AY3018: GEOARCHAEOLOGY: APPROACHES TO PAST HUMAN-ENVIRONMENTAL INERACTIONS (DISTANCE) (2015-2016)

This course provides an introduction to the field of geoarchaeology, giving an overview of how the earth sciences are making contributions to archaeological research around the world and in all time periods, from the beginnings of human history to the present day. The course will give you: an overview of the emergence of geoarchaeology as a scientific discipline and the current role of geoarchaeology in professional archaeological practice; a critical appreciation of how mainstream archaeological field work and the interpretation of archaeological sites can be enhanced through a better understanding of natural and cultural sedimentary and soil formation processes; foundational knowledge about the composition and formation processes of natural and human-made soils and sediments; a detailed knowledge of how soil and sediment characteristics affect the preservation of artefacts and organic remains on archaeological sites, and the field and laboratory methods that can be used to determine the preservation conditions on sites; an appreciation for how earth science techniques contribute to the reconstruction of past human environments and how past land use has impacted these environments; an understanding of how earth science techniques can contribute to the understanding of the spatial organisation of activity areas on archaeological sites, including the use of space in buildings; practical skills in how to describe, test, and sample archaeological soils and sediment in the field in such a way as to provide as much useful information as is possible for the interpretation of the content, origin, and post-depositional alteration of archaeological deposits; an overview of a wide range of laboratory techniques that can be applied to the analysis of archaeological soils and sediments in order to enhance the interpretation of the materials they are composed of, how they formed, the rate at which they formed, and how their physical characteristics might have changed over time; a springboard for further specialisation or a dissertation in geoarchaeology, if this is of interest to you.

·         1 two-hour lecture during weeks 10-20, except for weeks when there are field trips or lab practicals

·         1 day field trip

·         1 two-hour lab practical during weeks 14, 15, 17, 18

Assessment. The current text should be replaced with:

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (50%); continuous assessment (50%) in the form of a fieldwork and labwork portfolio.

Resit: Marks from continuous assessment carried forward (50%); re-sit exam (50%)

Formative Assessment. Please replace the current text with:

Formative assessment is provided during the labs and the field trip.

Feedback. Please add:

Feedback is provided on detailed portfolio feedback sheets, and specific comments may also be written on the assignments themselves.

AY3018 Geoarchaeology: Approaches to Past Human-Environmental Interactions (DISTANCE)

Course overview.  Should be changed to:

This distance learning course is a practical introduction to soils and sediments for any student who wants to understand how earth sciences are applied to the study of the human past. The course takes an interdisciplinary approach to the complex relationships between past human societies and the environments with which they were intimately associated, and covers important issues for the archaeology of all regions and time periods, including the processes of archaeological site formation, techniques used to reconstruct past human environments, and the importance of situating past cultural practices in their environmental context.

Co-ordinators. Should be changed to: Dr Karen Milek

This is a distance learning course. Students learn from home by accessing recorded lectures, and by participating in Collaborate tutorials about the labs. However, all students who live locally to Aberdeen are highly encouraged to attend the labs in person. If a sufficient number of students (eg  three or more) who live further away from Aberdeen can come to the university for an intensive two-days of labs, this can also be arranged. All students are expected to attend the field trip, although if travel is impossible an alternative field assignment will be arranged.

Please note that students may be asked to make a nominal contribution towards the cost of the field trip.

This course is compulsory for the BSc Archaeology and all of the joint BSc archaeology programmes (BSc in Archaeology with Chemistry, the BSc in Archaeology-Geoscience and the BSc in Archaeology-Geography). This course is appropriate for Geography, Geology and soil science students as well as more humanities-based students taking the single or joint honours Archaeology programmes.

This course may NOT be taken as part of a graduating curriculum with AY 3006 Geoarchaeology (on-campus course).

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

More Information about Week Numbers

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (50%); continuous assessment (50%), in the form of a field notebook (10%), a lab notebook (10%), and either a practical project or an essay (30%), depending on the students’ interests and background (3,000 words).

Formative assessment of essay/project proposals and outlines; detailed essay feedback forms; oral feedback during labs and field trips.