Archaeology (with Foundation Year)

This module is designed to support students with the transition to university, the development of the academic skills and attributes necessary for successful future study and the foundations of a developing sense of vocation. Through a carefully structured and scaffolded series of seminars and workshops, students will be supported in building their self-awareness of, and confidence in, themselves as active learners.

Delivered in the context of their subject area and aligned with the development of academic skills and attributes required across all Foundation Year modules, workshops will focus on academic skills such as referencing, selecting and using valid academic resources, reading/researching for academic purposes, using feedback constructively and gaining confidence in contributing to discussions and debates. Coordinated assessment points across the Foundation Year experience enables this module to provide students with ongoing support and opportunities to practice and develop their skills and confidence with a range of written and oral assessment types relevant to their subject area as they progress through the year.

This module introduces students to invaluable meanings and understandings that are gained from being at university and participating in wider intellectual discussions and debates. Within the context of each discipline foundation year, students are introduced to a range of thinkers and questions that are important in various ways across the discipline. Designed to further encourage the foundations of intellectual curiosity and critical thinking within and beyond their own subject, students will come to understand that inter and cross disciplinarity has an essential role to play in the academy and to their own intellectual progression.

The past can be studied from numerous perspectives and in a variety of ways. This module introduces students to how historians, anthropologists, archaeologists and classicists have studied past societies and cultures across the globe. This is achieved by looking at the specific themes of conflict, culture, social relations and beliefs in various parts of the world from prehistoric times until the late twentieth century. We will also consider how current societies remember and examine the past and what it says about the contemporary world.

An exploration of the archaeological evidence for ancient societies and civilisations from earliest prehistory through to the contemporary period.                                                                 

The focus of the module is introducing you to the distinctive character of archaeology as an academic discipline, both in terms of theory and practice. Topics examined will include the development of the subject and its relationship with other cognate disciplines, relative and absolute chronology, different specialisms within archaeology, the relationship between data recovery techniques and the deduction of interpretations, and the importance of material culture.                                                                

This module introduces students to the appropriate use of archaeological fieldwork techniques and provides an opportunity for introductory training on key equipment. It will also provide an introduction to methods, theoretical underpinning and application of the biological, Earth and physical sciences in archaeology.                                                                

This module aims to instil key academic skills required for undergraduate study and research. Students will be introduced to personal development planning and continuing professional development and to key sources of archaeological and historical information.                                                                

The module comprises four weeks of archaeological fieldwork, to be undertaken on one of the field projects run by the Department of Archaeology, within which the student might be involved in excavation or other field-based tasks. Students can expect to learn a variety of essential archaeological field skills, depending on the nature of the project they are participating in. This will be followed by a 12-week post-excavation course that will explore methods of archive collation and analysis.                                                                

A consideration of the application of research methods and theoretical approaches to the study of the past.                                                                

An exploration of the archaeology of Britain from prehistory to the modern period, illustrated with case studies and key sites and monuments.                                                     

Students can pick one of the following options.

GIS & Geomatics - 30 credits
This module examines the range of measured survey and remote sensing techniques available for landscape investigation. Each technique is explained and its potential for use in conjunction with other techniques evaluated before practical training is provided. This is combined with an exploration of the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) that covers both the theory and practice of their use in archaeology.                          

CLAH From Homer to Alexander: The Making of Classical & Hellenistic Greece - 30 credits
Through a combination of historical and archaeological material, this module will look at the development of Greece and its culture from the end of the Dark Ages to the coming of the Romans.

Death, Burials and Bioarchaeology - 30 credits
This module examines a range of approaches, methods and themes within archaeology and anthropology relating to the study of death, burial and funerary customs in the past. The module will also have a practical component which will introduce students to working with human remains from archaeological sites to gain an understanding of how bioarchaeologists determine age-at-death, biological sex, and evidence for pathology from skeletal remains.                                                                

The module comprises four weeks of archaeological fieldwork, to be undertaken on one of the field projects run by the Department of Archaeology, within which the student might be involved in excavation or other field-based tasks. Students can expect to learn a variety of essential archaeological field skills, depending on the nature of the project they are participating in. This will be followed by a 12-week post-excavation course that will explore methods of archive collation and analysis.                                                                

A consideration of the application of research methods and theoretical approaches to the study of the past.                                                                

An exploration of the archaeology of Britain from prehistory to the modern period, illustrated with case studies and key sites and monuments.                                                     

Students can pick one of the following options.

GIS & Geomatics - 30 credits
This module examines the range of measured survey and remote sensing techniques available for landscape investigation. Each technique is explained and its potential for use in conjunction with other techniques evaluated before practical training is provided. This is combined with an exploration of the use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) that covers both the theory and practice of their use in archaeology.                          

