Material Culture
| Module title | Material Culture |
|---|---|
| Module code | ARCM300 |
| Academic year | 2025/6 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Professor Marisa Lazzari (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 10 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 19 |
|---|
Module description
This module aims at providing a solid grounding in archaeological approaches to material culture within an interdisciplinary framework that considers a range of disciplines, including anthropology, history, heritage studies, sociology, geography and psychology, among others. At the end of the module, you will be expected to show a comprehensive understanding of the role of material culture in human societies, and to demonstrate critical awareness of the various approaches used for assessing this role.
Module aims - intentions of the module
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Critically evaluate the interactions between archaeology and other disciplines in the interpretation of material culture
- 2. Integrate complex theoretical issues with detailed case studies, taking methodological issues into consideration
- 3. Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of the range and complexity of processes underlying the constitution of socially significant material worlds
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Deal with complex questions both systematically and imaginatively
- 5. Present clearly structured, well written and appropriately illustrated arguments
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. Show initiative and originality in tackling and solving research problems
- 7. Take part in group discussions, posing pertinent questions
- 8. Organise work efficiently with respect to deadlines
- 9. Learn to give and receive constructive criticism
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 and history of the field of study
- Artefacts, materials, things, objects
- Contemporary material culture: modern objects, design and consumption
- Landscapes
- Agency, functionality and meaning
- Technological choices
- Skill transmission and learning
- Object biographies and the social life of things
- Artefacts, materials and the senses
- Encounters and interactions
- Material memories, heritage
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 | 20 | Lecture content, seminar discussions and exercises (comparable to 10 x 2 hour sessions) |
| Guided independent study | 130 | Independent study |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seminar presentations (verbal, followed by participation in class) | 10 minutes of verbal summary of readings/commentary followed by class discussion | 2, 7, 9 | Oral staff and peer feedback |
| Draft plan of final essay, plus indicative bibliography | 500 words max, plus indicative bibliography | 1-6, 8-9 | Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay: demonstrate critical awareness of a key theoretical issue in material culture | 100 | 4000 words | 1-6, 8-9 | Written feedback and opportunity for individual discussion |
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 (4000 words) | Essay (4000 words) (100%) | 1-6, 8-9 | 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 50%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will be capped at 50%. The referred assessment will be a replacement title for the essay.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Basic reading:
- Braudillard, J. 2005. The System of Objects. London: Verso Books
- Buchli, V., ed. 2002. The Material Culture Reader. Oxford: Berg
- Gell, A. 1998. Art and Agency. Oxford: Clarendon Press
- Gosden, C. 2020. Magic: A history. From Alchemy to Witchcraft, from the Ice Age to the Present. Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
- Graves-Brown, P., ed. 2000. Matter, Materiality and Modern Culture. London: Routledge
- Hicks, D, M. Beaudry, eds. 2010. The Oxford Handbook of Material Culture Studies. Oxford University Press.
- Hodder, I. 2012. Entanglement. An Archaeology of the Relationships between Human and Things. Jon Wyley & sons
- Hurcombe, L. 2007. Archaeological Artefacts as Material Culture. London: Routledge
- Ingold, T. 2000. The Perception of the Environment: Essays in Livelihood, Dwelling and Skill. London. Routledge
- Ingold, T. 2013. Making: Anthropology, Archaeology, Architecture. Routledge.
- Knappett, C. 2005. Thinking Through Material Culture: An Interdisciplinary Perspective. Philadelphia: Penn Press.
- Knapett, C., L Malafouris, ed. 2008. Material Agency: A non-Anthropocentric Approach. Springer.
- Pollard, J., C. Gosden. 2023. An Archaeological Perspective on the History of Technology. Cambridge University Press.
- Malafouris, L., C. Renfrew. 2016. How Things Shape the Mind. A Theory of Material Engagement. MIT Press.
- Meskell, L. 2005. Archaeologies of Materiality. John Wiley & sons.
- Miller, D. 2005. Materiality. Duke University Press.
- Norman, D. 1998. The Design of Everyday Things. London: MIT Press.
- Tilley, C. 1999. Metaphor and Material Culture. Oxford: Blackwell.
- Tilley, C., ed, 2005. Handbook of Material Culture. Sage.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | November 2011 |
| Last revision date | 30/01/2025 |
