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ArchAeology: a career to fulfil your dreams Archaeology is meticulous intellectual and scientific detective work, coupled with the excitement of discovery. Whether you have studied archaeology as an undergraduate and are familiar with the academic and practical sides of the subject, or whether you studied a related discipline and have now decided to change directions, an MA is an excellent way to consolidate your existing knowledge, open up new areas of interest and challenge your intellectual outlook. You can also use the MA to check its potential as a PhD topic and see whether you and your potential supervisor can make a successful team. There are a wide variety of MA courses on offer in archaeology which reflect the great diversity of the subject itself and the many directions your career can take. You can specialise by periods, by themes, by materials or by sub-disciplines. Different career paths might impact on your choice of postgraduate training: do you see yourself as a commercial archaeologist, museum curator, county archaeologist, lab supervisor, self-employed finds specialist, or university lecturer? Ensure that the topic of your chosen MA programme is able to hold your interest for the duration of the degree. If you already know what career you wish to take, make sure the MA is relevant to it, eg. in order to work in commercial archaeology, it is worth considering a vocational degree. If you are unsure of the direction you wish to take afterwards, opt for a more generic MA programme which will expose you to the greatest possible variety of themes and ideas. Part-time vs full-time: more and more universities now offer both options so, if you have not been able to secure a full scholarship, you can work and study at the same time. While the P/T course will take two years and require a certain discipline, it will allow you to progress your career and enhance your employability in the medium term. Skills training: just knowing about archaeology is no longer sufficient nowadays; to demonstrate your employability, good transferable skills are required. These include computer literacy, research and presentation skills (orally and written), basic knowledge of data analysis and spreadsheets/ databases, and visual presentation skills. Look for a university that offers a wide range of skills courses in support of the MA programme, which could enhance your desirability in the eyes of your potential employers (whether in archaeology or not). Why Study at Manchester? • Innovative and dynamic teaching, using the latest approaches to learning; an excellent record of external assessment • A thriving research environment, leading to world-leading and internationally excellent publications • Unrivalled theoretical expertise, underpinning our teaching and research • Regional interests ranging from Greater Manchester to Scotland, Australia, Easter Island and Timbuktu, amongst others, plus a diverse range of current field projects in the UK and abroad • Superb library and research collections, as well as our own University Museum housing excellent archaeological and Ancient Egyptian collections. Postgraduate courses at the University of Manchester: • PhD Archaeology • MA Archaeology For further information please contact either Andrew.rigg@manchester.ac.uk (or 0161-275 3144) or Claire.bharath@manchester.ac.uk (or 0161-306 1259) www.arts.manchester.ac.uk/archaeology/
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Contents October/November 2011 Issue 49 UP FRONT 7 READERS WRITE Bubbling issue; Carved in stone; Home improvements; Write on. 8 LETTERS EXTRA Following last issue’s book review, Paul Bahn and John Flenley discuss the controversial Easter Island findings. 10 WORLD NEWS Latest on archaeological news, discoveries, and scientific research from around the world. 16 EGYPT AFTER HAWASS Egypt’s most prominent – and controversial – archaeologist has gone. Tom St John Gray asks: what now for the Land of the Pharoahs? 20 CHARLES HIGHAM Rice, revolution, and the 64,000 dollar question of prehistory in South East Asia. JAPAN FOCUS FEATURES 25 22 TIDAL WAVE: The worst earthquake to hit Japan in 1,000 years was followed by a deadly tsunami. What remains of the country’s ancient heritage? 25 SURVIVING THE TSUNAMI: In the wake of the tsunami, we visit archaeological sites in the devastated region. 30 TAGAJO AND SENDAI: From the humble beginnings of simple wooden forts, grew the splendid fairy tale castles of Japan. 36 IRAN PERSIAN SPLENDOUR: Who built the three opulent palaces so close to each other, and why? REGULARS 16 44 BRIAN FAGAN ELIXIR OF LIFE: How our ancestors managed their precious water resources – and how future civilisations may learn from them. TRAVEL 52 LANGUEDOC Francophile David Miles searches for Neolithic farmers in the South of France. 54 POSTCARD FROM KNIDOS Richard Hodges reawakens memories of his undergraduate dig, and the discovery of the beautiful goddess Demeter. 58 CULTS, CHRISTIANITY, AND THE VATICAN Is the strange Mithraic statue at the exit to the Vatican museum a clue to what lies beneath? REVIEWS 63 EXHIBITION DURA-EUROPOS: Following the launch of a new exhibition in New York, we look at this unusually multicultural city in Ancient Syria. 64 BOOKS Reading Maya Art; When in Rome; Knowledge is Light. GREAT DISCOVERIES 66 THE ROYAL TOMBS OF UR The rich grave goods of these tombs in the Sumarian city of Ur revealed the sophisticated but brutal world of the Ancient Mesopotamians. www.world-archaeology.com 63 58 5

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ArchAeology: a career to fulfil your dreams

Archaeology is meticulous intellectual and scientific detective work, coupled with the excitement of discovery. Whether you have studied archaeology as an undergraduate and are familiar with the academic and practical sides of the subject, or whether you studied a related discipline and have now decided to change directions, an MA is an excellent way to consolidate your existing knowledge, open up new areas of interest and challenge your intellectual outlook. You can also use the MA to check its potential as a PhD topic and see whether you and your potential supervisor can make a successful team. There are a wide variety of MA courses on offer in archaeology which reflect the great diversity of the subject itself and the many directions your career can take. You can specialise by periods, by themes, by materials or by sub-disciplines. Different career paths might impact on your choice of postgraduate training: do you see yourself as a commercial archaeologist, museum curator, county archaeologist, lab supervisor, self-employed finds specialist, or university lecturer? Ensure that the topic of your chosen MA programme is able to hold your interest for the duration of the degree. If you already know what career you wish to take, make sure the MA is relevant to it, eg. in order to work in commercial archaeology, it is worth considering a vocational degree. If you are unsure of the direction you wish to take afterwards, opt for a more generic MA programme which will expose you to the greatest possible variety of themes and ideas. Part-time vs full-time: more and more universities now offer both options so, if you have not been able to secure a full scholarship, you can work and study at the same time. While the P/T course will take two years and require a certain discipline, it will allow you to progress your career and enhance your employability in the medium term. Skills training: just knowing about archaeology is no longer sufficient nowadays; to demonstrate your employability, good transferable skills are required. These include computer literacy, research and presentation skills (orally and written), basic knowledge of data analysis and spreadsheets/ databases, and visual presentation skills. Look for a university that offers a wide range of skills courses in support of the MA programme, which could enhance your desirability in the eyes of your potential employers (whether in archaeology or not).

Why Study at Manchester? • Innovative and dynamic teaching, using the latest approaches to learning; an excellent record of external assessment • A thriving research environment, leading to world-leading and internationally excellent publications • Unrivalled theoretical expertise, underpinning our teaching and research • Regional interests ranging from Greater Manchester to Scotland, Australia, Easter

Island and Timbuktu, amongst others, plus a diverse range of current field projects in the UK and abroad • Superb library and research collections, as well as our own University Museum housing excellent archaeological and Ancient Egyptian collections.

Postgraduate courses at the University of Manchester: • PhD Archaeology • MA Archaeology

For further information please contact either Andrew.rigg@manchester.ac.uk (or 0161-275 3144) or Claire.bharath@manchester.ac.uk (or 0161-306 1259)

www.arts.manchester.ac.uk/archaeology/

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