CLAH From Homer to Alexander: The Making of Classical & Hellenistic Greece - 30 credits
Through a combination of historical and archaeological material, this module will look at the development of Greece and its culture from the end of the Dark Ages to the coming of the Romans.

Death, Burials and Bioarchaeology - 30 credits
This module examines a range of approaches, methods and themes within archaeology and anthropology relating to the study of death, burial and funerary customs in the past. The module will also have a practical component which will introduce students to working with human remains from archaeological sites to gain an understanding of how bioarchaeologists determine age-at-death, biological sex, and evidence for pathology from skeletal remains.                                                                

10,000 word dissertation on a topic or theme.

Students can pick two of the following modules.

Archaeological Project Management and Fieldwork - 30 credits
This module explores current approaches to project management used in modern commercial (i.e. developer-led) archaeology. The complete project management cycle from production of research designs, budgeting of projects, production of desk-based assessments, management of fieldwork projects and production of reports is considered. Themes are developed in conjunction with further on-site fieldwork experience that is designed to explore the implementation and delivery of archaeological projects.

Themes in European Prehistory - 30 credits
This module discusses a series of major areas for debate in European prehistory, from the Palaeolithic to the Iron Age, such as the emergence of modern humans, the impact of climate change, the development of social elites, the appearance of states and civlisations, and periods of greater and lesser cultural similarity across the continent.    

Rites, Religions and Ritual - 30 credits
This module examines the ranges of approaches, methods and themes relating to the study of religion, ritual and belief in past societies.

The Archaeology of Conflict - 30 credits
The module examines the origins and development of human conflict. Based on the archaeological evidence, alternative approaches to conflict such as evolutionary psychology and military history will also be discussed. The legacy of conflict will be explored through an examination of physical and cultural heritage, memorialisation and current approaches to dark heritage.                                                                
                                                                
                                  

This module considers the role of archaeology and heritage in the public conversation and presents a series of debates setting different approaches to specific archaeological problems in context.                                                                 

10,000 word dissertation on a topic or theme.

Students can pick two of the following modules.

Archaeological Project Management and Fieldwork - 30 credits
This module explores current approaches to project management used in modern commercial (i.e. developer-led) archaeology. The complete project management cycle from production of research designs, budgeting of projects, production of desk-based assessments, management of fieldwork projects and production of reports is considered. Themes are developed in conjunction with further on-site fieldwork experience that is designed to explore the implementation and delivery of archaeological projects.

Themes in European Prehistory - 30 credits
This module discusses a series of major areas for debate in European prehistory, from the Palaeolithic to the Iron Age, such as the emergence of modern humans, the impact of climate change, the development of social elites, the appearance of states and civlisations, and periods of greater and lesser cultural similarity across the continent.    

Rites, Religions and Ritual - 30 credits
This module examines the ranges of approaches, methods and themes relating to the study of religion, ritual and belief in past societies.

The Archaeology of Conflict - 30 credits
The module examines the origins and development of human conflict. Based on the archaeological evidence, alternative approaches to conflict such as evolutionary psychology and military history will also be discussed. The legacy of conflict will be explored through an examination of physical and cultural heritage, memorialisation and current approaches to dark heritage.                                                                
                                                                
                                  

This module considers the role of archaeology and heritage in the public conversation and presents a series of debates setting different approaches to specific archaeological problems in context.                                                                 

10,000 word dissertation on a topic or theme.

Students can pick two of the following modules.

Archaeological Project Management and Fieldwork - 30 credits
This module explores current approaches to project management used in modern commercial (i.e. developer-led) archaeology. The complete project management cycle from production of research designs, budgeting of projects, production of desk-based assessments, management of fieldwork projects and production of reports is considered. Themes are developed in conjunction with further on-site fieldwork experience that is designed to explore the implementation and delivery of archaeological projects.

Themes in European Prehistory - 30 credits
This module discusses a series of major areas for debate in European prehistory, from the Palaeolithic to the Iron Age, such as the emergence of modern humans, the impact of climate change, the development of social elites, the appearance of states and civlisations, and periods of greater and lesser cultural similarity across the continent.    

Rites, Religions and Ritual - 30 credits
This module examines the ranges of approaches, methods and themes relating to the study of religion, ritual and belief in past societies.

The Archaeology of Conflict - 30 credits
The module examines the origins and development of human conflict. Based on the archaeological evidence, alternative approaches to conflict such as evolutionary psychology and military history will also be discussed. The legacy of conflict will be explored through an examination of physical and cultural heritage, memorialisation and current approaches to dark heritage.                                                                
                                                                
                                  

This module considers the role of archaeology and heritage in the public conversation and presents a series of debates setting different approaches to specific archaeological problems in context.