Module overview
Archaeology reveals how during prehistory certain transformations have profoundly altered human societies. These include the adoption of domesticated plants and animals, sedentism, the adoption of new technologies (such as pottery) and the emergence of complex forms of social organisation. This module explores these transformations through a selected range of regional case studies, emphasising the diverse nature of complex human societies across the globe and through time. Over the course of this module you will not only learn to critically assess society in the past, but also what this reveals about the world we live in today.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- critically evaluate competing explanations about past events
- critically assess arguments presented to explain major developments in prehistory
- assess the nature of archaeological evidence employed to address questions concerning social change in prehistory
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- general knowledge and understanding of the multiple and regionally diverse nature of the worldwide development of complex human societies
- more detailed understanding of regional cultural sequences.
- general understanding of the problems which arise from our own position in the cultural and intellectual tradition of the developed western world.
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- present a written argument
- verbally discuss ideas with peers and staff
Syllabus
This course takes a comparative look at the origins of agriculture, the growth and variability of agricultural societies, and the development of civilisation in a number of different regions of the world, from the Near East to China and Mesoamerica, as well as Europe. It emphasises the similarities in the historical development of individual regions as well as the variety of cultures and different organisations concerned.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Teaching methods include
- Lectures
- Seminars
Learning activities include
- Independent study
- Reflective blog posts
- Seminars
- Lectures
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Preparation for scheduled sessions | 20 |
| Seminar | 12 |
| Wider reading or practice | 34 |
| Completion of assessment task | 60 |
| Lecture | 24 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
Textbooks
Smith, M.E. (ed) (2012). The comparative Archaeology of Complex Societies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Bellwood, P. (2005). First Farmers: The origins of Agricultural Societies. Oxford: Blackwell.
Yoffee, N. (2005). Myths of the Archaic State. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Bogucki, P (1999). The origins of human society. Oxford: Blackwell.
Price, T.D. and G.M. Feinman (2005). Images of the Past. London: Mayfield Publishing Company.
Barnett, W.K. and J.W. Hoopes (eds) (1995). The emergence of pottery: technology an innovation in ancient societies. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press.
Scarre, Chris (ed) (2013). The Human Past: World Prehistory and the development of human societies. London: Thames and Hudson.
Assessment
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Essay | 60% |
| Blog | 40% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Essay | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External