Admission requirements
None.
Description
The lecture series World Archaeology gives an outline of the deep history of humans and society from our early ancestors to the more complex societies in the world. The role of material culture in society is discussed and shown in many regions and periods. Comparisons between different regions and scales allow us to understand connections between the unique and the global.
People used material culture to shape their world. This type of data can be used to understand past societies, but needs to be treated with care.
This course focuses on current research themes in our faculty: Early farmers and complex societies in the Near East.
Lectures may incidentally be replaced by excursions.
The book The Human Past is used throughout the course, supplemented by additional literature.
Course set-up
Daily schedule:
9-11 hrs: lectures Dutch and English
10-12 hrs: tutorial
13-14 hrs: wrap-up / q&a (all students)
Course objectives
Basic knowledge of the deep history of the Near East;
Basic understanding of contrasts and different perspectives on World Archaeology themes;
Basic understanding of the current debates and challenges in archaeology;
How people used material culture to shape their world;
Understanding the nature and variety of archaeological evidence, such as tools, household items, pictures, structures of houses, burials, ecological changes and genetic variations;
Knowledge of the nature of archaeological data and the regional and temporal variations in settlements, economies, and cultural organisation;
General knowledge of and insight into technological, social and cultural developments in time per region (in burial rituals, settlements, economic developments, social organisation).
Timetable
Course schedule details can be found in the BA1 time schedule.
Mode of instruction
Lectures;
Tutorials, in which students work under supervision on assignments on the literature and practice their knowledge;
Excursions (museum visits).
Due to COVID-19 measures in place, and depending on developments in the situation, the mode of instruction may change before or during the course.
Course load
16 hours of lectures and tutorials (0,5 ec);
56 hours of course preparation, assignments, literature (2 ec).
Assessment method
- Multiple choice exam (100%).
During the course there will be 3 assignments all students have to submit through Brightspace. Each assignment can earn you a bonus of 0.2 for your final grade.
A retake of the exam is only possible in case of a fail (in compliance with our 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.
All exam dates (exams, retakes, paper deadlines etc.) can be found in the BA1 examination schedule.
Deadlines for assignments are included in the course syllabus.
Due to COVID-19 measures in place, and depending on developments in the situation, the assessment method may change before or during the course.
Reading list
C. Scarre (ed.), The Human Past. World Prehistory & the Development of Human Societies. Thames & Hudson, 3rd edition (2013);
Various additional articles.
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.
The Administration Office registers all students for their exams, students are not required to do this in uSis.
Exchange and Study Abroad students, please see the Prospective students website for information on how to apply.
All information (costs, registration, entry requirements, etc.) for those who are interested in taking this course as a Contractstudent is on the Contractonderwijs Archeologie webpage (in Dutch).
Contact
For more information about this course, please contact prof. dr. P.M.M.G. (Peter) Akkermans.
Remarks
Compulsory attendance during lectures. Upon missing more than one lecture, you will be excluded from the exam.