Archaeology BSc (Hons)

- Course length: 3 years
- UCAS code: V402
- Year of entry: 2018
- Typical offer: A-level : ABB / IB : 33, with no score less than 4 / BTEC : Applications considered

Honours Select
×This programme offers Honours Select combinations.
Honours Select 100
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This programme is available through Honours Select as a Single Honours (100%).
Honours Select 75
×
This programme is available through Honours Select as a Major (75%).
Honours Select 50
×
This programme is available through Honours Select as a Joint Honours (50%).
Honours Select 25
×
This programme is available through Honours Select as a Minor (25%).
Study abroad
×
This programme offers study abroad opportunities.
Year in China
×
This programme offers the opportunity to spend a Year in China.
Accredited
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This programme is accredited.
Module details
Programme Year One
Students are introduced to the basic methods of archaeology and the main periods and areas taught at Liverpool. Students take six compulsory modules (plus two optional modules).
Year One Compulsory Modules
Principles of Archaeology (ALGY101)
Level 1 Credit level 15 Semester First Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 50:50 Aims To introduce students to the various theoretical tools, field methods and laboratory techniques that archaeologists use to study and interpret the past.
To acquaint students with the types of data archaeologists collect, and how they analyse and interpret these data in order to reconstruct and understand past societies.
To develop the student''s intellectual skills in terms of knowledge acquisition, research, written and visual communication as well as group work and reflexive evaluation (both self and peer evaluation).
Learning Outcomes Acquire essential subject-based knowledge. Become familiar with scientific equipment, techniques and materials that are used and analysed by applied archaeological science.
Become aware of the relevance of the materials, methods and arguments presented in the module for the study of the past in diverse archaeological contexts.
Become familiar with the main schools of thought and intellectual debates involved in the study, and the critical analysis of specific archaeological subjects, research questions and case-studies.
Become aware of appropriate standards of professional conduct, including health and safety protocols.
The Origins of Humanity (ALGY105)
Level 1 Credit level 15 Semester First Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 0:100 Aims To introduce the study of the early human record using a comparative interdisciplinary approach;
To provide a foundation for studying evolutionary anthropology in greater depth;
To provide a basic understanding of the deep past for those interested in more recent archaeological and historical periods.
Learning Outcomes The student will have gained a broad understanding of the social, biological and technological evolution of humans.
The student will have developed a critical awareness of how early prehistory is constructed using interdisciplinary sources
The student will have developed skills in evaluating primary and secondary sources of information about human evolution.
Bronze Age Civilizations: Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean (ALGY106)
Level 1 Credit level 15 Semester First Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 60:40 Aims This module aims to introduce students to the archaeology and history of the ancient Near East and Aegean from ca. 4,000 to 800 BC;
To familiarize students with teh causes and consequences of the world''s earliest examples of urbanization, state-formation, literacy and imperialism and the role that geography, culture and history played in this diversity;
To introduce students to the possibilities and problems of combining the evidence from ancient texts and archaeological materials to produce interpretations of developments in the past.
Learning Outcomes Students successfully completing the module will achieve a basic understanding of the archaeological record of Mesopotamia and the Aegean from ca. 4,000-800 BC, and a particular appreciation of the important evidence this region supplies for issues of global significance, such as the origins of writing, urbanism, state-formation, and imperialism.
Students successfully completing the module will gain significant experience in absorbing, synthesising, and using unfamiliar archaeological and historical evidence for the purposes of investigating questions of general historical and cultural significance.
Students successfully completing the module will further develop their ability to construct and express effective verbal and written argument.
The Practice of Archaeology (ALGY102)
Level 1 Credit level 15 Semester Second Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 0:100 Aims This module aims to introduce students to the issues involved in the design and implementation of archaeological research;
To introduce students to the challenges facing modern archaeologists;
To introduce students to desk-based archaeological assessments;
To introduce students to aspects of archaeological mapping and GIS;
To introduce students to aspects of field recording;
To introduce students to aspects of archaeological data analysis;
To introduce students to issues involved in archaeological project and excavation design;
To introduce students to issues involved in the interpretation of archaeological sites and cemeteries;
To introduce students to principles of heritage and management of archaeological sites.
Learning Outcomes To show some understanding of the objectives of archaeological research. Students should be able to demonstrate an awareness of how archaeology works in both academic and commercial spheres
Students should be able to show critical awareness of the practice of archaeolgical research and research design
Students should be able to show an understanding of how different approaches can lead to different interpretations
Students should be able to show an understanding of desk-based assessment
Students should be able to show an understand some basics of archaeological mapping
Students should be able to show an understanding of basic archaeological data analysis
Students should be able to demonstrate an understanding of aspects of archaeological field recording and data collection.
Students should be able to show an understanding of basic issues around management of archaeological sites.
By the end of the module students should be able to show an understanding of excavation strategy.
Empires and Citizens: the Classical Mediterranean and the Near East (ALGY131)
Level 1 Credit level 15 Semester Second Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 50:50 Aims To introduce students to the geographical setting, chronological frameworks and general social, cultural, political and economic developments of the Mediterranean world from the sixth century A.D;
To familiarize students with key themes and forms of evidence relevant to advanced study of Mediterranean Archaeology in the Classical period;
To introduce students to the direct analysis of material culture from the Classical Mediterranean world as well as the role of museum collections in the study of Mediterranean archaeology.
Learning Outcomes Students will acquire an introductory knowledge of the geographical setting, chronological frameworks and general social, cultural, political and economic developments of the Mediterranean world from the sixth century B.C. to the sixth century A.D.
Students will be gain a comparative appreciation of key similarities and differences between Classical Greece and Imperial Rome from an archaeological perspective;
Students will be able to analyse a range of material remains and apply core methodological and theoretical perspectives to answer questions about the social and political dynamics of life in the ancient Mediterranean
Students will compare and assess different responses to challenges posed by living in communities and interacting with other communities in the ancient Mediterranean.
