Zoology

Admission requirements

• Bioarchaeology (or equivalent level) obtained;

• This is a seminar with a limited amount of participants (20 students), for Archaeology students exclusively.

Description

Archaeo-zoological and palaeo-zoological research requires knowledge of wide-ranging techniques and research methods, their application possibilities and their appropriate analysis and presentation of data. To do so, seminar-lab sessions will introduce sampling and cataloguing practices, faunal evolutionary trends and identification of Holocene and Pleistocene faunal remains - among other methodologies.

Hands-on work will help to develop research and technical skills used in the discipline that can actually broaden to a more general archaeological scope. Familiarising and interpreting faunal data and research papers are important to highlight the contribution of archaeo-zoology to archaeological questions, and to encourage an active participation in palaeo/archaeo-zoological discussions and debates.

All these aspects will be addressed in detail with the study of a faunal collection from an archaeological site where both environmental and anthropic perspectives will be addressed. The site for study will depend on what is available at the time.

Course set-up

Per session:

• 50 minutes lecture;

• 10 minutes break;

• 1h 30 minutes practical;

• 10 minutes break;

• 1h 20 minutes practical.

Course objectives

• Knowledge of and insight into the research methods and techniques and their application possibilities within archaeo-zoology;

• Knowledge of and insight into its framing within archaeology;

• Knowledge of and insight into the diversity and evolution of the different animal groups in the Quaternary;

• Ability to recognise and identify skeletal elements of different animal taxa;

• Ability to describe zoological material according to the standards used in the subject field;

• Ability to identify and distinguish diagnostic features on skeletal remains as well as human derived traces, pathologies, and biological and natural modifications;

• Ability to conduct archaeo-zoological research by studying animal remains using various research methods, and ability to interpret the analysis data;

• Ability to conduct a faunal research and combine the results with other aspects of an archaeological study;

• Ability to write a basic report of faunal research of this discipline;

• Ability to participate in archaeo-zoological discussions and debates.

Timetable

Course schedule details can be found in the BA2 time schedule.

Mode of instruction

• Seminar-lectures;

• Practical sessions.

Course load

• 36 hours of lectures/seminars (2.6 ec);

• 196 pages of literature (1.4 ec);

• Report of 1,500-1,800 pages (1 ec).

Assessment method

• Report (60%);

• Practical attendance and assignments (20%);

• Participation in discussions and test (20%).

All exam dates (exams, retakes, paper deadlines etc.) can be found in the BA2 examination schedule.
Deadlines for assignments are included in the course syllabus.

Reading list

To be handed out during class.

Registration

Registration via uSis is mandatory.

• The Administration Office will register all BA1 students for their tutorials (not lectures; register via uSis!).

• BA2, BA3, MA/MSc and RMA/RMSc students are required to register for all lectures and tutorials well in time.

• Start registration for the BA2 seminars:
  Series 1: 14 September 2020, 07:00 hrs
  Series 2: 11 January 2021, 07:00 hrs
  Series 3: 22 February 2021, 07:00 hrs

• The Administration Office registers all students for their exams, students are not required to do this in uSis.

Contact

For more information about this course, please contact dr. L. (Laura) Llorente Rodriguez.

Remarks

Compulsory attendance.