Last modified: 22 May 2019 17:07
This course provides an introduction to how archaeological discoveries are made, the types of questions we can ask about past human societies using the evidence of their material remains, and the range of methods that archaeologists can draw on to try to answer the questions that excite them. By visiting archaeological sites, focussing on some of the world's most spectacular archaeological discoveries, and discussing some of the department's own original research projects, we will explore what the discipline of archaeology adds to our understanding of the human past and present, and what tools and techniques archaeologists employ in different environments.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | First Term | Credit Points | 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Online | Sustained Study | No |
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The aim of this course is to introduce students coming to archaeology for the first time to the range of questions archaeologists ask about past societies and the very wide range of interdisciplinary methods they use to answer these questions. This course aims to introduce you to the excitement of archaeological discoveries, and to stimulate you to think about what it is about our past that interests and excites you. By the end of the course, you will be able to: define archaeology as a discipline distinct from other disciplines that study human history and culture; explain a brief history of archaeological endeavour; outline key ethical issues related to the acquisition and study of human remains and material culture; explain at least five key questions that the archaeological discovery of material culture and human remains tends to stimulate about past human societies; explain the key methods that archaeologists use to study the social structures, settlement patterns, diet, mortuary practices, and belief systems of past human societies; discuss how archaeological projects conducted in different environments differ in their approaches, methods, and potentials
Distance learning students will be invited to participate in fieldwork, listen to recorded lectures via My Aberdeen and participate in practical exercises using detailed hand-outs/instructions or complete alternatives where appropriate.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
1st Attempt: Continuous assessment (50%) and 1 two-hour written examination (50%). Students who achieve 15 or over in the continuous assessment may be exempt from the final examination. Resit: 1 two-hour written examination (50%) plus original continuous assessment carried over (50%)
Online quizzes provided by the textbook publisher and tied to the weekly readings.
Students receive instant feedback from the online quizzes and an opportunity to keep trying them. Feedback on the summative assessment will be on a feedback sheet that has a marking rubric table and space for comments, as well as comments written directly on the assessments themselves.
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