Using VIsual Culture (CLAH114)
Level 1 Credit level 15 Semester Second Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 0:100 Aims Far from relying upon written texts alone, ancient societies typically employed a wide variety of visual media to communicate shared ideas and beliefs. The aim of this module is to acquaint you with the diverse ways in which ancient cultures (Greek, Roman, and their mediterranean conexts) could express themselves visually – encompassing everything from sculpture, painting, and architecture to the images stamped on coins;
To encourage the development of the critical and methodological skills needed to ‘read’ ancient visual culture and interpret it in wider socio-cultural contexts, both ancient and modern.
Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to analyse examples of ancient visual culture from a range of different perspectives.
They will be able to critically evaluate objects and images in different contexts, ancient and modern, and to understand the continuities and differences between them.
Students will be able to assess the relative contribution and importance of visual culture to the wider picture of the ancient world.
Students will acquire specific skills necessary to talk and write about ancient visual culture, students will also develop a broader skills base, with a particular focus on different kinds of written communication (e.g. book reviews, reflective responses, essays) and library and other research skills.
Year One Optional Modules
Evolution of the Human Mind (ALGY140)
Level 1 Credit level 7.5 Semester Second Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 0:100 Aims To provide students with a broad overview of the disparate sources of evidence used to study the mind and its development.
To develop skills of critical analysis.
Learning Outcomes Students will develop a critical awareness of how biological and behavioural data are used to construct models of the evolution of human cognition.
Students will learn to evaluate critically contemporary debates, making informed judgements about the relative strengths and weaknesses of particular arguments.
Issues in Evolutionary Anthropology (ALGY141)
Level 1 Credit level 15 Semester Second Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 0:100 Aims This module aims to introduce students to current issues in the still developing field of evolutionary anthropology, and provide a level of understanding that will enable you to choose pathways of progression in years two and three. The knowledge gained will be a foundation for students interested in Palaeolithic archaeology, the hominin fossil record and in applying the framework of evolutionary biology to issues of hominin morphology, behaviour, and material culture Learning Outcomes Students will develop a working knowledge of the methodology and conceptual approaches that define evolutionary anthropology. The format will encourage them to become independent researchers, moving away from secondary texts to primary source material.
Students will develop practical skills of group working and public speaking through participation in the seminars.
Students will learn how to distil complex research papers into their vital conclusions, and to highlight any methodological shortcomings, confounds, or alternative hypotheses.
Students will develop the ability to consolidate insights from different academic disciplines, and to reconcile the different perspectives introduced by these disciplines
Using VIsual Culture (CLAH114)
Level 1 Credit level 15 Semester Second Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 0:100 Aims Far from relying upon written texts alone, ancient societies typically employed a wide variety of visual media to communicate shared ideas and beliefs. The aim of this module is to acquaint you with the diverse ways in which ancient cultures (Greek, Roman, and their mediterranean conexts) could express themselves visually – encompassing everything from sculpture, painting, and architecture to the images stamped on coins;
To encourage the development of the critical and methodological skills needed to ‘read’ ancient visual culture and interpret it in wider socio-cultural contexts, both ancient and modern.
Learning Outcomes Upon successful completion of this module, students will be able to analyse examples of ancient visual culture from a range of different perspectives.
They will be able to critically evaluate objects and images in different contexts, ancient and modern, and to understand the continuities and differences between them.
Students will be able to assess the relative contribution and importance of visual culture to the wider picture of the ancient world.
Students will acquire specific skills necessary to talk and write about ancient visual culture, students will also develop a broader skills base, with a particular focus on different kinds of written communication (e.g. book reviews, reflective responses, essays) and library and other research skills.
Programme Year Two
Students take two compulsory modules (Archaeological Excavation Skills and Artefacts and Technology), and then choose a further two modules from a selection.
Year Two Compulsory Modules
Archaeological Excavation Skills (ALGY211)
Level 2 Credit level 15 Semester Whole Session Exam:Coursework weighting 0:100 Aims This module will aim to help students to learn the basic skills of archaeological excavation.
To help students understand the nature and limitations of archaeological evidence produced through the excavation of archaeological sites.
Learning Outcomes Students learn the basic techniques of the British archaeological profession. This includes single-context excavation and recording; light/heavy tool use; allocation, description, and interpretation of archaeological contexts; formation processes; stratigraphy & matrices; environmental sampling and processing; accurate technical drawing of site plans and sections; site photography; basic topographical and geophysical survey techniques; finds identification, handling, conservation; finds illustration; heritage communication; and health & safety on archaeological sites. The module introduces the concept of reflexive practice, largely regarding the student''s own skills, as well as re. archaeological recording systems/standards, the future of on-site drawing methods, and issues of heritage management. Students are also introduced to the post-excavation process, including the commissioning of specialist analyses, finds photography, and the writing of archaeological reports. At the end of the module students will have a portfolio of work that they can use to prove their basic competence in excavation skills and which students can show to future archaeological employers.
Artefacts and Technology (ALGY250)
Level 2 Credit level 15 Semester Second Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 0:100 Aims This module provides an introduction to some of the types of information that can be gained from the study of archaeological artefacts;
This module focuses on the artefacts - the materials used, their properties, how far it is possible to determine the origins of raw materials, how materials were processed and how the final artefacts were made and used. A complimentary module, Analytical Methods (ALGY397), is available in year three which is concerned specifically with the techniques used and how they work.
Learning Outcomes Students who take this module should gain an appreciation of artefacts as material entities and an understanding the types of information that can be obtained via scientific examination.
Students will gain knowledge about the raw materials used to make artefacts in past, where they came from and how they were then processed into the finished objects.
Students will gain a basic knowledge of the scientific methods used by professional archaeologists to investigate archaeological artefacts.
