ARCL0002, ARCL0003, ARCL014 World Archaeology: the Deep History of Human Societies
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Institute of Archaeology Note: Information regarding teaching, learning and assessment in this handbook endeavours to be as accurate as possible. However, in light of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the changeable nature of the situation, and the possibility of updates in government guidance, there may need to be changes during the course of the year. UCL will keep current students updated of any changes to teaching, learning and assessment on the Students’ webpages, which includes Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to help you with any queries that you may have. ARCL0002, ARCL0003, ARCL014 World Archaeology: The Deep History of Human Societies 2020-21, Term 1 Year 1 module – 15 / 30 credits Term 1 co-ordinator: Dr Manuel Arroyo-Kalin ([email protected]) Room 401, UCL Institute of Archaeology. UG Office hours: (09:30-11:00am on Tuesdays) https://outlook.office365.com/owa/calendar/[email protected]/bookings/ Please refer to the online IoA Student Handbook and IoA Study Skills Guide for instructions on coursework submission, IoA referencing guidelines and marking criteria, as well as UCL policies on penalties for late submission. ARCL0002, ARCL0003, ARCL0014 - World Archaeology, Term 1 1. WORLD ARCHAEOLOGY: MODULE OVERVIEW Module description The overarching mission of archaeology is to produce an empirically-grounded historical account of how humankind came to be. This narrative, reaching beyond and before transmitted memories and written histories, is fundamental to discuss who we are as a species; to understand the social institutions that structure how we live; and to decipher the history of the places and landscapes that we have inhabited and transformed over time. World Archaeology offers a broad overview of the global database of empirical observations that underpins this time-deep narrative. Drawing primarily on archaeological research from across the world, it provides a broad-ranging introductory synthesis to the major global patterns of social, cultural, economic, and political change that make up time-deep human history, i.e. from the earliest “prehistory” to the beginnings of the so-called Modern era. During Term 1, the module reviews the evolution of hominins and subsequent human dispersals to all parts of the world. It then examines on a region by region basis some of the key processes that took place during the Holocene: the adoption of sedentism, plant and animal domestication and husbandry, human population growth, and the development of social complexity. During Term 2, World Archaeology focuses on later prehistoric and historic polities, empires and civilizations of Eurasia, Africa and the Americas, as well as their expansion and periodic collapse. It also considers the ‘exploration’ of the globe by Europeans from the 15th century onwards and the socio-economic consequences of such early globalizing connections. If students have queries about the objectives, structure, content, assessment and/or organisation of the module: for Term 1 they should consult Dr Manuel Arroyo-Kalin ([email protected]) for Term 2 they should consult Professor Kevin MacDonald ([email protected]). Module Aim The aim of the module is to provide students with a broad-ranging introductory synthesis of the major patterns of global social, cultural, economic and political change from earliest “prehistory” to the beginnings of the modern era, as can be inferred from archaeological evidence from across the world. Learning Outcomes On successful completion of the module students should be able to demonstrate improved skills of observation and critical reflection on archaeological topics that have been covered in seminars and assessed work during each term. Students should be able to map in time and space some of the broad patterns that define global human history and have a good grasp of the processes that have been proposed to explain these patterns. Students should also be able to critically appraise received and popular narratives about time-deep human history and social evolution from the vantage point of up-to-date knowledge about past and ongoing archaeological research. 1 ARCL0002, ARCL0003, ARCL0014 - World Archaeology, Term 1 Methods of Assessment The module is assessed through written essays. For each essay, students are expected to synthesise relevant archaeological literature pertaining to specific topics. There are different weightings for assessment depending on the module students are registered for: ARCL0002 is the module’s 30-credit version– i.e. taken by most students in the first year of their BA or BSc Archaeology [other than the BA in Archaeology and Anthropology]. Assessment during term 1 is based on two c. 1500-word essays, each contributing 25% to the final grade of the 30-credit module. The deadlines for Term 1 are: 9 November 2020 and 14 December 2020. Please note that assignments for the second half