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Human Origins and Evolution: the Lower and Middle Palaeolithic

Module description

Our knowledge of the human evolutionary story has changed dramatically in the past 15 years as new discoveries and new technologies have impacted on the field, not least the discoveries of new hominin species such as Homo floresiensis, the Denisovans and Homo naledi. It is probably true to say that no other area of archaeology has changed more. As such it is an exciting time to study human evolution

This module will introduce you to one of the most fundamental topics in archaeology – that of the origins and evolution of our species Homo sapiens. Beginning around 6 million years ago, this module will chart the evolution of our species from our great ape ancestors until the end of the Middle Palaeolithic, exploring the origins of the behavioural and technological adaptations that subsequently enabled humans to conquer the globe. Topics covered will include an introduction to key hominin fossils, the archaeology of australopithecine base camp sites, the origins of hunting behaviours, the ability to control fire, the Neanderthal world and controversial evidence for early symbolic behaviours. The module will finish with an in-depth analysis of possible reasons why Neanderthals went extinct at the hands of our own species Homo sapiens.

The module will be taught assuming no prior knowledge of Palaeolithic archaeology.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module will introduce you to the archaeology of human origins and evolution spanning the period from ~6 million years to 50,000 years before present. You will engage with data gathered using a variety of different methods and assignments will require you to synthesise complex ideas and often conflicting interpretations into coherent arguments. You will engage with a series of topics fundamental to our evolutionary story including the archaeology of australopithecine base camp sites, the origins of hunting behaviours, the ability to control fire, the controversial evidence for early symbolic behaviours and the Neanderthal world. The module also aims to introduce you to key hominin fossils and teach you to recognise the basic physical features that evolved through time.

The module will be taught assuming no prior knowledge of Palaeolithic archaeology.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Develop knowledge of human evolution and the fossil record
• 2. Develop knowledge of the archaeological signatures created by fossil hominins, e.g. the australopithecines
• 3. Demonstrate ability to gather evidence generated using a wide range of methods and analytical techniques
• 4. Develop knowledge of the methods and techniques that have been used to investigate Lower and Middle Palaeolithic archaeology
• 5. Develop knowledge of key themes and topics in Palaeolithic archaeology that chart continuity and change through time

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 6. Assemble diverse evidence and synthesise it into a coherent linear argument to support a particular view or interpretation
• 7. Show understanding of specific challenges faced by Palaeolithic archaeologists due to taphonomy

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 8. Weigh competing interpretations of the same evidence and reach own reasoned judgements
• 9. Engage in critical discussions of complex issues
• 10. Write clearly and concisely in good English

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 fossil record
• Origins of bipedalism
• The australopithecines and the first production of stone tools
• Handaxes
• Hominin expansion outside of Africa
• Origins of control of fire
• Lower and Middle Palaeolithic archaeology in the UK
• The Neanderthal world and Neanderthal extinction

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

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

• Davidson, I. and McGrew, W. C. (2005). "Stone tools and the uniqueness of human culture." Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 11 (4): 793-817.
• Gibbons, A. (2002). "In Search of the First Hominids." Science 295 (5558): 1214.
• Gibbons, A. (2016). "The wanderers." Science 354 (6315): 958.
• Guatelli-Steinberg, D. (2016). What teeth reveal about human evolution. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
• Hammond, A. S. and Ward, C. V. (2013). Australopithecus and Kenyanthropus. In Begun, D. R. (Ed.). A companion to Paleoanthropology. Oxford, Blackwell Publishing Ltd.: 434-456.
• Hosfield, R. (2020). The earliest Europeans: a year in the life: seasonal survival strategies in the Lower Palaeolithic. Oxford: Oxbow Books. Kraft, T. S., Venkataraman, V. V. and Dominy, N. J. (2014). "A natural history of human tree climbing." Journal of Human Evolution 71: 105-118.
• Maslin, M. A., Brierley, C. M., Milner, A. M., Shultz, S., Trauth, M. H. and Wilson, K. E. (2014). "East African climate pulses and early human evolution." Quaternary Science Reviews 101: 1-17.
• Mellars, P. (1996). The Neanderthal legacy: an archaeological perspective from western Europe. Princeton, N.J, Princeton University Press.
• Reynolds, S. C., & Gallagher, A. (Eds.). (2012). African genesis: perspectives on hominin evolution. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Villa, P. and Roebroeks, W. (2014). "Neandertal Demise: An Archaeological Analysis of the Modern Human Superiority Complex." PLoS ONE 9 (4): e96424.
• Zilhão, J. (2014). The Neanderthals: evolution, palaeoecology, and extinction. In V. Cummings, P. Jordan, & M. Zvelebil (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology and Anthropology of Hunter-Gatherers (pp. 1-28): Oxford University Press.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=11731

Key words search

Archaeology, Palaeolithic