Students will acquire skills in the correct handling and investigation of archaeological artefacts.
Year Two Optional Modules
Plants and People in the Past: An Introduction to Archaeobotany (ALGY220)
Level 2 Credit level 15 Semester First Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 0:110 Aims To introduce students to the aims, methods and applications of archaeobotany;
To introduce students to the wider archaeological and palaeoecological questions and issues addressed by archaeobotanical research;
To familiarise students with the methodologies involved in archaeobotanical sampling, identification and data analysis;
To develop student understanding and appreciation of archaeobotanical science applications in contemporary archaeological practice.
Learning Outcomes Students successfully completing this module will be able to recognise and identify the different types of archaeobotanical remains found in archaeological contexts.
Students will achieve a rounded understanding of the different pathways through which archaeobotanical remains enter the archaeological record, and their different preservation conditions.
Students will become familiar with the key research themes and debates in archaeobotany, regarding diet, subsistence, ancient economies, vegetation change and people-environment interactions.
Students will develop a range of data management, quantitative and numerical skills, professional skills (including time management, health and safety procedures), research skills and other transferable skills applicable to academic and non-academic work environments including critical thinking, independent study and research, effective reporting (verbal and written expression) and awareness of controversy in research literature and debate.From VIllage to City: the Origins of Chinese Civilisation (ALGY112)
Level 1 Credit level 15 Semester Second Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 20:80 Aims To develop students’ knowledge and understanding of Chinese prehistory and the archaeological record in China 10,000 to 2,000 BC.
To develop students’ knowledge and understanding of concepts relating to social and political hierarchy, early states, complex economies.
To develop students’ knowledge and understanding of archaeological methodologies involved in the appearance of village farming and early urbanism.
To develop students’ knowledge and understanding of early Chinese social practices and religion.
Learning Outcomes Knowledge of Chinese prehistory and the archaeological record in China 10,000 to 2,000 BC.Knowledge of concepts relating to social and political hierarchy, early states, complex economies.Knowledge of archaeological methodologies involved in the appearance of village farming and early urbanism.Knowledge of early Chinese social practices and religion. Human Origins: Archaeology of the Middle and Later Pleistocene (ALGY229)
Level 2 Credit level 15 Semester First Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 70:30 Aims This module aims to familiarise students with the main outlines of Old World Archaeology from the prime time of Homo erectus (>500,000 years) to the time when Homo sapiens sapiens is fully established; This module aims to provide students with a critical appreciation of major issues such as language and social evolution.
Learning Outcomes Become critically aware of the main goals of interpretation in Palaeolithic Archaeology as part of the framework for studying human evolution, particularly through a multidisciplinary approach embracing archaeological evidence, archaeological ideas (‘culture-historical’, processual, post-processual etc.), ideas of evolutionary psychology, and developments in hominid palaeontology and ecology.
Students will be able to identify the types of evidence used by Palaeolithic archaeologists to build frameworks for studying human evolution (artefact analyses, palaeontology, environmental evidence, genetics, modern analogies).
Students will understand the main biological, cognitive, technological and social developments in human evolution over the last million years in respect of the following phases:
The Acheulean of the late Lower/Middle Pleistocene Old World and archaic humans
The Mousterian/MSA industries associated with both archaic species and early modern humans in Africa, the Near East and Europe
The Upper Palaeolithic industries of the last 40,000 years in the Near East, North Africa and Europe and the symbolic explosion in Europe
Stonehenge to the Celts: Rethinking British Prehistory (ALGY283)
Level 2 Credit level 15 Semester First Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 50:50 Aims To cover British Archaeology from the Neolithic to the onset of Rome;
Moving on from ALGY106 / ALGY131 in year one, to focus on key issues currently under debate in the field of British Archaeology e.g. landscape archaeology, ritual deposition, identity, social organisation;
To consider how we have often constructed the past in our own image and instead to investigate how a critical archaeology is working to uncover the critical ''difference'' of the past;
To develop an understanding of past social practice and to move us toward a new social archaeology.
Learning Outcomes Demonstrate a developed knowledge of British Archaeology, a familiarity with the primary archaeological evidence, and an understanding of the different types of social organisation and social change that characterise the periods under discussion.
Demonstrate critical study skills, such as the ability to follow and augment a course of relevant reading and research, make effective notes, and use the material to take part in class debates.
Present archaeological arguments in essays and examinations, be able to support these with relevant case studies, and show a critical awareness of how these are linked to changing debates in the field.
Critically assess the validity of differing archaeological interpretations.
The Anthropology of Risk (ALGY284)
Level 2 Credit level 15 Semester First Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 50:50 Aims This module aims to provide you with interdisciplinary introduction to the various ways in which human (and hominin) societies respond to risk factors encountered in their environments. Risk is construed as widely as possible so as to take in the perspectives of anthropologists, biologists, and economists, and to provide an overview of the relevant links between these disciplines.
The module adopts an explicitly evolutionary perspective, examining a combination of short and long-term responses to risk within the context of concepts such as fitness, utility, and optimality.
Learning Outcomes Students will develop a multi-disciplinary perspective on risk.
Students will become familiar with and learn to employ the basic techniques of evolutionary biology relevant to the analysis of risk, and will be able to assess their relevance and applicability to a series of anthropological case studies
Through the interdisciplinary nature of the module, students will learn to synthesize approaches from diverse disciplines, and to integrate these into a single, holistic approach
Ancient Warfare (ALGY210)
Level 2 Credit level 15 Semester First Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 40:60 Aims - Students will acquire an understanding of the six identified cross-cultural themes that form the core of the module and which relate to key aspects of ancient civilisation. They will apply these themes to three case-study cultures (Archaic & Classical Greece, the Roman Empire and the ancient Near East).
