Understanding the Landscape of Medieval Britain
| Module title | Understanding the Landscape of Medieval Britain |
|---|---|
| Module code | ARC3401 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Professor Stephen Rippon (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 10 |
Module description
This module will explain how archaeologists go about exploring the medieval landscape using a wide range of sources and techniques. It covers the methods used in reconstructing what medieval landscapes looked like, and explores the major components of those landscapes and the origins of the very marked regional variation that characterises the British countryside. Students are expected to already have a basic understanding of the principles and methods of archaeology for example through having taken ARC1020 ‘Essential Archaeological Methods’”.
Module aims - intentions of the module
To develop an appreciation of the principles and methodologies of landscape archaeology using examples drawn from medieval Britain, and based on critical reflection of the available sources and the interpretations that can be placed upon them the module will consider the complex interplay between factors influencing the development of the medieval countryside in time and space.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Understand the range of techniques available to the landscape archaeologists studying this period
- 2. Know the major landscape components, regional variations and chronological developments within the medieval landscape of Britain.
- 3. Critically assess which techniques are most appropriate for studying the medieval landscape in particular circumstances.
- 4. Critically assess the merits of different explanations for the marked regional and temporal variations within the structure of the medieval landscape within the context of major landscape concepts.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Produce an analytical overview/synthesis of a particular issue
- 6. Critically assess case studies and use appropriate examples/case studies
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 7. Produce clear and concise written work.
- 8. Adhere to deadlines
- 9. Respond to comments in discussion
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: the concepts of landscape archaeology
- Historic landscape characterisation and regional variation
- Methods: archaeology and palaeoenvironmental evidence
- Methods: maps and documents
- The Roman/Medieval transition
- Landscape reorganisation
- Fields and estates
- Land use and resource exploitation
- The late medieval period
- Case-study
- Conclusions/revision
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | 130 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 16 | Lectures |
| Scheduled learning and teaching | 4 | Seminar/discussion |
| Guided independent study | 130 | Guided independent study including reading, research and preparation for classes, presentation and assignments. |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | 60 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 40 | 2,000 words | 1-8 | written and verbal |
| Exam | 60 | 1.5 Hour | 1-6 | written |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay | 1-8 | Referred/deferred period |
| Exam | Exam | 1-6 | Referred/deferred 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:
- Aston, M. 1985: Interpreting the Landscape (London)
- Blair, J. 2018: Building Anglo-Saxon England (Princeton)
- Christie, N. and Stamper, P. 2012: Medieval Rural Settlement: Britain and Ireland, AD 800-1600 (Oxford).
- Darby, H.C. 1977: Domesday England (Cambridge)
- Dyer, C. 2002: Making a Living in the Middle Ages (New Haven and London).
- Gerrard, C. and Gutiérrez, A. (eds) 2018: The Oxford Handbook of Later Medieval Archaeology in Britain (Oxford).
- Hamerow, H. 2012: Rural settlements and Society in Anglo-Saxon England (Oxford)
- Hamerow, H., Hinton, D. and Crawford, S. 2011: The Oxford Handbook of Anglo-Saxon Archaeology (Oxford).
- Rippon, S. 2008: Beyond the Medieval Village (Oxford).
- Rippon, S. 2012: Making Sense of an Historic Landscape (Oxford).
- Rippon, S., Smart, C. and Pears, B. 2015: The Fields of Britannia (Oxford)
- Williamson, T. 2012: Environment, Society and Landscape in Early Medieval England : Time and Topography (Woodbridge)
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | not done ARC2401 |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 01/05/2008 |
| Last revision date | 31/01/2024 |
