practice of the archaeological research in its various valencies (prospection, excavation, material studies, etc.) and for the different timelines and diffferent types of archaeological sites;
To develop a clear notion of the evolution of the different scientific paradigms underlying the knowledge production in Archaeology;
To acquire a clear notion of the diachronic evolution of occupation forms and space organization, namely concerning places of occupation, extraction, transformation and territory symbolization;
To recognize the chronological and cultural background of a site or a set of archaeological materials;
To evaluate the importance of an archaeological testimony;
To acquire a clear notion of the regional variability of archaeological traces and their meaning;
To develop a complementary training, particularly with an interdisciplinary nature.
Employment Prospects
The holder of the 1st cycle in Archaeology may find career possibilities in:
State offices, local authorities (Archaeology Offices, GTL, Heritage Divisions, etc.);
Museums (national, local or others, public or private);
"The multidisciplinary dimensions of this master’s course was one of its major strengths and underpinned my training as an archaeologist. Practical work, combined with theoretical knowledge essential in providing solid training, contributed easily entering the labour market, in an increasingly dynamic model of society.""
Tiago Josué Ferreira - Archaeologist
Contacts
For scientific and academic issues - contact the course director: arqu@letras.up.pt
For administrative questions - contact the Academic Management Office: sga@letras.up.pt
For international mobility students - contact the International Office: sri@letras.up.pt