- This module’s wide-ranging examination of key themes in the archaeology and history of the ancient world provides students with a foundation for other Level 2 and 3 modules, including the dissertation. Through the study of this module students will also develop a critical appreciation of the three case-study societies and the effects and consequences of warfare upon them.
- This module develops skills of critical thought, debate, and academic writing skills by the application of these to the body of primary and secondary literature.
- This module also develops the essential employability skills of research, presentation (written and verbal) and use of argument.
Learning Outcomes Acquire an understanding of ancient warfare and the specific case study cultures covered by the module. Acquire a critical understanding of the nature of ancient archaeological and historical source materials.
Develop research skills.
Develop skills in the use of argument and oral and written presentation.
Democractic Spaces (ALGY219)
Level 2 Credit level 15 Semester First Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 50:50 Aims To explore the archaeology of democracy in Ancient Greece
To use the archaeology of Ancient Greek democracy to explore questions of social, political and cultural significance for global history
To consider the importance of the materiality of Ancient Greek democracy in the development of later political systems
Learning Outcomes Identify the material evidence of political organisation in Ancient Athens and the contemporary world
Compare and evaluate different interpretations of Ancient Athenian democracy and socio-political organisation
Gather, organise and deploy evidence from a variety of appropriate sources, in order to enhance your understanding of the materiality and spatiality of Ancient Athenian democracy
Construct a reasoned argument and make critical judgements about the materiality and spatiality of democracy from both Ancient Athens and modern contexts in both written and oral form
Hunter/gatherer Societies (ALGY228)
Level 2 Credit level 15 Semester Second Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 0:100 Aims To develop a critical awareness of the limitations and potentials of ethnographic data for interpreting the past;
To apply and develop further analytical skills by assessing critically the use of ethnographic analogies for interpreting the archaeological record;
To apply anthropological theory and analytical methods to the study of specific hunter-gatherers societies;
To develop an evolutionary perspective on hunting and gathering societies;
To develop confidence in public speaking and contributing to discussion;
To develop confidence in the initiation and completion of independent research.Learning Outcomes On completing this module the student will have gained a familiarity with the place of hunter-gatherers in the development of anthropological theory.The student will develop an understanding of the impact of climate (rainfall, temperature) on the structuring of habitats and human responses. The student will develop a critical appreciation of the use of hunter-gatherers in evolutionary anthropology.
The student will build a working knowledge of the diversity of contemporary and historic hunters and gatherers.
The Archaeology of the Upper Palaeolithic in Europe (ALGY268)
Level 2 Credit level 15 Semester Second Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 50:50 Aims To understand the developments in hominin biology, changing climate cycles and the spatial arrangement of occupied sites for modern humans for the period 50,000 – 10,000 years bp in Europe;
To develop a critical appreciation of the principal techniques and models used to infer hominin lives and activities from Palaeolithic artefacts;To learn how to integrate divergent bodies of archaeological evidence into models of Palaeolithic social life;
To learn to present key debates on the module theme using presentation software, concept map software and supporting handouts;
To learn techniques of analysis for lithic technology of the period.
Learning Outcomes To develop an understanding of the nature of palaeoclimates, the principle forms of data for palaeoclimate reconstruction and problems in its interpretation. To develop an understanding of the forms of chronological timescales for the period, the principle forms of data and problems in its interpretation.
To develop an understanding of the primary archaeolgoical evidence for the period including names of sites, artefact forms, technological sequences, faunal assemblages and dates
To identify and interpret the lithic archaeological materials for this period using accepted classifications
To critically analyse archaeological evidence for the period as summarised in graphs and tables (including faunal data, radiocarbon data, genetic data and artefact data)
To identify a research topic and present an approach to its examination
To apply concepts derived from the ethnographic observation and analysis of contemporary hunter-gatherer societies to past evidence
Akkadian Language and Literature (ALGY213)
Level 2 Credit level 15 Semester Second Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 70:30 Aims To teach students the basic grammar and cuneiform writing system of Akkadian;
To instill awareness of the basic principles of reading a variety of Akkadian cuneiform inscriptions within their cultural contexts.
Learning Outcomes By the end of the module, successful students will be able to transliterate and translate into English different types of cuneiform inscriptions written in the Akkadian language (Old Babylonian).
Students successfully completing the module will be familiar with the main points of the cuneiform writing system as well as the Akkadian grammar, will already have read a few Akkadian texts, and will be ready to move on to additional Old Babylonian texts and to begin the study of Standard Babylonian texts.
Students succesfully completing the module will be able to analyze the material grammatically and contextualize all of the assigned texts in their cultural and historical contexts.
Death and Burial in the Prehistoric Near East (ALGY224)
Level 2 Credit level 15 Semester Second Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 60:40 Aims 1. To develop student understandings of concepts in and approaches to the study of death and mortuary practices2. To develop student understanding of interpretation of past mortuary practices3. To develop student knowledge of mortuary practices in the Neolithic of the Near East4. To develop students'' critical and analytical approaches to evidence and the combined use of different sources of evidence 5. To develop students’ abilities to construct and express effective verbal and written argument 6. To provide opportunities for students to reflect on verbal and written feedback 7. To promote identification, recall and deployment of material relevant to a particular question 8. To promote awareness of controversy in technical literature 9. To promote succinct written exposition Learning Outcomes Students will develop an understanding of developments in anthropological and archaeological theory, through an understanding of how those developments have affected interpretations of mortuary practices.
Students will develop an understanding of interpretative possibilities in relation to past mortuary practices
Students will develop an understanding of mortuary practices and their interpretation in the Neolithic of the Near East
Students will develop their critical and analytical skills in handling evidence, evaluating the arguments of others and integrating diverse evidence sets.
