| Unit name | Revolutions and Transitions: Bones, Stones, and Beyond |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ARCH30054 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Fewlass |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Department of Anthropology and Archaeology |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Why is this unit important?
The human story is one of revolutions. The term ‘revolution’ often conjures up notions of textile mills, jet planes, and political upheaval. However, in many ways the revolutions of prehistory arguably have had much bigger impact on the way we live today than all of the historical revolutions combined. This unit will look at the big transitions in prehistory – agricultural origins, metals, and mobility - and their impact on our culture, behaviour, health, and biology. The legacies of these revolutions are literally written in our genes and continue to influence the challenges our planet faces today.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
This unit provides an approach that integrates the theoretical and applied knowledge students have learned in years 1 and 2 to big picture topics in archaeology, specifically those that look at how humans respond to significant technological changes. By the end of the unit students will have gained critical knowledge about future directions of research within this area of archaeology and will also have analytic skills applicable to the field of anthropology in a broader sense.
Your Learning on this Unit:
On successful completion of the unit, students will be able to
Learning Outcomes:
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit:
Students will come out of this unit with a broad outlook on how society today relates to major technological revolutions of the past, as well as how human biology is inter-connected with these major upheavals.
This unit provides lecture content intended to bring in cutting-edge techniques on major topics. The lectures are intended to provide a platform in which the lecturer can present the core ideas. The seminars will be a context in which you can analyse and debate these topics (problem-based learning). The practicals will also introduce a context in which students can develop their own investigations into the topics, as well as develop hands-on skills that are often under-represented in other units. The practical and seminar activities are meant to provide a platform for formative learning that can be applied to both the presentation and the essay.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
This unit does not have a formative assessment. Formative skills building and interactive content will be included the seminars and practicals.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
When assessment does not go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complet reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.
This unit will have the standard re-sit/re-submission policy as all other units.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. ARCH30054).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
