Course Co-ordinator: Dr R Knecht

Pre-requisite(s): Either AY 1002 or AY 1502

This course provides students with a detailed introduction to the ecological, economic and spiritual dimensions to the Archaeology of the North (defined here as Scotland, Northern Europe, Siberia, the North Pacific, North America and the North Atlantic). We will examine the diverse ways in which communities have made the northern world their home. The course draws on a series of case-studies to examine three interlocking themes:

• Human ecology of northern landscapes. Examines the opportunities and constraints that characterise high-latitude environments.


• Living in the North. Investigates some of the creative ways in which northern people have adapted to and transformed these ecological settings, including how societies have responded to frequent periods of severe climate change, and the role of technology in mobility and adaptation.


• The Northern Mind. Critically explores the abundant archaeological evidence for ritual, worship and spirituality, focusing on rock art, burial practices, sacred places and other forms of evidence. Ethnographic parallels are widely employed in the interpretation of these datasets.

2 one-hour lectures a week with 2 reading weeks (16 lectures in total) and 4 two-hour tutorials.

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (50%); continuous assessment in the form of a 2500-word essay (50%).

Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (50%) plus original in-course assessment carried forward (50%).