Practical Pasts
| Module title | Practical Pasts |
|---|---|
| Module code | ARCM109 |
| Academic year | 2023/4 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Professor Linda Hurcombe (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 15 |
|---|
Module description
This module will challenge you to think with hands as well as minds. The principles of experiment design will be explored and demonstrated using practical experiences. The emphasis will be on identifying opportunities for advancing archaeological knowledge via practical experimentation. Lecturers will draw students into their own research initiatives and encourage students to follow the same principles through into their own interests. Two key themes will be followed as ‘fire, shelter and structures’ and ‘tools and tasks’. Though the themes will be explored using prehistoric examples the issues are relevant to any period/region of archaeology and in some kinds of forensic work. These themes can also be explored as formation processes and bias in the preservation of evidence. We will make use of the ‘experimental archaeology woodland area’ on campus for burning experiments and our existing ‘ephemeral structures’ work, as well as extensive artefact collections and study facilities. The classes will include learning to knap and both making and using stone tools as well as thinking through cut marks on bones, the evidence for structures and hearths and other taphonomic issues.
Please note that the class will dovetail scheduled class hours with ARCM108 Experimental Archaeology: Research and Public Engagement
If you are interested in good experiment design for research purposes you will benefit from this module.
Module aims - intentions of the module
Learn to Identify gaps in current research and the kinds of experiments that could investigate these.
Apply the principles of experimental archaeology through reflective practice.
Staff will expect students to actively contribute to ongoing research projects and develop breadth and depth in their understanding of practical experimentation and the principles of good design.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Demonstrate originality in identifying opportunities for experimental archaeology
- 2. Demonstrate critical reflection on practical experiences and the role of experimental archaeology
- 3. be able to design experiments and evaluate experiment methods and results.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. Deal with complex archaeological issues systematically and creatively within acknowledged ethical, safety and conservation issues
- 5. Evaluate critically and select and apply the methods of recording and analysis most appropriate for case studies
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. Write clearly to a high level and succinctly using appropriate language and illustrative material completing work to a deadline
- 7. Demonstrate the ability to work individually and collectively as part of a team
Syllabus plan
While the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics.
Two key themes will be covered flexibly:
- Fire, Shelter and Structures
- Tools and Tasks
Staff will provide overviews of current research and hands on learning opportunities to develop relevant skills and to enable critical reflection of the opportunities provided by practical engagement with data. These will be used to bring out broader themes of Experimental archaeology as a research tool:
- principles of good experiment design
- integrated approaches and case studies
- planning experiments (logistics, risk assessments, social media posts).
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 33 | 117 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 11 | Lectures/powerpoints; overviews of key topics |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 22 | Practical classes |
| Guided Independent Study | 117 | Hands on activities, preparation for experiments, record-keeping, reflective discussions |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written report | 50 | 2000 words | 1-7 | Mark and written feedback |
| Experiment design | 50 | 2000 words | 1-7 | Mark and written feedback |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written report (2000 words) | Written Report (based on practical experiences within the module - 2000 words) | 1-7 | Referral/Deferral period |
| Experiment design (2000 words) | Experiment Design - New topic (2000 words). | 1-7 | Referral/Deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
Experiment design: a new topic will be set
Written report is based on the practical experiences provided in the module.
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. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 50%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- Beresford-Jones, D., Johnson, K., Pullen, A., Pryor, A., Svoboda, J. and Jones, M. (2010). "Burning Wood or Burning Bone? A Reconsideration of Flotation Evidence from Upper Palaeolithic (Gravettian) sites in the Moravian Corridor." Journal of Archaeological Science37(11): 2799-2811.
- Evis L. H., Hanson, I. Cheetham P.N. 2016 An experimental study of two grave excavation methods: Arbitrary Level Excavation and Stratigraphic Excavation, STAR: Science & Technology of Archaeological Research, DOI:10.1080/20548923.2016.1229916
- Ferguson, Jeffery R. (ed) 2010 Designing Experimental Research in Archaeology, Examining Technology through Production and Use, University Press of Colorado, Boulder Colorado
- Hurcombe, L. 2004 ‘The lithic evidence from the Pabbi Hills’ in R. Dennell Early Hominin Landscapes in Northern Pakistan; Investigations in the Pabbi Hills Oxford: BAR International Series1265, pp 222-291. (contains a set of experiments looking at the taphonomy and movement of stones in this landscape.
- Hurcombe, L. and Cunningham, P. (eds.) 2016 The Life Cycle of Structures in Experimental Archaeology:An Object Biography Keeley, L.H. 1980 Experimental Determination of Stone Tool Uses. Chicago University PressApproach’ Leiden: Sidestone Press
- Khreisheh NN, Davies D, Bradley BA 2013 Extending experimental control. The use of porcelain in flaked stone experimentation. Advances in Archaeological Practice 1:37–46
- Nadel, D. 2001. Indoor/outdoor flint knapping and minute debitage remains: the evidence from the Ohalo II submerged camp (19.5 ky, Jordan Valley).Lithic Technology 26:118–37.
- Pérez, L., Sanchis, A., Hernández, C. M., Galván, B., Sala, R. and Mallol, C. (2017). "Hearths and bones: An experimental study to explore temporality in archaeological contexts based on taphonomical changes in burnt bones." Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports11: 287-309.
- Pryor, A., Beresford-Jones, D., Dudin, A., Ikonnikova, E., Hoffecker, J., & Gamble, C. (2020). The chronology and function of a new circular mammoth-bone structure at Kostenki 11. Antiquity 94(374), 323-341.
- Iovita R, Schönekeß H, Gaudzinski-Windheuser S, Jäger F (2014) Projectile impact fractures and launching mechanisms: results of a controlled ballistic experiment using replica Levallois points. J Archaeol Sci 48:73–83
- Van Gijn, A.L., 2014. Science and interpretation in microwear studies. Journal of Archaeological Science, 48: 166-169.
- Whittaker, J. 1994 Flintknapping: Making and Understanding Stone Tools Austin: University of Texas Press. (John Whittaker is both an academic archaeologist and an expert flintknapper)
- Whittaker, J. 2010 Weapon Trials: the Atlatl and Experiments in Hunting Technologies, in Ferguson, Jeffery R. (ed) Designing Experimental Research in Archaeology, Examining Technology through Production and Use, University Press of Colorado, Boulder Colorado, pp 195-224
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
- ELE – Faculty to provide hyperlink to appropriate pages
- Outram, A. and Hurcombe, L 2021 Oxford Bibliography of Experimental Archaeology, Oxford: Oxford University press https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199766567/obo-9780199766567-0271.xml?rskey=hpAOFU&result=102
Indicative learning resources - Other resources
- Bradley, B.A. 1989 Flintknapping with Dr Bruce Bradley, Cortez CO: INTERpark, DVD
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | At least 30 credits at ARCM level |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 15/02/2023 |
| Last revision date | 16/05/2023 |
