| CODE | ARC3016 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | The Development and Theory of Archaeology | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 03 - Years 2, 3, 4 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Classics and Archaeology | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This compulsory study-unit offers an in-depth exploration of how archaeologists actually go about interpreting the past. It is structured into two main sections: the first part traces the historical evolution of archaeological thought, from its origins in antiquarianism to its current status as a social science. The second part focuses on essential theoretical frameworks that underpin contemporary archaeological study. Key topics covered include the debate between processual and post-processual approaches, the analysis of religion and ritual, trade networks, landscape archaeology, gender studies, and the burgeoning field of public archaeology, equipping students with valuable skills for research and dissertation writing. Study-Unit Aims: The study-unit is intended to: - Provide a detailed overview of the development and history of ideas that shaped the history of archaeological practice; - Gain an understanding of the major theoretical debates and frameworks that shape the archaeological disciple; - Expose students to the various ways in which archaeological data is analysed and interpreted. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Recognize that how archaeological data is interpreted shifts according to the social and intellectual context in which researchers work and live; - Develop a critical understanding of key theoretical texts in archaeology and analyze their impact on subsequent research; - Critically analyse shifting ideas in archaeological thought by examining theoretical concepts within the context of real examples, themes, and topics. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Critically reflect and grasp the intellectual workings and epistemology of the discipline, enabling students to understand the shift from data synthesis to drawing reasoned and sound conclusions; - Apply acquired knowledge of key theoretical debates through class discussion and written argumentation. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Johnson, M. (2019) Archaeological Theory: An Introduction. 3rd edition Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell [UOM/Faculty of Arts Library CC72.J65 2010]. - Schnapp, A. (1996) The Discovery of the Past. London: The British Museum Press [UOM Short Loan Collection/Faculty of Arts Library CC100.S355]. Additional reading material will be given in class. |
||||||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Seminar | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
|
||||||||||||
| LECTURER/S | Huw S Groucutt Chiara Cecalupo Dennis Mizzi Omar N'Shea (Co-ord.) |
||||||||||||
|
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 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
|||||||||||||