Institute of Archaeology Potential changes in the light of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic Please note that information regarding teaching, learning and assessment in this module handbook endeavours to be as accurate as possible. However, in the 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. This also includes Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) which may help you with any queries that you may have. ARCL0156: Funerary Archaeology 2020-21, Term 1/2 MA/MSc module 15 credits A former mummy of the Late Bronze Age from Cladh Hallan, South Uist, Scotland Co-ordinator: MIKE PARKER PEARSON [email protected] Office hours: 2.00-400 Tuesdays Contact me at any time by email. You can also leave messages on the ARCL0156 Moodle Forum. Please refer to the online IoA Student Handbook (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/current- students/ioa-student-handbook) and IoA Study Skills Guide (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/current-students/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. 1 ARCL0156 1. MODULE OVERVIEW Module Description How we dispose of and commemorate our dead is fundamental to human culture. Human remains are some of the most significant archaeological finds and archaeologists have to know something about the diversity of attitudes and practices relating to the dead. This half-module begins with the study of methods and techniques of analysis, followed by a survey of contemporary societies' funerary practices and the variety of human responses to death. It then focuses on the interpretive theories and models that have been used to reconstruct the social significance of funerary treatment in past societies. Case studies will focus on the interpretation of rank and status, ritual and symbolism, territory and legitimation, and the ethical and legal aspects of exhumation and reburial. These studies will range across a wide variety of periods and places, from the Lower Palaeolithic to the present day. Module Aims This half-module’s aims are: to evaluate different types of archaeological and historical evidence to integrate this variety of evidence in a theoretically informed manner to develop developed a critical awareness of the ritual, political, social and economic factors influencing funerary practices to investigate a range of themes and patterns of human behaviour in funerary archaeology to explore the relationship between material culture and funerary practices to apply this knowledge to a range of archaeological periods, appreciating the need for a broad geographical and chronological approach Learning Outcomes On successful completion of the module, students should be able to demonstrate/have developed: • a good knowledge of the principles and practice of funerary archaeology • engagement with different forms of evidence and methodologies, and understanding of how to use them critically in class discussions and writing assessments • a nuanced understanding of the themes and controversies surrounding the study of funerary archaeology • knowledge of methods and theories of archaeological, anthropological and historical analysis in funerary studies, and the ability to apply them to archaeological data. Methods of Assessment This module is assessed by means of two pieces of coursework, each of 1,900-2,100 words, which each contribute 50% to the final grade for the module. Penalties will only be imposed if you exceed the upper figure in the range. There is no penalty for using fewer words than the lower figure in the range: the lower figure is simply for your guidance to indicate the sort of length that is expected. Communications Moodle is the main hub for this course. Important information will be posted by staff in the Announcements section of the Moodle page and you will automatically receive an email notification for these. 2 ARCL0156 Please post any general queries relating to module content, assessments and administration by email. For personal queries, please contact the co-ordinator by email. Week-by-week summary Week Date Topic Lecturer 1 6/10/20 Funerary archaeology: an introduction MPP 2 13/10/20 Principles of analysis MPP 3 20/10/20 Ethnoarchaeology of death MPP 4 27/10/20 Reading the body MPP 5 3/11/20 Bodies, status and power MPP 6 READING WEEK 7 17/11/20 Death in the landscape MPP 8 24/11/20 Death and human consciousness MPP 9 1/12/20 The human experience of death MPP 10 8/12/20 The politics of the dead MPP 11 15/12/20 Review session/ discussion forum MPP Lecturer: Mike Parker Pearson Weekly Module Plan The module is taught through lectures and discussions. Students will be required to undertake set readings, complete pre-class activities and actively participate in discussion. Tues 4.00-6.00: Tutorial sessions (Lectures for