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.
This World Archaeology course focuses on the Prehistory and Protohistory of West Asia. It introduces: (1) the geography of West Asia, and (2) research history of archaeology in West Asia; (3) the complex hunter-gatherers of the Epi-Paleolithic; (4) the adoption of farming and sedentism in the early Neolithic; (5) transformation of societies and economies in the Late Neolithic; (6) the emergence of the first towns and trade networks in the Ubaid; and (7) the emergence of the earliest cities and writing systems in the Uruk period.
The key trajectories of the Prehistory and Protohistory of West Asia will be used to discuss and substantiate developments that occur across the globe, such as the adoption of farming, how societies responded to climate change, the emergence of metallurgy and international trade, the institutionalization of religions, the development of towns and cities, the emergence of writing, and state formation.
Course set-up
Lectures and tutorials;
Weekly assignments.
Course objectives
knowledge of the geography of West Asia;
knowledge of the research history of the archaeology of West Asia;
knowledge about Late Paleolithic complex hunter-gatherer societies;
knowledge about the transition towards farming and sedentism;
knowledge about the societal responses to climate change in the Late Neolithic;
knowledge about the emergence of towns and trade networks;
knowledge about the emergence of administrative systems and writing.
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 and tutorials
Assessment method
- Multiple choice exam (100%).
During the course there will be three assignments. These will not be graded, but there will be questions on these assignments in the exam.
A retake of the exam is only possible in case of a fail (in compliance with the teaching rules and regulations).
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
Scarre, C. (ed.) 2018. The Human Past. World Prehistory and the Development of Human Societies (Fourth edition) Thames and Hudson) ISBN 9780500294208, specifically;
Chapter 6, S. Scarre “The World Transformed: From Forgares and Farmers to States and Empires”;
Chapter 7, T. Watkins “From Mobile Foragers to Complex Societies in Southwest Asia”;
Chapter 13, R. Matthews “Peoples and Complex Societies of Ancient Southwest Asia”.
Registration
The Student Administration will register all Archaeology BA1 students for the lectures, tutorials and exams of the first semester.
If you are not a first-year BA Archaeology student but are required to take this course, or if you wish to take it as an elective, you can register via this form.
General information about registration can be found on the Course and exam enrolment page.
The Student Administration will register all pre-master students for the lectures, tutorials and exams of their programme.
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).
Retake exams
Please note that if you want to do a retake you have to register yourself through MyStudymap.
Exchange and Premaster students must send an email to the Student Administration.
If you are not enrolled, you may not participate.
Contact
For more information about this course, please contact Prof.dr. B.S. (Bleda) Düring.