Prospectus

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World Archaeology 1.1: Human Origins

Course
2024-2025

Admission requirements

None.

Description

The lecture series World Archaeology gives an outline of the human past from our early ancestors to large-scale and complex societies.

Part 1.1 concerns human origins: from the cradle of humankind in Africa to the dispersal to the rest of the world, and the evolution of our own species Homo Sapiens and modern human behaviour.

We will address basic questions about the evolution of bipedality, toolmaking, and brain size. You will study the archaeological evidence and discuss how early humans made a living. You will learn about key discoveries and important archaeological sites as well as the most important research topics.

Course set-up

  • Lectures;

  • Tutorials;

  • Weekly assignments.

Course objectives

After the course, students have basic knowledge of:

  • The chronology, climate and environment of human origins;

  • The most important fossil hominins;

  • Ca. 10 key sites;

  • The subdivision of the Paleolithic (Lower, Middle, Upper) and its characteristic artefacts;

  • The chronology and geography of human dispersal;

  • The archaeological traits of “modern human behaviour”.

Students are able to:

  • Analyse the basic arguments of an archaeological issue in the textbook;

  • Summarise key information from the textbook.

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

  • Lectures;

  • Weekly assignments and tutorials, in which students study the literature with a teaching assistant.

You will take part in three 1-hour tutorial sessions, coordinated by Teaching Assistants (TAs). During these tutorials, you will have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss various research topics.

Assessment method

  • Multiple choice exam (100%).

A retake of the exam is only possible in case of a fail (in compliance with the teaching rules and regulations) and only when the requirements of attendance and assignments have been met.

Compensation between the grades of World Archaeology 1.1 and World Archaeology 1.2 is only possible if the individual grades are a 5.0 or higher.

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

Chapters 2 to 5 of Scarre, C. (ed.) 2018. The Human Past. World Prehistory and the Development of Human Societies (Fourth edition) Thames and Hudson) ISBN 9780500294208.

Registration

The Administration Office will register all Archaeology BA1 students for their lectures, tutorials and exams in semester 1 and semester 2.

If you are not a BA1 student but have to take this course, you can register yourself via this form.

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 Contractstudent is on the Contractonderwijs Archeologie webpage (in Dutch).

Retake exams

BA1 students who want to do a retake have to register themselves through MyStudymap.

All other students, please contact the administration office for enrollment for the retake.

Contact

For more information about this course, please contact dr. A. (Alexander) Verpoorte.

Remarks