Students will develop their ability to construct and express effective and succinct verbal and written argument
Students will develop their ability to reflect on verbal feedback on their work and deploy it to improve their work
Students will develop their ability to identify, recall and deploy material relevant to a particular question
Students will develop their ability to identify and evaluate controversy in archaeological and other literature
Students will develop their ability to achieve succinct written exposition and argumentation
The Sumerians (ALGY288)
Level 2 Credit level 15 Semester Second Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 70:30 Aims To enable students to achieve a rounded understanding of the culture and society of the earliest urban literate communities, found in Mesopotamia in the third millennium BC;
To enable students to appreciate some of the methodological issues of using archaeological and early forms of textual evidence as sources for understanding such societies;
To promote and enable the development of students'' critical and analytical approach to evidence and the combined use of different sources of evidence;
To promote and enable the development of students'' ability to construct and express effective verbal and written argument.
Learning Outcomes Students successfully completing the module will achieve a rounded understanding of the culture and society of earliest urban literate communities, found in Mesopotamia in the third millennium BC.
Students successfully completing the module will appreciate some of the methodological issues of using archaeological and early forms of textual evidence as sources for understanding such societies.
Students successfully completing the module will further develop critical and analytical approaches to evidence and the combined use of different sources of evidence.
Students successfully completing the module will further develop their ability to construct and express effective verbal and written argument.
Students successfully completing the module will develop transferable skills (not all directly tested in the assessment), e.g. listening and note-taking skills; analytical reading; identification, recall and deployment of material relevant to a particular question; awareness of controversy in technical literature; succinct written exposition; succinct oral presentation and discussion of prepared material; time-management.
Human Osteoarchaeology (ALGY266)
Level 2 Credit level 15 Semester Second Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 50:50 Aims To understand the use of human skeletal assemblages as archaeology and material culture. Specifically, students will develop rudimentary skills in handling, identification and develop a deep understanding of the key topics in human osteoarchaeology such as task-related indicators on the skeleton and ancient genetics.
Learning Outcomes At the end of this module students should be able to describe the principles of handling and identification of human material remains.
Students will be familiar with a number of the main debates such as different approaches to reconstructing diet and DNA analysis.
At the end of this module students should be able to appraise the archaeological implications concerning the regulations for the retention of human materials.
The Archaeology of Roman Britain (ALGY234)
Level 2 Credit level 15 Semester Second Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 70:30 Aims One of the two primary aims of this module is to introduce and to familiarise students with the range and quality of the primary evidence for the study of Roman Britain, including archaeological, literary, epigraphic, or numismatic.
The second objective is to explore some of the areas in which the ''new'' Roman archaeology is making a distinctive contribution to our understanding of the archaeology of Roman north-west Europe . Towards this end, a number of themes which will be explored include the transition from Iron Age Britain to a Roman province, urbanisation, aspects of the relationship between military and civilian structures, religion (including mortuary practices and the rise of Christianity), and the economy as well as the implications of these themes on the debate concerning the degree of the ''Romanisation'' of Britain.
Learning Outcomes Students will continue to develop and deepen the areas of knowledge for which ALGY131 provided a basic foundation.
Students will gain a critical understanding of the nature of the discipline which will be based on the work of recent decades and will focus more on research strategies and theory than narrative descriptions.
Their appreciation of the range of influences on the subject will lead to a better understanding of archaeology as a whole and of the cross-disciplinary nature of scholarly research in general.
In particular students will learn to use Roman archaeology as a vehicle for studying processes which have a great deal of modern relevance, including the relationship of literary and sub-literary texts to archaeological evdience as well as what is ''acculturation'', the relationship between town and country along with the ways that archaeology can illustrate and explain both common and disparate cultural traditions in north-west Europe.
Living in the Material World: An Introduction to Archaeological Materials (ALGY214)
Level 2 Credit level 15 Semester Second Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 0:100 Aims To provide students with a basic knowledge of how inorganic resources were extracted and processed into useable raw materials, the archaeological evidence for these processes and the sorts of information that that scientific methods can extract from them and how this can be done;
To introduce students to the scientific techniques that can be used to investigate the archaeological evidence of these technologies and to interpret the results.
Learning Outcomes Students will gain an understanding of how humans learned to exploit natural mineral resources and how this developed and changed over time.Students will learn how to identify and interpret the archaeological evidence for mining, smelting, firing, glass-making, glass-working etc. Students will learn about the skills and knowledge required to investigate the archaeological evidence of materials processing and use and how to interpret these.
Students will gain direct knowledge about the diagnostic features of different types of archaeological the diagnostic features of different types of archaeological materials using a variety of scientific methods.
Sacred Landscape in Ancient Egypt (ALGY244)
Level 2 Credit level 15 Semester Second Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 65:35 Aims ALGY244 is designed to explore themes of how the ancient Egyptians viewed the world around them;
To look at the ways in which the Egyptians saw the presence and operation of the divine within the natural environment, and how they built structures (especially temples and tombs) which allowed contact between the living and other spiritual entities (the gods, the dead);
To emphasise especially the ways in which the Egyptians intergrated notions of ''sacred landscape'' into their everyday lives.
Learning Outcomes Students will gain a deep understanding of the complexities of sacred landscapes in ancient Egypt through a comprehensive approach to the material as presented by the Module Tutor and through their directed reading.
By examining significant case studies of individual sacred landscapes students will derive a broader understanding of the issues involved than by concentrating on broader bodies of data alone.
Students will develop an understanding of the interelationships between the natural environment, royal monuments, private monuments and, most importantly, the way the natural and built environment actually used, and the way that use changed, over a significant period of time.
Programme Year Three
Students take four compulsory modules:
- The dissertation (equivalent to two modules), which is a subject of the student’s choice researched in depth
- Archaeology and Contemporary Society: ethics and politics
Students then choose their four remaining modules from a list of over 20. At least two of the chosen modules should be related to the dissertation topic.
