Module ARCH3547: CURRENT ISSUES IN ARCHAEOLOGY

Department: Archaeology

ARCH3547: CURRENT ISSUES IN ARCHAEOLOGY

Prerequisites

• 40 credits of Archaeology modules at level 2

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To enable students to unite practice and theory.
• act as a 'capstone' module, encouraging students to reflect on what they learned at Levels 1 and 2 in their options modules.

Content

• This module is based around reflection on a series of critical themes in archaeology.
• Students will revisit at a more advanced level a series of themes already familiar from Levels 1 and 2.
• These themes relate to the theoretical background and cultural, social and cultural context of archaeological practice.
• Such themes will include:
• the influence of cultural, social and political factors on the development of archaeological thought.
• the role of archaeology in contemporary society and culture.
• the interaction of theory and practice in archaeological research.

Learning Outcomes

• At the end of this module the student will:
• have developed an advanced knowledge of the intellectual background to archaeology during the modern era.
• have discussed and evaluated in depth a series of concepts in terms of their relevance to archaeology.
• applied what they have learned to a series of case studies.

• By the end of the module students will have developed the following subject skill:
• applying key skills (see below) to core concepts and debates pertaining to contemporary archaeological practice and theory

• By the end of this module students will have developed competence in the following key skills:
• critical analysis of primary and secondary data
• self-reflection on knowledge and skills acquired and developed
• accessing library resources
• undertaking independent study and research
• preparation and effective communication of interpretations and arguments in written form

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Students will produce a summatively assessed seminar write-up in which they engage in critical reflection upon the current intellectual state of archaeology.
• (The research for this write-up will be partly reading, and partly discussion in a series of classroom seminars).
• Research is embedded into the teaching of this module through the expertise of the lecturers and tutors. The examples and topics chosen within the curriculum are closely aligned with the specialist research interests and experience of the staff teaching the module. Elements of the teaching cover topics at the frontiers of knowledge and this allows students to be trained in current, critical approaches to understanding and interpreting archaeological research.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Seminar presentation.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University