of the course (during Term 2) will be made be available at the start of Term 2. ARCL0003 is the 15-credit version of the module running in Term 1 and taken by the BA in Archaeology of Egypt and Sudan, BASc students, Affiliate students, and other non- Archaeology students. For ARCL0003 students the module is assessed by two 1500-word essays, each contributing 50% to the final grade for the module. Deadlines are as above for ARCL0002: 9 November 2020 and 14 December 2020. ARCL0014 is the module’s 15-credit version for BA Archaeology and Anthropology students. Term 1 is assessed by one 1500-word essay, which contributes 50% to the final grade of two terms. The deadline for the essay is 9 November 2020. Please remember that you must submit all assessments to complete and pass this module. Submission of assessments is done by uploading them to the appropriate submission link in the ARCL0002 Moodle page. Week-by-week summary Week Date Topic Lecturers 1 09 Oct 2020 Two Cultures, One Deep History MAK 2 16 Oct 2020 Before us: The origins of the human genus CS 3 23 Oct 2020 Rise, dispersal and social complexity of Modern Humans AG 4 30 Oct 2020 Forging the Neolithic DF, LM, MAK 5 06 Nov 2020 The Neolithic in the Fertile Crescent and Africa KW, KM 6 READING WEEK 7 20 Nov 2020 The Neolithic in Asia DF 8 27 Nov 2020 The Neolithic colonisation of Europe MPP 9 4 Dec 2020 Why the state has no origin DW 10 11 Dec 2020 The “Neolithic” in the Americas MAK 11 18 Dec 2020 Back-sighting: review of Term 1 of World Archaeology MAK Lecturers: Manuel Arroyo-Kalin (MAK), Ceri Shipton (CS), Andrew Garrard (AG), Dorian Fuller (DF), Louise Martin (LM), Karen Wright (KW), Kevin MacDonald (KM), Mike Parker Pearson (MPP), David Wengrow (DW) 2 ARCL0002, ARCL0003, ARCL0014 - World Archaeology, Term 1 Weekly Module Plan Term 1 of World Archaeology is taught by multiple lecturers, each of whom is knowledgeable in one or more fields of archaeology, including regional specialisms. The module, therefore, has many flavours: students should be aware that each participating lecturer may approach their teaching in a slightly different way. On a weekly basis, the module is based on Pre-recorded Lectures, Readings, and Live Seminars. Pre-recorded Lectures introduce weekly topics and are made available via Moodle ahead of each Friday Live Seminar: with their associated essential readings, they provide an indispensable background to the Live Seminars. A Hot Questions link for every weekly seminar can be populated with questions ahead of the Live Seminars themselves, during which lecturers will provide further content related to the lectures (for instance they might unpack specific case studies and use these to highlight in more detail some of the issues introduced via the Pre- recorded Lectures). Students will need engage with content offered in the Live Seminars during the weekly Friday meetings. Lecturers will then ask students to discuss these contents and explore their implications for the broader topics outlined in the pre-recorded lectures. In short, Live Seminars on Fridays are designed to explore contents in more detail, provide an opportunity to ask questions, and allow for broader discussion of each weekly topic. Important: please see the section on Preparation for Class, Basic Texts and Online Resources, below, for further details. Communications The ARCL0002 Moodle page is the main hub of communication for this course. During Term 1, this also includes ARCL0003 and ARCL00014). Important information will be posted by staff in the Announcements Section of the Moodle page - you will automatically receive an email notification for these. Please post any general queries relating to module content, assessments and administration in the Moodle Q&A. The forum will be monitored regularly. For specific queries related to Term 1, book a meeting or contact the coordinator by email. Links to Live Seminars can be found on the ARCL0002 Moodle page Workload The total workload during term 1 is approximately 150 hours. Students will need to devote on average 1 hour per week in order to watch, in their own time, the pre-recorded lecturers plus 2 hours per week in Live Seminars with lecturers, for a total of 30 hours. During the term, students can expect to undertake 60 hours of reading and use 60 hours to produce marked assignments. 2. ASSESSMENT The module is assessed through written essays which must be based on the contents covered in lectures and seminars. Note, however, that you are expected to synthesise relevant archaeological literature (drawn from the module’s reading list, as well as from the literature 3 ARCL0002, ARCL0003, ARCL0014 - World Archaeology, Term 1 cited therein and further afield) in order to discuss specific topics. That is, it is important that you reference and discuss scholarly sources in your essays rather than simply refer to teaching materials. This means you must research the broader literature for scholarly presentation of the concepts, processes, and case studies mentioned in lectures and seminars.