Year Three Compulsory Modules
Dissertation (ALGY450)
Level 3 Credit level 30 Semester Whole Session Exam:Coursework weighting 0:100 Aims The purpose of the dissertation is to demonstrate that the student can identify a research-related issue or problem;
Students will work independently to design and conduct a scheme of work to explore their chosen research question;
Students will assemble and analyse both academic literature (references) and primary evidence (sources) to explore their chosen research question;
Students will present a coherent set of data and arguments in order to analyse and interpret the data.
Learning Outcomes By the end of the module students will be able to use appropriate research tools and techniques.
By the end of the module, students will be able to present information and interpretations clearly and systematically, and produce a text written and presented to a professional standard.
By the end of the module, students will be able to cite sources and use appropriate academic conventions for referencing them.
Archaeology and Heritage in Contemporary Society: Ethical and Political Issues (ALGY399)
Level 3 Credit level 15 Semester First Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 50:50 Aims 1. To develop an awareness of the political and ethical issues related to aspects of heritage management 2. To learn to identify competing conflicts of interest related to human rights, national and group identity, professional and commercial development and claims to authority3. To explore the ramifications of following particular courses of action in relation to specific real-world case studies Learning Outcomes An understanding of the ethical problems of heritage management An understanding of the political problems of heritage management
An appreciation of conflicts of interest in heritage management
An understanding of the nature of the legal framework for the protection of heritage assets in the UK and abroad
Year Three Optional Modules
Analytical Methods in Archaeology (ALGY397)
Level 3 Credit level 15 Semester First Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 50:50 Aims This module is designed to provide an introduction to the scientific techniques, other than dating methods, currently used in archaeological research. The main emphasis is on the application of these techniques, their potential and limitations and the forms of data produced.
Learning Outcomes Students will gain an understanding of how and when it is appropriate to use the different analytical methods available.
Students will learn how different analytical techniques are employed within archaeology
Students will acquire knowledge of the basic scientific principles involved in analysis, sufficient to be able to appreciate the potential of future developments in techniques.
Palaeolithic Art in Europe (ALGY361)
Level 3 Credit level 15 Semester First Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 0:100 Aims To develop a sound knowledge of the range of artworks produced during the Upper Palaeolithic in Europe
To develop a critical appreciation of the difficulties in recording cave and portable art works
To develop a critical appreciation of the research problems involved in the study of Palaeolithic art
To develop a practical understanding of pigments, paints and lighting appropriate to the making of Palaeolithic images
Learning Outcomes To develop a critical appreciation of the principal techniques and models used to infer symbolic activity from Palaeolithic artefacts To develop a critical appreciation of the social context of the manufacture, observation and use of art and personal ornaments in hunter-gatherer societies
To develop a critical understanding of problems in dating images in the Palaeolithic
To develop a clear knowledge of the range of parietal art from France, Spain and Germany, its representations and dating evidence
To develop a clear knowledge of the range of portable art from France, Spain and Germany, its representations and dating evidence
To develop a discrete research project on a central theme of the study of Paleolithic art
To develop a discrete experimental project for the reproduction of a specific Paleolithic image
Early Human Ancestors: Archaeology and Behaviour (ALGY363)
Level 3 Credit level 15 Semester First Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 70:30 Aims To make a close examination of the emergence of human behaviour from primate origins;
To explore the basic evidence recovered from early hominid / hominin living sites aged more than about 0.8 million years and to make a close examination of the issues of the emergence of human behaviour;
Following a look at ''pre-archaeological'' evidence - including sites and environments of the Miocene and Pliocene and issues such as the origins of bipedalism and hominid diet - to progress to the mainstream archaeological evidence, starting from the major Rift Valley sites of Africa, and working towards important new evidence in South Africa, Asia and Europe;
To consider the nature of the evidence for developments in tool use, language, fire-use, diet, geographical dispersals and behavioural complexity through the Pleistocene period.
Learning Outcomes In this module students will become familiar with the major early hominid/hominin species evidence and early archaeological sites across the Old World
Skills in research, critical analysis, written argument construction, artefact identification and the preparation and delivery of presentations will be developed in the course of the module.
They will become familiar with the nature of the settings of geological, archaeological and environmental evidence and the evidence preserved
They will become aware of questions and debates concerning the potential and limits of inferences about early hominid/hominin behaviour
Biblical Archaeology (ALGY342)
Level 3 Credit level 15 Semester Second Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 0:100 Aims This module will introduce students to the archaeology of the southern Levant in the Iron Age .(1200 - 550BC);
This archaeological knowledge will provide students with a good understanding of the material context in which the Hebrew Bible took shape, especially with regards to social, political and economic organisation;
Critical reviews of current debates will provide students with an up-to-date appreciation of emerging controversies, data and methodologies essential for to an informed understanding of the relationship between archaeological evidence and the historical context of the Hebrew Bible;
Learning Outcomes Students successfully completing the module will achieve a good understanding of the archaeological record of the Levant from ca. 1200-550 B.C., with a particular appreciation of the relationship between archaeological research and the Hebrew Bible.
Students successfully completing the module will gain significant experience in absorbing, synthesising, and using unfamiliar archaeological and historical evidence for the purposes of investigating questions of general historical and cultural significance.
Students successfully completing the module will gain the knowledge, experience and confidence necessary to identify, analyse and critically assess radically opposed arguments regarding archaeological evidence and its interpretation.The Origins of Agriculture and Sedentism in the Near East (ALGY356)
Level 3 Credit level 15 Semester First Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 50:50 Aims To examine the development of agriculture, pastoralism and sedentism, all features fundamental to the development of complex and modern society;
To understand the nature of Neolithic societies in the Near East and thus the social context for and response to the development of agriculture;
To question when these phenomena appeared, why they might have appeared and how human societies responded to their new opportunities and pressures;
To develop an understanding of the problems and potential of archaeological methodologies in gaining an understanding of these changes and knowledge of ancillary disciplines relating to palaeoenvironmental studies, archaeobotany and palaeozoology;
To develop students'' critical and analytical approaches to evidence and the combined use of different sources of evidence;
To develop student''s ability to construct and express effective verbal and written argument;
To provide opportunities for students to reflect on verbal and written feedback;
To promote identification, recall and deployment of material relevant to a particular question;
To promote awareness of controversy in technical literature;
To promote succinct written exposition.
