| Unit name | Discovering the Past |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ARCH10015 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| 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 unit reviews the variety of methodologies and approaches that comprise the discipline of archaeology today. It introduces students to the history of archaeological research, from the antiquarians of the eighteenth century to contemporary debates on the interpretation of the past. A range of essential archaeological concepts are introduced alongside key field and laboratory methods, including survey techniques, relative and absolute dating, isotope analysis and environmental archaeology. The ways in which archaeologists have employed the evidence from objects, bodies, buildings and landscapes to reconstruct past human societies are considered.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit introduces students to concepts and methods which form the fundamental basis of the field of modern archaeology. The content will provide students with the foundation necessary to build their theoretical and practical knowledge in subsequent units in Archaeological Practise and Post-Excavation Techniques.
An overview of content:
Unit aims:
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit:
At the end of the unit, students will have gained understanding of the core concepts and wide variety of techniques used in archaeology. Students will gain appreciation of the impacts and value of studying the past for present societies. Students will have gained confidence in their ability to present information effectively though writing, critical discussion, and verbal presentations.
Learning outcomes:
On successful completion of the unit, students will be able to:
Lectures: Weekly two-hour lectures.
Seminars: Five 1-hour seminars held on alternate weeks. Students will undertake a range of activities and discussions during their seminars which will help them critically engage with the lecture content and better understand key concepts needed for the summative essay.
Field Trip: A fieldtrip to two local museums in Bristol during Consolidation Week. Students will work in small groups to compare and contrast the approaches used by the two museums to convey information about the past to the public. This will form the basis of the formative presentation and summative design brief.
Online optional activities: Additional activities or resources will be provided on Blackboard each week that will supplement the content of the lectures, seminars and reading.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Field trip: A field trip to two local museums will be undertaken during consolidation week. This trip will form the basis of the formative presentation and summative Design brief. Addresses ILO 5.
Tasks which do not count towards your unit mark but are required for 'credit (zero-weighted)
Formative presentation – credit (zero-weighted): Students will work in small groups to deliver a formative group presentation based on the fieldtrip. Students will receive feedback on their presentation. Addresses ILO 5.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative)
Design brief, 1000 words (40%) [ILO 5]
Students will each prepare a museum exhibit design brief based on their field trip and formative presentations.
Essay, 2000 words (60%) [ILOs 1-4]
When assessment does not go to plan:
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete 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.
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. ARCH10015).
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.
