Admission requirements
Admission to the Research Master Archaeology programme.
Description
This course will focus on the concept of Change within the discipline of archaeology. As archaeologists, Change is endemic to everything we do. From transitions between historical periods, landscape archaeology to use-wear analysis, we all study change in one way or another. We examine customs, ideologies, tools, art – societies at large. Such things are all interlinked and they all transform, sometimes very noticeably, sometimes less so. As archaeologists we all try to make sense of these processes of Change to understand communities different from our own. Yet, we rarely consider Change from a theoretical point of view - an oversight bringing with it all sorts of caveats and problems for the understanding of the archaeological record. It is time we expose Change and bring it into the light.
This small-scale, intensive course will bring together PhD researchers and Research Master students for a collaborative effort to understand Change. We will approach Change from various angles, utilising (theoretical) models and approaches developed in archaeology and other disciplines. Themes include (but are not limited to) thresholds, stasis and change, sensorial archaeology, assemblage thought, human-thing entanglement, cultural evolution, diachronic network approaches, the archaeology of mind (MET), spontaneous order, Creative Destruction, and Modernity.
Themes:
Archaeology of the mind and pottery production in Etruscan Italy
Living with change: Using Sensorial Archaeology to explore the material culture of the (late) Roman Republic
Archaeology and assemblage thought in Central Asian funerary contexts
Why things end: amphorae, (non)change and innovation as Creative Destruction
The idea of Modernity
Course objectivesKnowledge of the wide variety of archaeological approaches related to Change
Ability to present one’s view in high-level, structured, class discussions, and to moderate a discussion;
Ability to present an archaeological case study related to change
Ability to write and critically evaluate a scholarly article;
Ability to situate archaeological narratives of change in relation to similar debates and dilemmas in the modern world.
Course set-up
The goal of this class is to bring together PhD-candidates working on Change and enthousiastic RMA-students from all archaeological disciplines. Each class meeting is composed of two parts: the first hour consists of a lecture on a theme related to change, followed by a second hour with structured discussion based upon the lecture and assigned readings.
There will be seven meetings. Each week will address a different approach and archaeological dataset to shed light on processes of change, both on a large and smaller scale and from a broad geographic and chronological scope. You will be asked to read one or two relevant articles/book chapters prior to each meeting. The themes of the readings and relevant case studies will be presented by the lecturer in the first half of the meeting, followed by class discussions in the second half. One student will be asked each week to jumpstart these discussions, related to the articles assigned for that week.
Course objectives
Knowledge of the wide variety of archaeological approaches related to Change
Ability to present one’s view in high-level, structured, class discussions, and to moderate a discussion;
Ability to present an archaeological case study related to change
Ability to write and critically evaluate a scholarly article;
Ability to situate archaeological narratives of change in relation to similar debates and dilemmas in the modern world.
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
Interactive class meetings;
Class discussions;
One presentation on a case study or theory related to the course topic and moderation of discussion on assigned readings;
Peer review.
Assessment method
1,500-word essay formatted as a (publishable) scholarly article (50%);
Peer review of essay, 500 words (10%);
Presentation (20%);
Weekly discussion point submission and participation in class discussion (20%).
Assessment deadlines
The dates of exams and retakes can be found in MyTimetable. The deadlines of papers, essays and assignments are communicated through Brightspace.
Reading list
The core reading list will be distributed at least two weeks prior to the start of the course. The readings will include both theoretical and case study papers/chapters. Core reading for the course will be Change and Archaeology by Rachel Crellin (2020).
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.
Contact
To be announced.
Remarks
Compulsory attendance.