| CODE | ARC5014 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Archaeology of Landscapes | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 10 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Classics and Archaeology | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The study-unit will take place in the first semester, in order to introduce participants to a range of key issues in current approaches to landscapes, and some of the practical skills that may be applied to their study. More specifically, the study-unit examines: - The evolution of ideas about and approaches to the archaeology of landscapes, and how paradigms drawn from other disciplines, from the Annales approach to phenomenology, have shaped those approaches; - Theoretical issues in the study of cultural processes at different scales of analysis; - Themes and problems in the archaeology of landscapes; - Case-studies from the archaeological and ethnographic record to demonstrate the range of different relationships between people and their environment; - Practical methods and skills in the study of landscapes, including surveying techniques, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), sampling strategies, and the use of archival evidence. Study-Unit Aims: The broad aim of the study-unit is to provide students with a sound framework for understanding cultural processes that may unfold across landscapes over long periods of time. More specifically, this is achieved by addressing the following aims: - To familiarise students with key ideas and debates in the archaeology of landscapes; - To introduce students to the range of evidence available, and its interpretation; - To equip students with basic practical tools and skills in this field; - To engage students in critical debate on the themes outlined above. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Identify what kind of evidence of cultural processes may be present in a given landscape; - Describe a range of appropriate tools to address specific problems in the archaeology of landscapes; - Research and analyse diverging views in the relevant academic literature; - Critically discuss different theories and methods that have been applied to the archaeology of landscapes, and their strengths and limitations. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Conduct a preliminary assessment of a given landscape, and define an archaeological research agenda for its study; - Conduct a survey to document the features of a given landscape; - Set up a simple GIS database to organise and interrogate landscape data; - Debate the issues covered critically, clearly and convincingly. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Ashmore, W. & Knapp, A. (eds) 1999. Archaeologies of landscape : contemporary perspectives. Blackwell. - Gillings, M., Mattingly, D. & Van Dalen, J. (eds).1999. Geographical information systems and landscape archaeology. Oxbow. - Hirsch, E. & O'Hanlon, M. (eds) 1995. The Anthropology of Landscape: Perspectives on Place and Space. Oxford: Clarendon Press. - Ingold, T. 2000. The perception of the environment: essays in livelihood, dwelling and skill. Routledge. - Lock, G. and B. Molyneaux (eds.) 2006. Confronting Scale in Archaeology: Issues of Theory and Practice. New York: Springer Press. - Van Dommelen, P. & Gómez Bellard, C (eds) 2008. Rural Landscapes of the Punic World. Equinox. - Walsh, K. (ed) 2013 The Archaeology of Mediterranean Landscapes: Human-Environment Interaction from the Neolithic to the Roman Period. Cambridge: University Press. - Wheatley, D. & Gillings, M. 2002. Spatial Technology and Archaeology: The Archaeological Applications of GIS. Taylor and Francis. Supplementary Readings: - Burrough, P. & McDonnell, R. 1997. Principles of Geographical Information Systems. Oxford: University Press. - Barker, G. et al. 1996. Farming the desert: the UNESCO Libyan Valleys Archaeological Survey (2 volumes). UNESCO. - Smith, A. & Gazin-Schwartz, A. (eds) 2008. Landscapes of clearance : archaeological and anthropological perspectives. Left Coast Press. Websites: - Kythera Island Project: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/kip/index.php |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Practicum | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | John Charles Betts Belinda Gambin Reuben Grima Nicholas Vella |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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