Professor Roger Matthews is very pleased to announce that we will be running a new course to begin in 2014…
How best do we understand the modern Middle East, a complex and diverse region that features so much in the global news today? Study of the region’s past is the only way to gain real understanding of its present situation and of possible future directions. This programme is a brand new MA designed for those who wish to develop their knowledge of the Middle East through the advanced study of its archaeology.
The University of Reading has a high concentration of archaeologists working on the archaeology and history of the Middle East. In this MA you will take part in active learning through guided study of themes and issues in the archaeology of the Middle East. You will be able to explore major episodes in the human past through case studies from all regions of the Middle East, including Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Syria, Arabia, the Levant and Egypt. The degree will focus on inter-disciplinary approaches to important, real-world issues, including the transition from hunter-forager to farmer-herder, the development of urban, literate civilisations, and the rise and fall of some of the world’s greatest empires.