| Unit name | Migrations and transitions |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ARCH30059 |
| 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?
This course explores the migrations, transitions, and cultural transformations that shaped prehistoric human lives and their lasting impacts on modern societies living today. Combining a diverse array of evidence with anthropological perspectives, the course investigates key periods of transition, including the spread of Homo sapiens, the adoption of farming and metal-working, and the emergence of complex societies. We will investigate how climatic changes impacted human survival, movement, and technological innovation. We will explore how and why people moved, the role of trade and cultural exchange, and the impacts of migration on local communities. By studying material artifacts, environmental data, and genetic findings, students will gain a holistic understanding of Europe's prehistoric societies. The unit highlights the dynamic interactions that defined early human experience in Europe, offering students a multidisciplinary perspective on the complex relationship between humans, climate, and culture through time and how this still impacts us 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 and anthropology, specifically migrations, technological transitions and climate change. By the end of the unit students will have gained critical knowledge about current and future directions of research within these crucial topics and how these relate to modern societal challenges. Students will gain analytical skills applicable to the field of anthropology in a broader sense.
An overview of content:
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 challenges facing modern societies today relate to major transitions of the past, and how we might use the lessons of prehistory to tackle these.
Learning Outcomes:
On successful completion of the unit, students will be able to:
This unit provides lecture content intended to bring in cutting-edge techniques from multiple disciplines that contribute knowledge on major topics. The lectures provide a platform in which the lecturer will present the core ideas. Seminars will provide opportunities for students to analyse and debate these topics (problem-based learning). Practicals will allow students to develop hands-on skills that are often under-represented in other units. The practical and seminar activities provide a platform for formative learning that can be applied to both the presentation and the essay.
How you will be assessed (previously called Assessment Information):
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Formative tasks will take place in the seminars and practicals in the form of interactive content and critical discussion.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Summative Assessment 1: Presentation 40% - ILOS 1-4
One individual presentation lasting 10 minutes plus handout will account for 50% of the unit.
Summative Assessment 2: Essay 60% - ILOS 1-4
The 3500-word essay will present students with an opportunity to evaluate one of the key topics presented in the unit, such as the development of agriculture and domestication or climate change, and link this with its implications for modern lives and societies.
When assessment does not go to plan
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. ARCH30059).
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.