following week available after each session.) Workload This is a 15-credit module which equates to 150 hours of learning time including session preparation, background reading, and researching and writing your assignments. With that in mind you should expect to organise your time in roughly this way: 20 hours Staff-led teaching sessions (lectures, tutorials) 60 hours Self-guided session preparation (reading, listening, note-taking and online activities), about 6 hours a week 35 hours Reading for, and writing essay 1 35 hours Reading for, and writing, essay 2 3 ARCL0156 2. ASSESSMENT Essay 1 (1,900-2,100 words) submission date: Monday 23 November 2020 (Target return: 30 November 2020) Essay 2 (1,900-2,100 words) submission date: Monday 11 January 2021 (Target return: 18 January 2021) Each assignment and possible approaches to it will be discussed in class, in advance of the submission deadline. If students are unclear about the nature of an assignment, they should discuss this with the Module Co-ordinator in advance (via email or class Moodle forum). You will receive feedback on your written coursework via Moodle, and have the opportunity to discuss your marks and feedback with the co-ordinator. For more details see the ‘Assessment’ section on Moodle. The IoA marking criteria can be found in the IoA Student Handbook (Section 12- information on assessment) and the IoA Study Skills Guide provides useful guidance on writing different types of assignment. Penalties for late submission: see UCL guidance on penalties (Academic Manual 3.12). Assessment 1 (Essay 1) Submission date: Monday 23 November 2020 Essay 1a: Was the Iceman a burial or ritual deposition or did he suffer a lonely death on top of the Alps? Introductory reading: Vanzetti, A., Vidale, M., Gallinaro, M., Frayer, D.W. and Bondioli, L. 2010. The iceman as a burial. Antiquity 84: 681-69. Online Zink, A., Graefen, A., Oeggl, K., Dickson, J., Leitner, W., Kaufmann, G., Fleckinger, A., Gostner, P. and Egarter-Vigl E. 2011. The Iceman is not a burial: reply to Vanzetti et al. (2010). Antiquity 85. Online Fasolo, R. 2011. The death and ritual deposition of the 'Iceman': a hypothetical scenario. Antiquity 85. http://www.antiquity.ac.uk/projgall/fasolo327/ Carancini, G.L. and Mattioli, T. 2011. ‘The Iceman is a burial’: new remarks. Antiquity 85 https://www.academia.edu/456177/The_Iceman_is_a_burial_new_remarks Skeates, R. 2014. Communicating over space and time in the world of the Iceman. In S. Souvatzi and A. Hadji (eds) Space and Time in Mediterranean Prehistory. New York: Routledge. 138-59. Durham Research Online http://dro.dur.ac.uk/16785/1/16785.pdf?DDD6+drk0rgs+dul4eg Essay 1b: In what ways are landscapes of the dead changing in the UK? Introductory reading: Clayden, A. Hockey, J. and Powell, M. 2010. Natural burial: the de-materialising of death? In J. Hockey, C. Komaromy, and K. Woodthorpe (eds) The Matter of Death: space, place and materiality. London: Palgrave Macmillan. 148-164. Online Clayden, A., Green, T., Hockey, J. and Powell, M. 2014. Natural Burial: landscape, practice and experience. London: Routledge. INST ARCH AH CLA & Online Hockey, J. Green, T. Clayden, A. and Powell, M. 2012. Landscapes of the dead? Natural burial and the materialisation of absence. Journal of Material Culture 17: 115-32. Online Rugg, J. 2006. Lawn cemeteries: the emergence of a new landscape of death. Urban History 33: 213-33. https://www.jstor.org/stable/44614196 4 ARCL0156 Essay 1c: To what extent are archaeologists now able to make well-substantiated claims about cannibalism from archaeological evidence? Introductory reading: Boulestin, B., Zeeb-Lanz, A., Jeunesse, C., Haack, F., Arbogast, R.-M. and Denaire, A. 2009. Mass cannibalism in the Linear Pottery Culture at Herxheim (Palatinate, Germany). Antiquity 83: 968-82. Online Degusta, D. 2000. Fijian cannibalism and mortuary ritual: bioarchaeological evidence from Vunda. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology 10: 76-92. Online Koon H.E.C. 2012. Using transmission electron microscopy imaging to detect cooked bone. In L. Bell (ed.) Forensic microscopy and skeletal tissues: methods and protocols. Methods in Molecular Biology 915. Online Koon H.E.C., Collins M., O'Connor, T. and Covington T. 2010. Sorting the butchered from the boiled. Journal of Archaeological Science 37(1): 62-9. Online Lambert, P.M., Leonard, B.L., Billman, B.R. Marlar, R.A., Newman, M.E. and Reinhard, K.J. 2000. Response to critique of the claim of cannibalism at Cowboy Wash. American Antiquity 65: 397-406. Online Rautman, A.E. and Fenton, T.W. 2005. A case of historic cannibalism in the American West: implications for Southwestern archaeology. American Antiquity 70: 321-41. Online Solari, A., Olivera, D., Gordillo, I., Bosch, P., Fetter, G., Lara, V.H.