Learning Outcomes Students will gain knowledge of the development of the first sedentary and agricultural societies, the transition from Palaeolithic foragers to Neolithic farmers,and critical skills relating to the handling of evidence relevant to these issues and to much of the interpretation of prehistoric archaeology.
Students will develop knowledge of archaeological methodologies applied in the study of agricultural origins, including palaeoenvironmental studies, archaeozoology, archaeobotany, human osteoarchaeology.
Students will develop an understanding of developments in archaeological theory, through an understanding of how those dveelopment has affected interpretations of origins of agriculture.
Students will develop their critical and analytical skills in handling evidence, evaluating the arguments of others and integrating diverse evidence sets.
Students will develop their abilityto construct and express effective and succinct verbal and written argument
Students will develop their ability to reflect on verbal feedback on their work and deploy it to improve their work
Students will develop their ability to identify, recall and deploy material relevant to a particular question
Students will develop their ability to identify and evaluate controversy in archaeological and other literature
Ancient Greek Colonisation and British Imperial Thought (ALGY336)
Level 3 Credit level 15 Semester First Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 40:60 Aims This module provides an overview of the expansion of Greek culture into all areas of the Mediterranean and Black Sea areas as a result of colonial expansion in the archaic period (8th to 6th centuries BC) and the thematic study of the general methods, processes and outcomes of the colonisation movement;
Students will also acquire a considerable subject-specific knowledge of the history and archaeology of the subject and will develop a critical awareness of the broader issues in the study of classical archaeology and thematic issues connected with migration in all periods;
This module develops skills of critical thought, debate, and academic writing skills by the application of these to the body of primary and secondary literature surrounding Archaic Greek colonisation and British scholarship of that process in the Twentieth Century;
This module also develops the essential employability skills of presentation (written, verbal, visual), team-working and use of ITC.
Learning Outcomes Acquire an understanding of the Greek colonial movement in the archaic period (8th to 6th centuries BC) and become familiar with its chronological, geographical and cultural framework, including key archaeological sites and historical sources.
Acquire a critical understanding of British imperial thought in the Twentieth Century, how this has affected scholarship of Greek colonisation in the West, and what this tells us about the construction of archaeological and historical knowledge about the ancient past.
Develop skills in the critical application of both archaeological and historical source materials in answering questions about the ancient world and to practice critical thought and discussion.
Roman Frontier Systems: From the Late Republic to the End of the Fourth Century Ad. (ALGY398)
Level Q6 Credit level 15 Semester First Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 50:50 Aims Learning Outcomes gained an appreciation of the range of scope and high quality of the archaeological evidence for the frontiers of the Roman empire.This will bring out the different devices and systems that evolved in response to particular problems in particular sectors of the frontiers;
enhanced their understanding of the history of the Roman provinces as well as imperial policy decision making through exploring how frontiers systems were built and evolved over time;
acquired an appreciation of some of the ways that frontiers and zones of cultural interaction might be variously interpreted.
acquired a critical appreciation of how archaeological and historical sources can be used to reconstruct the history of the Roman provinces
acquired the ability to detail key features of the history of scholarship of the Roman provinces and how scholarship has evolved over time
Economic Archaeology and Anthropology (ALGY362)
Level 3 Credit level 15 Semester Second Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 0:100 Aims To introduce students to the history of economic thought from ancient times to the present day;
To introduce students to key issues and concepts in the field of economic anthropology;
To introduce students to the theory and applications of economic archaeology through case studies drawn from various periods of the human past, focusing on the comparative analysis of past economies;
To enable students to achieve a theoretically and empirically grounded understanding of key anthropological and archaeological concepts in the study of human economics;
To enhance student appreciation of key intellectual and methodological issues arising from evaluating different theoretical approaches and sources of evidence as pathways for understanding human economic behaviours past and present;
To foster the development of student critical thinking and analytical approach to evidence and the combined use of different sources of evidence;
To promote the development of student ability to construct and express effective verbal and written argument.
Learning Outcomes Achieve an understanding of how an anthropologically-informed understanding of human economic systems can increase our understanding of the diversity, function and historical context of past economies, and the evolution of human economic behaviours through time, from prehistory to the present. This will be achieved through the exploration of relevant bodies of anthropological and economic theory complemented by the study of relevant archaeological case studies from different time periods and world regions.
Appreciate some of the analytical and methodological issues arising from the use of theoretical approaches in conjunction with appropriate anthropological, historical and archaeological evidence, as sources for understanding human socioeconomics.
Understand the nature of, and intellectual challenges presented by, integrated anthropological and archaeological approaches to the comparative analysis of past economic systems.
Develop transferable skills, applicable to academic and non-academic environments, such as independent reading and research, critical evaluation of contrasting arguments and sources of evidence; effective and concise verbal and written expression; critical thinking; awareness of controversy in literature and debate; time-management.
Geoarchaeology (ENVS392)
Level 3 Credit level 15 Semester Second Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 40:60 Aims To provide an understanding the principles and methods of the application of the earth sciences in archaeological investigations.
To develop an appreciation of the value of a multidisciplinary scientific approach to understanding landscape evolution during archaeological investigations
To provide an understanding of the principles and methods of archaeological sciences in archaeological investigations.
To develop an understanding of the techniques used in archaeological sciences during investigation of artefacts and their geological significance
To gain experience in the use of multiple data sets from different scientific disciplines used in archaeological analyses.
