History and Archaeology

History is the study and documentation of the past. Periods without a written language, with timescales that vary globally, are known as prehistory. History can be divided by period and region, and scholars can focus on specific issues rooted in cultural, social, political, economic, or religious developments. But, often, pluridisciplinary approaches are also used to address the complexities of the past. Historians work with written, material, visual, and oral sources to shape how we understand the past, but also to reflect on the present.
Subjects include but are not limited to:

• Ancient history, ancient cultures
• Medieval history
• Modern and contemporary history
• Prehistory and protohistory
• Colonial history, entangled histories, global history
• Military history
• Historiography, theory and methods of history
• History of ideas, intellectual history
• Social, economic, cultural and political history
• Collective memories, identities, oral history

Archaeology is the study of artefacts, sites, physical remains, and visual evidence, to help us understand the development of human prehistory and history. This broad discipline involves a spectrum of methodologies, from site excavations, remote surveys, and art history, to the use of scientific techniques to analyse archaeological materials. Pluridisciplinary approaches are also used to address the complexities of the past. Archaeologists work closely with historians and art historians to understand the past, and also with museologists and heritage specialists to ensure the preservation of artefacts and sites.
Subjects include but are not limited to:

• Ethnoarchaeology
• Bioarchaeology
• Archaeometry
• Landscape archaeology
• Underwater archaeology

The following collections in History and Archaeology are also available:

• Digital Humanities
• Geophysics and Soil Science in Archaeology
• Safeguarding Cultural Heritage

Collection advisors: Filippo Brandolini (Massachusetts Institute of Technology Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change, Center for Sustainble Science and Strategy, USA)