ATS1247 · Introducing archaeology and ancient history 1

Overview

Archaeology is the study of the material culture (the things) that remain from past communities. In this unit we show you how we recover those remains through archaeological research, and how we can use them to understand the past and its relevance to the present. We examine the cultures of the Mediterranean world (Egypt, Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Iran, and Greece) Asia and Australasia and focus on the period before 1000 BCE. We study the remains of houses, palaces, temples, pottery, tools, weapons, statues, and paintings, and we think about what they can tell us about the way communities organized their societies. We also incorporate the information we learn from written texts as well as from oral histories. Topics include human evolution, origins of farming, the growth of cities, the development of writing, the pyramids of Egypt, the complex societies of the Indus Valley, the Mycenaean kingdoms, and the fall of Troy. Hands-on tutorials explore the archaeological methods used to reconstruct ancient societies.

Areas of study: Archaeology and ancient history

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Within semester assessment: 100%

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.

Learning outcomes

1. Identify and characterise the range of archaeological material available for use in the reconstruction of ancient societies.
2. Explain the advantages and limitations of the different methods employed in reconstructing the past.
3. Identify and describe the major cultural/historical periods of the Mediterranean and Australia before 1000 BCE.
4. Identify and describe the different political, social, economic and religious systems of each of the ancient cultures studied.
5. Explain the significance of the cultural exchange that operated between regions.
6. Analyse artifacts, architecture, and text to critically appraise arguments about past communities.

Workload

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.