To develop experience in communicating between multiple disciplines and both scientifically literate specialist and non-specialist audiences
Learning Outcomes Understand the different aspects of geoarchaeology and scientific archaeology
Know the range of different practical analyses that can be used in geoarchaeological and archaeometric investigations
Understand how and where to apply multiple datasets in geoarchaeological and archaeometric investigations
Critically evaluate competing theories of landscape and palaeoenvironmental development
Critically evaluate the benefits of different techniques and be able to assess the appropriate scientific techniques to answer archaeological questions
Assess and communicate the level of certainty in predictions from imperfect datasets
Use different microscopy techniques to recognise important minerals and alteration products
Use data from a range of scientific methods to interpret landscape and palaeoenvironmental influences, source materials and chronology
Use and correlate stratigraphic data from archaeological sites
Presentation skills for written and oral work and communication of scientific data to different audiences
Working collaboratively to summarise and share information effectively during development of an online resource
Iron Age Europe: Beyond the Celts (ALGY358)
Level 3 Credit level 15 Semester First Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 50:50 Aims The module covers the Iron Age in Europe from 800 BC-AD 70. We will focus on the development of the field, and the themes of settlement, traditions of artefact deposition, land use, burial traditions, and understanding society. With a focus on Britain, reference will also be made to the continental material (especially France, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and the Iberian peninsula). The aims of the module are to provide a detailed understanding of Later European Prehistory, the types of archaeological evidence encountered, and how to employ critical method in approaching this material.
Learning Outcomes Demonstrate a detailed knowledge of the primary archaeological evidence, and an understanding of the different types of social organisation that characterise the Iron Age in Britain and beyond.
Demonstrate advanced study skills, such as the ability to undertake a course of relevant reading, prepare for tutorial sessions with their supervisor, and lead seminar discussions.
Present their own arguments in seminars and essays, supported by relevant case studies and original analysis, and show a critical awareness of how these develop current debates in the field.
African Archaeology (after 500,000 Bp) (ALGY360)
Level 3 Credit level 15 Semester Second Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 0:100 Aims To introduce frameworks for interpreting the later African record;
To provide an overview of African environments - present and past - and their impact on the structure of the archaeological record;
To review the archaeological and fossil record from the late Middle Pleistocene to the Holocene;
To address key issues of behavioural change.
Learning Outcomes Students will gain an understanding of the history of archaeological research in Africa
Students will gain a critical awareness of the limitations of the data used by archaeologists to generate theories of behavioural change
Students will gain a working knowledge of regional trends in the African record from the Middle Pleistocene to the Holocene
Students will gain confidence in synthesising and presenting data
Sumerian Language and Literature (ALGY386)
Level 3 Credit level 15 Semester Second Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 70:30 Aims This module aims to teach students the basic grammar and cuneiform writing system of Sumerian;
To foster awareness of the basic principles of reading a variety of Sumerian cuneiform inscriptions within their cultural contexts.
Learning Outcomes By the end of the course, successful students will be able to transliterate and translate different types of cuneiform inscriptions written in Sumerian.
Students successfully completing the module will be able to analyze the material grammatically.
Students will be able to contextualize all of the assigned texts in their cultural and historical contexts.
Houses and Households of the Classical World (ALGY310)
Level 3 Credit level 15 Semester Second Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 0:100 Aims • To examine the archaeology of houses and households from the classical world• To explore a variety of data, methods and theories that are of great significance to classical archaeologists and ancient historians• To use household archaeology to investigate questions of economic, social, political and cultural importance• To evaluate how digital technologies (Geographical information systems and Sketch-up) can help us to investigate archaeological material Learning Outcomes To develop a critical appreciation of the principal techniques and models used to understand domestic space in the Greek and Roman worldsTo develop research skills to gather, organise and deploy evidence from a variety of appropriate sources, in order to enhance your understanding of the materiality and spatiality of the household To develop a critical understanding of problems in reconstructing and examining daily life in the Greek and Roman worlds
To develop a discrete research project on a house and household as well as evaluate key themes and approaches to archaeology of households
To develop a clear knowledge of the range of houses (form, decoration and household activities) from Greek and Roman worlds
Money and Society (ALGY330)
Level 3 Credit level 15 Semester First Semester Exam:Coursework weighting 50:50 Aims This module is designed to provide an introduction to the study and interpretation of coins from archaeological excavations and how these data are used in archaeological and historical research. The main emphasis is on the coinages of ancient Greece and Rome, and how coin finds are used in archaeology;
Coins from the Garstang museum will be studied during the practical sessions.
Learning Outcomes Students taking this module should gain an understanding of the introduction of coinage and its subsequent development, how coinage functioned within ancient societies, how it was produced and controlled, and how this helps inform our understanding of ancient cultures. A central theme to the module is that, whilst a coin can be seen simply as an example of ancient art, it is also very much more, and can inform on social, economic, technological and cultural issues to great effect.
Students will learn how to identify the commonest types of ancient coin and how these are recorded and catalogued.
Students will gain a basic knowledge of the scientific methods used to investigate ancient coinage.
The programme detail and modules listed are illustrative only and subject to change.
Teaching and Learning
Your learning will flourish through lectures, seminar discussions, practical classes, oral presentations and tutorial sessions, encompassing both individual study and group work. You’ll be working with a wide range of evidence including ancient texts in translation and physical remains. Students on archaeological programmes may have the opportunity to take placements in the Garstang Museum of Archaeology or National Museums Liverpool. Single Honours, Major and Joint Honours students can develop an individual piece of research on a topic of your own by undertaking a dissertation in the final year. An academic adviser will help you focus on and hone the topic, and meet with you regularly to discuss progress and direction. Students will have the opportunity to develop practical skills in archaeology and/or museology. With staff engaged at excavations in Turkey, Southern Africa, Egypt, Greece and Sicily (to name a few), many of our students have been able to gain their experience further afield.