Please note: This course description is provisional and still subject to changes.
Admission requirements
None
Description
The Anthropocene denotes the modern state in which the human impact on the planet is so large that we are in a new geological epoch. Recently, a scientific committee pronounced that the Anthropocene has not yet started, but the term remains popular in both academic and non-academic circles. Archaeology shows that human impact on the environment has a deep history, and choosing a starting point from this (pre)historical development has modern implications. In this course, we will cover the development of human societies and their values and impact on the environment from their earliest origins. We will discuss the Anthropocene, its starting point, and its implications for the present.
The course covers the following topics:
The concept of the “Anthropocene”, its history and meanings;
The deep history of human impact from fire use in the Pleistocene, the development of agriculture in the Holocene to the “great acceleration” since the 1950s;
The material culture of the Anthropocene;
The relation between forms of energy capture, society and values;
The implications for the practice of archaeology and for the present.
Course objectives
After the course, students will be able to:
Identify definitions of the Anthropocene, so the student can explain what the concept means;
Identify and recognize the six main transitions in human impact on the planet, so the student can explain the history of human impact;
Analyse and reflect on the main transitions in human impact, so the student can argue a case and discuss its implications for interpreting the present;
Identify and recognize three main forms of energy capture, so the student can explain the history of human energy use;
Identify, recognize and compare the three main forms of social organization and their values, so the student can explain the historical change in social forms and human values;
Divide an assignment in specific tasks, so the student can work together with others to deliver a product.
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
Weekly lectures
Assessment method
Group assignment (30%);
Exam with multiple choice and/or short open questions (70%).
A pass must be achieved for each component to pass the course.
Reading list
Morris, I. (2017) Foragers, farmers, and fossil fuels: how human values evolve. Princeton University Press. Pages 1-171 (Chapters 1-5). Online available through the university library.
Additional readings will be announced on Brightspace.
Registration
Enrolment for all components of your study programme through MyStudymap is mandatory. This applies to both compulsory elements and elective credits. If you are not enrolled, you may not participate.
General information about registration can be found on the Course and exam enrolment page.
Exchange and Study Abroad students, please contact the exchange coordinator for information on how to apply.
All information for those who are interested in taking this course as a Contract student is on the Contractonderwijs Archeologie webpage (in Dutch).
Contact
For more information about this course, please contact Dr. N.Ø. (Nathalie) Brusgaard or dr. A. (Alexander) Verpoorte.