European Master in Archaeological Materials Science (ARCHMAT)

What?

ARCHMAT is a 2-years EMJMD course (120 ECTS) within a consortium of 3 Programme Country degree-awarding Universities (Evora-UEVORA, Thessaloniki-AUTH and Sapienza Rome -UNIROMA1), 5 Programme Country (Avignon-UAPV, Palermo-UNIPA, Turin Polytechnic - POLITO, Burgos - UBU, Gent, UGENT) and 2 Partner Country (Ben Gurion Negev - BGU, Al Farabi Kazakh Nat. University - KAZNU) HEIs, 5 Programme country (Human Evolution Museum, Burgos -MEH, Museo delle Civiltà, Rome - MUCIV, Centre for Archaeology, Lisbon - CAL, Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, University of São Paulo - MAE-USP, Institute of Mater. Science of Aragon, Zaragoza - ICMA, Ormylia Art Diagnosis Center, Ormylia Gr - ORM) and 2 Partner Country Museums and Research Centers (Israel Museum Jerusalem - IMJ, GuoWenYan Cult. Heritage Conserv. Center, China - CHCC), 1 NGO (Fondazione Flaminia, Ravenna - FF), 1 Civil Society Organization (WATCH, Rome), 1 Association of SMEs in Archaeometry sector (Archeomed®, Arles - ARC) and 1 accreditation agency (CIMEA-NARIC) as associated partners.

Why?

Aims is to provide students with specialized skills in archaeology and analytical characterization of materials from prehistory (Megalithic) to classical times (Greek and Roman). The study and conservation of Cultural Heritage materials is a research area with a strong multidisciplinary connotation and requires skills that span across the Humanities and Science research fields. ARCHMAT provides a common, integrated platform for excellent students coming from either Science or Humanities educational backgrounds to understand the advanced scientific methods used to investigate archaeological materials and aims to form highly specialized professional experts in the emerging field of Archaeometry, i.e Physico-Chemical Sciences applied to the study of Archaeological and Cultural Heritage materials.

How?

Classes are delivered at UEVORA (coordinator), AUTH and UNIROMA1. Associated members provide seminars/practical and field classes on Archaeometry specialised aspects/techniques and case studies and offer internships, joint supervision and topics for Thesis projects. Museum Associated partners provide archaeomaterials for Thesis Projects, host internships and Museum exhibitions on main Thesis Projects results (MEH, MUCIV, MAE-USP, CAL, IMJ). NGOs (FF, Archaeomed®, WATCH) deliver transversal skills training in Project Management and Entrepreneurship in the Cultural Heritage sector. CIMEA plays a joint degree and quality assurance advisory role. Seminars by top invited scholars in Archaeometry and Conservation Science complement the curriculum.

Advanced training for professionals

ARCHMAT is addressed not only to students pursuing their academic training but also to professionals and/or public functionaries already employed in Cultural Heritage and Archaeologically related institutions such as Museums, Ministry of Culture and other governmental cultural heritage agencies. In these cases, the ARCHMAT EMJMD course will serve as an updating-upgrading training experience. The need for high quality qualification/requalification of staff in the highly specialized ARCHMAT research field is indeed presently highly felt in the Archaeometry/Cultural Heritage/Conservation sector. This has proven successful with a number of former ARCHMAT alumni graduates who have returned to their countries to resume their professional career.

The structure of the ARCHMAT EMJMD academic curriculum is as follows:

• In the first semester at UEVORA, 30 ECTS will be delivered: 24 ECTS by host Institution lecturers (UEVORA) and 6 ECTS will be delivered by lecturers/seminars/field workshops from associated HEI and Research partners (UBU, ICMA/CSIC, UGENT, BGU), by visiting scholars from outside institutions and via the participation of the students to International scientific meetings on the field of Archaeometry in respect of the academic schedule and planning at the host Institution. In particular the following workshops/Field visits are envisaged: "Management and Conservation of archaeological sites" (led by BGU+CHCC+ARC); "Atapuerca and Human Evolution (led by UBU); Raman Spectroscopy applied to archaeological materials (led by UGENT), Applications of Laser Technologies to Cultural Heritage materials (led by ICMA/CSIC).
• In the second semester at AUTH, 30 ECTS will be delivered: 24 ECTS by host institution lecturers (AUTH) and 6 ECTS belonging by lecturers from associated HEI and Research partners and visiting scholars and participation to International Scientific Meetings.
• At the end of the second semester, a 1week summer school (4 ECTS) will be organized where all partners of the Consortium (including associated ones) will participate and contribute to (either in person or via IT videoconference tools). In this way, by the end of the first year, the students will have had the opportunity to meet lecturers from all partners of the ARCHMAT Consortium and gained an overview of their respective areas of expertise that will help them to formulate early plans where to focus their interests in view of the final Master thesis work. In this respect, the possible Master thesis subjects will be communicated to the students during the summer school or immediately afterwards.
• In the third semester at UNIROMA1, 30 ECTS will be delivered by lecturers of the host institution (UNIROMA1) and lecturers from associated HEI (POLITO, MAE-USP) and NGO/CSO and SMEs partners (FF, WATCH, ARC), by visiting scholars and by participation to International Scientific meetings.
• The fourth semester will be spent in UEVORA or UNIROMA1 or AUTH and will be devoted to the master thesis work. The thesis work will be conducted in collaboration between at least one of the 3 degree awarding institutions and one or more of the associated partners, involving an internship period at any of the associated partners institutions including Museums (MEH, MUCIV, CAL, MAE-USP, ISJ). Any internship period will be implemented under the direct supervision of one of the consortium partner HEIs and will be earning ECTS credits for the student involved depending on the duration of the internship period (indicatively 5 ECTS/month). Each student will be assigned a tutor for the master thesis project from one of three core Universities (UEVORA, AUTH or UNIROMA1) which will have the assistance of one co-Tutor from one of the non-degree awarding associated members according to the needs of the collaborative project chosen.

