Third-cycle (doctoral) programme in Archaeology

Research Areas

Archaeology at Linnaeus University is a research active discipline with strong profiles in:

• Critical heritage studies – critical perspectives on heritage and its uses
• Heritage futures
• Postcolonial studies
• Migration studies
• Funerary archaeology, death, rituals
• Archaeothanatology
• Research ethics and human remains
• Materiality and material culture – from the Stone Age to contemporary archaeology
• Human cognitive evolution
• Rock art studies
• Lithic technology
• Landscape archaeology and GIS based analyses
• Digital documentation and visualization
• Environmental and resource studies

The research environment is interdisciplinary with national and international collaborations, field based research, and close connections to the heritage sector.

As a doctoral student, you have the opportunity to specialize in one of the areas listed above. The specializations are flexible and developed in dialogue between the doctoral student, supervisors, and the research environment.

Fredrik: “I would never have gotten this job without my doctoral training”

Fredrik Gunnarsson previously completed his doctoral studies in archaeology at Linnaeus University and was one of the participants in the GRASCA research school.

In his dissertation, he examined the possibilities of digitalization within the archaeological sector. One conclusion was that although large parts of the work are digital — involving databases, maps, and ground penetrating radar — the knowledge generated through archaeological investigations does not always reach the relevant target groups. Today, he works as an IT project manager at the Swedish National Heritage Board.

What do you do in your job?

“I work on building a new digital infrastructure for cultural heritage in Sweden. The aim is to connect digitized material — primarily held in museums across the country — and make it accessible to researchers and the public. By linking the material, you can, for example, easily see which collections contain bronze axes if that’s what you’re interested in. So it’s very much within the same area I wrote about in my dissertation.”

What was it like being a doctoral student?

“It was incredibly fun. The first thing I think of is the sense of community in our doctoral group. We’ve seen and experienced so much together. On a personal level, it has also been a tremendous professional development. It has opened up more job opportunities for me, even in other sectors. I would never have gotten my current job at the Swedish National Heritage Board without my doctoral training.”

Examples of Previous Doctoral Projects

• "The Corporeality of Death: Bioarchaeological, Taphonomic, and Forensic Anthropological Studies of Human Remains" (Clara Alfsdotter 2021)


  
  
• "The Digital Mission: A Study of Contract Archaeology's Ability to Create Relevant Knowledge in a Digital Society" (Fredrik Gunnarsson 2022)


  
  
• "Indigenous Archaeology in Sweden: Aligning Contract Archaeology with National and International Policies on Indigenous Heritage" (Charina Knutson 2024)


  
  
• "Participatory Archaeology" (Ellinor Sabel 2025)
  
  
• "The Cultural Heritage Paradox: On Contract Archaeology and the use of its heritage products" (Vivian Smits 2022)


  
  
• "Cultural heritage as a resource in socially sustainable urban development: A designed living environment for the future" (Ulrika Söderström 2024)

All of the above projects were part of the research school GRASCA (Graduate School in Contract Archaeology), a collaborative doctoral school for Swedish contract archaeology that ran from 2015 to 2024.

How do I become a doctoral student in Archaeology?

When we have projects and funding that will support new doctoral students, positions will be announced on Linnaeus University’s website. After the indicated deadline, applications will be assessed in a formalized admission process. See vacant positions