Archaeology

Archaeology examines material evidence left behind by past cultures. With the exception of Archaeological Sciences, Swiss university courses are traditionally divided along chronological and geographical boundaries into the following areas of study: Prehistoric Archaeology or Pre- and Protohistory, Archaeology of the Roman Provinces, Archaeology of the Middle Ages, Classical Archaeology or Archaeology of the Mediterranean Region and Near Eastern Archaeology.

Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Egyptology and Pre-Columbian Studies  take an archaeological or a philological, historical or ethnological approach. Courses in these fields of study are therefore listed on separate subpages.

 

Archaeological Sciences use natural sciences to analyse the material evidence of human cultures dating back to all eras, from the Early Stone Age to the Middle Ages.

Pre- and Protohistory studies non-literate cultures or cultures with little written evidence from the beginnings of the history of humankind up to the Early Middle Ages with a geographical focus on Switzerland and Europe.

Archaeology of the Roman Provinces examines material evidence from the Roman provinces dating from the period between the late Roman Republic and Late Antiquity.

Archaeology of the Middle Ages enhances our knowledge of the period between Late Antiquity and modern times by gathering information from archaeological finds and architectural examinations. It is closely related to the history of the Middle Ages and to the history of art and architecture.

Classical Archaeology studies the ancient cultures of the Mediterranean region, with a particular emphasis on the Greeks, Etruscans, Romans and neighbouring peoples from the Bronze Age to Late Antiquity.

Near Eastern Archaeology deals with material evidence from the Near East dating from the Neolithic period to the Arabian conquest in the 7th century AD. The geographical focus is on Mesopotamia (~Iraq), Syro-Palestine, Anatolia and Iran, as well as the regions between the Bosporus and the Sinai Peninsula in the west and the Indus Valley in the east.

 

BA discipline or programme: Altertumswissenschaften with focus on Pre- and Protohistory and Archaeology of the Roman Provinces or Classical Archaeology (University of Basel)

BA discipline or programme: Altertumswissenschaften with focus on Archaeological Sciences (University of Basel)

BSc programme: Prähistorische und naturwissenschaftliche Archäologie (University of Basel)

BA programme: Archäologie with focus on two disciplines (Prehistoric Archaeology, Archaeology of the Mediterranean Region, Archaeology of the Roman Provinces and Near Eastern Archaeology) (University of Bern)

BA programme: Histoire de l'art option Archéologie (University of Fribourg)

BA programme: Archéologie préhistorique (University of Geneva)

BA programme: Archéologie classique (University de Geneva)

BA programme: Archéologie with focus on Classical Archaeology or Archaeology of the Roman Provinces (University of Lausanne)

BA programme: Archéologie with focus on Pre- and Protohistory and Archaeology of the Mediterranean Region (University of Neuchâtel)

BA programme: Archäologien with focus on Prehistoric Archaeology, Classical Archaeology and Archaeology of the Middle Ages (University of Zurich)

BA programme (minor): Interdisziplinäre Archäologische Wissenschaften with focus on natural and social sciences (University of Zurich)

 

MSc programme: Prähistorische und Naturwissenschaftliche Archäologie (University of Basel)

MA programme: Archäologie und Naturwissenschaften with focus on Archaeological Sciences in combination with focus on Egyptology, Classical Archaeology or Pre- and Protohistory and Archaeology of the Roman Provinces (University of Basel)

MA programme: Ur- und Frühgeschichtliche und Provinzialrömische Archäologie (University of Basel)

MA programme: Klassische Archäologie (University of Basel)

MA programme: Archäologie with focus on Prehistoric Archaeology, Archaeology of the Mediterranean Region, Archaeology of the Roman Provinces or Near Eastern Archaeology (University of Bern)

MA programme: Archéologie with focus on Pre- and Protohistory and Classical Archaeology (University of Fribourg)

MSc programme: Archéologie préhistorique (University of Geneva)

MA programme: Archéologie classique (University of Geneva)

MA programme: Sciences de l'Antiquité with focus on Classical Archaeology (University of Geneva)

MA programme: Sciences de l'Antiquité avec orientation Archéologie with focus on Classical Archaeology or Archaeology of the Roman Provinces (University of Lausanne)

MA programme: Métiers de l'archéologie et du patrimoine historique (University of Lausanne)

MA programme: Sciences historiques avec pilier Archéologie with focus on Prehistoric Archaeology and Archaeology of the Mediterranean Region (University of Neuchâtel)

MA programme: Archäologien with focus on Prehistoric Archaeology, Classical Archaeology and Archaeology of the Middle Ages (University of Zurich)

MA programme: Archäologische Kulturwissenschaften with focus on Prehistoric Archaeology, Classical Archaeology and Archaeology of the Middle Ages (University of Zurich)

MA programme (minor): Interdisziplinäre Archäologische Wissenschaften with focus on natural and social sciences (University of Zurich)

 

Graduate school: Doktoratsprogramm der Basler Altertumswissenschaften (University of Basel)

PhD: Ur- und frühgeschichtliche und Provinzialrömische Archäologie (University of Basel)

PhD: Klassische Archäologie (University of Basel)

Graduate school: Interdisziplinäres Doktoratsprogramm Altertumswissenschaften (University of Bern)

PhD: Archäologie with graduation in Prehistoric Archaeology, Archaeology of the Roman Provinces, Archaeology of the Mediterranean Region or Near Eastern Archaeology (University of Bern)

Graduate school: Sciences de l'Antiquité EDOCSA with graduation in Prehistoric Archaeology, Archaeology of the Roman Provinces, Classical Archaeology or Archaeometry (Universities of Fribourg, Geneva, Lausanne and Neuchâtel)

PhD: Archéologie préhistorique (University of Geneva)

PhD: Prähistorische Archäologie (University Zurich)

PhD: Klassische Archäologie (University Zurich)

PhD: MIttelalterarchäologie (University Zurich)