Mobility track

The mandatory mobility component is justified by the inherent multidisciplinary/international character of the ARCHMAT course providing the added value of benefiting from the differential expertise in multi-faceted Archaeometry aspects (both in terms of range of advanced instrumental facilities and of breadth of field case studies) that can be found at each of the different Partners and Associated member institutions.

Moreover, the mobility component of the Course involving one semester at each of the three ARCHMAT core institutions (Portugal, Greece and Italy) with the option of carrying master thesis work in one of the academic and non-academic associated members from Italy, France, Brazil, Spain, Israel and Belgium and non-academic associated members will provide students with a truly European and wide ranging full immersion into a scientific as well as profoundly cultural experience.

Staff

Lectures, Practical and Laboratory classes will be delivered by academic staff at each ARCHMAT partner Institution. Seminars by invited scholars selected amongst the top world experts in the field of Archaeometry, Conservation Science and Cultural Heritage Research will occasionally be delivered

Language

The teaching language will be English.

Degree-Awarding

After the completion of the 90 ECTS (3 semesters) and 30 ECTS of the Master thesis, a joint single diploma EMJMD Master degree will be awarded by the three full partners (UEVORA-AUTH-UNIROMA1) together with a Joint Diploma supplement signed by all ARCHMAT partners. The Diploma Supplement will describe the nature, level, context, content and status of the studies; an overview of the curriculum that were pursued and successfully completed by the individual named on the original qualification to the diploma supplement will be appended together with info regarding the Portuguese, Italian and Greek higher education systems.

The ARCHMAT EMJMD program has been designed to maximize the benefits both to students and the academic and non-academic staff involved. Its added value relies on the trans-national, inter/multidisciplinary and multisectoral character of the course, by:

• allowing the students to meet international specialists on different topics and research fields, and acquire multisectoral, inter-multidisciplinary, competences and knowledge, including transferable skills in Project Management, Entrepreneurship know-how, IT and communication skills;
• offering a multi-sectoral and transnational (and transcontinental with the associated partners in Brazil, China, Kazakhstan and Israel) know-how gaining experience according to the approach to sustainability and valorization valid in each country;
• providing opportunity for European Neighbourhood partners to establish deeper links with European academic and Research Institutions through exchange of expertise and excellent students with top level EU academic institution in a highly innovative and expanding research area (Archaeology/CH/Conservation Science) where Europe inherently plays (and should keep playing!) a leading, competitive role in the world due to its unique wealth of archaeological, historical and CH.

Learning outcomes

The ARCHMAT EMJMD holder will find himself in a privileged position to apply for job opportunities in the private sector (Restoration SMEs, private profession) and/or Scientific Laboratories of Museums, or other Governmental Institutions (Ministry of Culture, Regional and National local authorities) but also at several International Organizations devoted to the Protection of Cultural Heritage objects and sites such as ICCROM and UNESCO. The participation in ARCHMAT as associated partners of non-academic Institutions with high level national/international reputation and with strong contacts/affiliations with local Governmental agencies, Museum and Research Institutions such as the CAL in Lisbon, the ICMA in Zaragoza, the MUCIV in the Rome, the MEH in Burgos, Spain, ORM in Greece, and ARC in France and FF in Ravenna will prove extremely useful to ARCHMAT students in their post-Master search for job and PhD research opportunities worldwide.

Career opportunities/Academia

The ARCHMAT Master Diploma holder will be fully qualified and in the ideal position to successfully embark in doctorate courses in Archaeometry and/or Science applied to Conservation/Cultural Heritage research fields either at ARCHMAT partner Institutions or elsewhere.

Career opportunities/Professional sector

The ARCHMAT Master Diploma holder should find himself in a privileged position to apply for job opportunities in the private sector (Restoration SMEs, private profession) and/or Scientific Laboratories of Museums, or other Governmental Institutions (Ministry of Culture, Regional and National local authorities) but also at several International Organizations devoted to the Protection of Cultural Heritage objects and sites such as ICCROM and UNESCO. Last but not least, the participation as associate partners of International non-academic Institutions with high level national/international reputation in ARCHMAT and with strong contacts/affiliations with Governmental agencies and Industry such as the Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Aragon (ICMA) in Zaragoza and the Human Evolution Museum, Burgos -MEH from Spain, the Museo delle Civilta - MUCIV, in Rome (Italy), the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology in San Paulo in Brasil, the Ormylia Art Diagnosis Center, in Greece - ORM), the GuoWenYan Cult. Heritage Conserv. Center, China - will prove extremely useful to ARCHMAT students in their post-Master search for job opportunities worldwide.