Admission requirements
BA or BSc degree (or equivalent) in Archaeology or a relevant discipline;
Basic knowledge of ‘deep Prehistory’ (BA level) is required.
Description
This course gives an introduction to the European Palaeolithic record and its wider setting, from the first colonisation of Eurasia by early hominins and ending with the archaeology of Upper Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers. The course addresses the challenges Palaeolithic archaeologists face trying to make sense of a fragmented fossil and archaeological record, taking into consideration the large-scale taphonomic processes which create archaeological patterns.
The emphasis of the course is on the record of the Neanderthals. A writing assignment will help students to focus on one specific topic within the lecture series and to integrate that with the other issues discussed during the course.
RMA-specific assignments will include a 800-1,000 word ‘peer review’ of a recent paper on one of the key topics of the lecture series.
OpenCourseWare
OpenCourseWare displays elements of Bachelor and Master programmes provided at Leiden University, including the courses’ content, lectures, literature, and background information on the lecturers.
The courses’ content and materials are free to use.
See the OpenCourseWare page for this course.
Course objectives
Knowledge of the European Palaeolithic archaeological record, in the wider setting of Pleistocene climate change and the colonisation of the Old World;
Insight in the relationship between large-scale physical geographical processes and the formation of the archaeological record;
Ability to assess the nature and quality of the archaeological evidence for the European Palaeolithic, and demonstrate the potential and limitations of the data with regard to the key current research questions.
For RMA-students, course objectives also include writing a peer review of (published) paper on one of the key topics of the lecture series.
Timetable
Course schedule details can be found in the MA time schedule.
Mode of instruction
Lectures;
Literature study (required reading before each lecture).
Course load
The course load will be distributed as follows:
7×2 hours of lectures (1 ects);
280 pages of literature (2 ects);
Assignments (2 ects).
Assessment method
Short written assignments (25%);
Final essay (75%).
The written assignments have weekly deadlines, the final essay needs to be handed in within 4 weeks after the final lecture.
All assessment deadlines (exams, retakes, paper deadlines etc.) can be found in the examination schedule.
Reading list
The reading list will be published on Blackboard.
In preparation for this course, students are advised to study R. Klein’s The Human Career (3rd edition).
Registration
Registration for the course is not necessary, registration for the exam is mandatory. For instructions, see the Registration in uSis page.
Contact
For more information about this course, please contact prof. dr. J.W.M. Roebroeks.