Admission requirements
Admission to the MSc Archaeology programme Archaeological Science, or admission to the RMSc Archaeology;
BA2 Bioarchaeology and Botany courses or equivalent level in analytical skills (to be determined by the examinator).
Description
Archaeo-and palaeobotanical research requires knowledge of collecting, extracting, determining and curating Pleistocene and/or Holocene plant fossils and, in addition, presentation of fossil botanical data and data analysis.
All these aspects will be addressed in detail based on the study of fossiliferous sediments from a Quaternary site that contains archaeology (either lithic artefacts, cut-marked bone of both). The site for study will depend on what is available at the time.
This is an advanced exercise which will lead to the production of data, if handled correctly, that can be published in a refereed, international journal.
Course objectives
An advanced knowledge of and insight into the research methods and techniques and their application possibilities within palaeobotany and archaeobotany (particularly plant macrofossils);
An advanced knowledge of and insight into the relevance of these techniques to archaeology;
Ability to recognise plant macrofossils from Quaternary deposits that also contain Palaeolithic archaeology;
Ability to determine and distinguish characteristic morphological features leading to accurate identification using extensive reference collections;
Ability to present and analyse palaeobotanical data (e.g. learning to use Tilia software);
Ability to conduct archaeobotanical research in a multidisciplinary approach that adds value to archaeological investigations;
Ability to write a research report based on the practical work completed in the course.
Timetable
Course schedule details can be found in MyTimetable.
Log in with your ULCN account, and add this course using the 'Add timetable' button.
Mode of instruction
Practical.
Course load
36 hours of practicals (2,6 ec);
196 pages of literature (1,4 ec);
Report of 1,500-1,800 words (1 ec).
Assessment method
Report (60%);
Practical attendance (40%).
A retake consists of the improvement of the report within 6 weeks after the submission of the first version, but only if the attendance requirements have been met.
Assessment deadlines
All assessment deadlines (exams, retakes, paper deadlines etc.) can be found in MyTimetable.
Log in with your ULCN account, and add this course using the 'Add timetable' button. To view the assessment deadline(s), make sure to select the course with a code ending in T and/or R.
The report will be submitted 2 weeks from the end of the practical work.
Reading list
To be handed out during class, and will be relevant to the site investigated.
Registration
Registration in uSis is mandatory. You can register for this course until 5 days before the first class.
Registration in uSis automatically leads to enrollment in the corresponding Brightspace module. Therefore you do not need to enroll in Brightspace, but make sure to register for this course in uSis.
You are required to register for all lectures and tutorials well in time. The Administration Office registers all students for their exams, you are not required to do this in uSis.
Contact
For more information about this course, please contact dr. M.H. (Mike) Field.
Remarks
Compulsory attendance.