Investigating British Archaeology
| Module title | Investigating British Archaeology |
|---|---|
| Module code | ARC1030 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Professor Oliver Creighton (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 60 |
|---|
Module description
What is special and distinctive about the archaeology of Great Britain? What are the main phases the archaeology of Britain and what are the characteristic types of site, monument, material culture and landscape associated with them? This module provides you with a foundation in the archaeology of Britain, including the prehistoric, Roman, medieval and post-medieval/modern periods. You will explore physical remains of different types (including monuments, landscapes, settlements) and consider how these are interpreted and presented. Your work will culminate in a project on sites of different periods in the historic city of Exeter.
Module aims - intentions of the module
The module introduces you to the chronology of British archaeology and engages you in the study of evidence in the field and in the presentation of archaeological heritage to the public.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Understand the chronology of British archaeology, including the main time periods from prehistory to the present
- 2. Interpret archaeological field evidence, including heritage sites, landscapes, buildings and monuments, unexcavated remains
- 3. Appreciate the information that can be gained about the past from local sites and monuments
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Identify the major challenges of studying different time periods
- 5. Appreciate the relationship between data collected in the field and its interpretation
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. Contribute to a group presentation
- 7. Work individually and as part of a team on interpreting field-based evidence
- 8. Respond to feedback on assignments
Syllabus plan
Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:
- Introduction to the archaeology of Great Britain.
- Chronology part 1: prehistory, including the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze-Age and Iron-Age periods
- Chronology part 2: Roman: invasion, Romanization and the late Roman period
- Chronology part 3: medieval to modern Britain
- Field evidence 1: making sense of sites and landscapes
- Field evidence 2: historic Exeter
- Group presentations
- Summary/round-up/feedback
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22.25 | 127.75 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 22 | Portfolio of online sessions, including lectures and presentations, both live and recorded, and facilitated online group activities |
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 0.25 | Individual tutorial |
| Guided independent study | 127.75 | Guided independent study, including reading, research and preparation for classes, presentation and assignments. |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Field evidence interpretation tasks | Various interpretative tasks through 2 x sessions on field-based evidence (each including handouts, taking c. 1 hour total to complete) | 7-8 | Oral or written feedback |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Historic Exeter group presentation | 50 | 20 minutes Powerpoint presentation slides (guidance: 10-15 slides) 5 minutes per student | 1-8 | Oral and written feedback |
| Writing a site guide | 50 | 1000 words (with illustrations) | 1-8 | Written feedback |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Historic Exeter group presentation | Written assignment 1000 words | 1-8 | Referral/Deferral period |
| Writing a site guide | Written assignment 1000 words | 1-8 | Referral/Deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Basic reading covering entire module:
- Hunter, J. and Ralston, R. (eds) 2009: The Archaeology of Britain: An introduction from earliest times to the twenty-first century. London: Routledge. [Available online via library catalogue]
Sample reading covering specific time periods:
- Darvill, T. 2009: Prehistoric Britain. London: Routledge. [Available online via library catalogue]
- Hamerow, H., Hinton, D.A. and Crawford, S. (eds.) 2011: The Oxford Handbook of Anglo-Saxon Archaeology. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Available online via library catalogue link to Oxford Handbooks Online]
- Gerrard, C. and Gutiérrez, A. (eds.) 2018: The Oxford Handbook of Later Medieval Archaeology. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Available online via library catalogue link to Oxford Handbooks Online]
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
- Historic England’s guide to heritage assets (covering key site types): https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/selection-criteria/scheduling-selection/ihas-archaeology/
Indicative learning resources - Other resources
- Sites and Monuments in Exeter
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 4 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 30/06/2014 |
| Last revision date | 16/07/2020 |
