Admission requirements
Admission to the Master Archaeology programme;
This course is mandatory for students in the track Global Archaeology, specialising in Europe;
There is a maximum of 30 participants. Students enrolled in Global Archaeology have priority
Description
This course provides an overview of important topics and theoretical debates in European Archaeology. Themes are illustrated by crucial case studies taken from across European archaeology. Lectures are interspersed with practical demonstrations.
Block 1 focuses on the Prehistoric archaeology of Europe and instills familiarity with the diversity of human societies from Pleistocene hunter-gatherers to agricultural settlements, with artefact classification and pertinent dating issues.
Assignments are geared towards training in data analysis and sound archaeological reasoning, and provide a crucial preparation for the research design of the MA thesis.
Course set-up
Themes covered:
Early occupation and reasoning with missing/imperfect data;
Stone artefact recognition;
Human evolution and material culture development;
Transition from hunting and gathering to agriculture;
Radiocarbon dating and calibration;
Formation of early state societies in the Metal Ages.
Course objectives
Specific knowledge
Knowledge and understanding of:
Debates on the earliest occupation of Europe;
Diagnostic criteria distinguishing stone artefacts;
Developments in technology in concert with human evolution;
The origins of agriculture;
Radiocarbon dating;
Bronze Age and Iron Age
Academic skills
Proficiency in presentations;
Ability to work in groups;
Ability to take perspective in an academic debate, adopting the perspective of a different viewpoint;
Communication of research findings to academic audience;
Writing skills;
Ability to properly formulate and present an argument and demonstrate a precise and academic approach to an archaeological issue.
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
Seminar with interactive presentations;
Practical demonstrations;
Student presentations followed by questions and discussion.
Assessment method
Group essay (20%);
Group pecha kucha presentation (20%);
Debate contribution (10%);
Individual poster presentation (50%).
Small, practical assignments (radiocarbon calibration, lithic artefact recognition): ungraded, but obligatory.
To complete the course, all assignments must be submitted. A retake of an assignment or the presentation is not possible, a fail for an assignment can be compensated by other assignments.
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.
There are strict deadlines for the assignments. Please note that extensions on assignments will not be given.
There is no final assignment, this means that the course will be finished on the last day of class.
Reading list
The reading list will be compiled in collaboration with research area specialists.
Registration
For lectures, tutorials, and exams, enrolment through MyStudymap is mandatory.
You are also required to confirm your exam in MyStudymap. No confirmation = no participation!
General information about registration can be found on the Course and Exam Enrolment page.
Contact
For more information about this course, please contact dr. G.L. (Gerrit) Dusseldorp.
Remarks
Compulsory attendance.