ATS3338 · Environmental archaeology: Understanding cultural landscapes

Overview

In this unit, you will be introduced to methods used by archaeologists and ancient historians to study cultural landscapes, reconstruct past environments and investigate the ways that landscapes were inhabited, perceived and changed by societies over time. You will explore case studies from the deep histories of Indigenous Australia, ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt and the Middle East. Experts in archaeology, Indigenous cultures and ancient history lead classes in their discipline, providing you with the skills to investigate past and present environments, histories of settlement and land use, patterns of mobility, and cultural perceptions of the world. You will acquire skills in the interpretation of archaeological and historical evidence, and awareness of the contributions of archaeology, ancient history and Indigenous cultures to understanding today’s environmental challenges.

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. describe and compare key methods used by archaeologists and ancient historians to study cultural landscapes and reconstruct past environments;
2. apply interdisciplinary approaches that integrate archaeological, historical and Indigenous perspectives in the analysis of human-environment relationships;
3. engage with a variety of theoretical approaches to interpreting the record of the past;
4. reflect critically on how studies of ancient and Indigenous societies and landscapes can inform contemporary debates.

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.