Last modified: 31 Jul 2023 11:19
The Eurasia steppe has been presented as an engine that drove past political, technological and genetic changes in the well-known regions around the periphery of the Eurasian continent. The archaeology and prehistory of this region is not widely or directly known. The course will provide a detailed introduction of the cultures and datasets that form the bases of a range of grand narratives as well as allowing students to work with the practical and theoretical issues common the archaeology of Eurasia. Course material will focus on a 5000 year period roughly from the advent of advent of pastoralist and food producing societies to the rise of the medieval Mongol Empire.
| Study Type | Postgraduate | Level | 5 |
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| Term | Second Term | Credit Points | 30 credits (15 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
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The Eurasian landmass is a vast area made up mostly of continental interior. This ‘steppe belt’ and its adjacent boreal forests and deserts include some of the highest mountain ranges, largest rivers, and driest deserts on earth. Human adaptation to this region is a balance between adaptation to local conditions and adoption of influences from the continental margins. The long view of this region has been one looking inward from those margins. Despite this common ‘view from afar’ Eurasia has always loomed large in the history and pre-history of Europe, East Asia and Arabia and is often seen as an engine driving political, technological and genetic change in those regions. Archaeology provides the main route by which the many of processes and populations of Eurasia have come to be known.
This seminar will cover the major archaeological horizons, cultures and themes of Eurasia archaeology. It is designed to give the student a foundational knowledge of the region’s archaeology and ‘big questions’ that can then be used to expand further into their own studies. Topics include the advent of food producing economies and mobile pastoralism, the development of monumental landscape societies, the Andronovo and Scythian horizons, the Xiongnu confederation, the emergence of the Türks, the urbanism of the Bactria-Margiana Complex and Sogdia, the states of the Kitan-Liao and the Mongolian world empire. The central balance of the material covered can be found between Central Asia east of the Black Sea and the Eastern Steppe and from the Holocene to the Medieval Mongol Empire. Though students may wish to stretch beyond these regions and time periods in their own work.
A student who successfully completes this course will be conversant in the major archaeological themes and datasets across the region and will have been introduced to the archaeological methods and theories used in their study. The seminar offers practice in a range of professional outputs — presentations, conference posters, and writing and reviewing academic papers. The pattern of the course is a weekly seminar format in which students will prepare regular academic readings (c.150 pages per week), present readings to the class, and discuss data, methods, and conclusions. The major output is a seminar paper that will be developed, drafted and workshopped throughout the term.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 10 | |
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| Assessment Weeks | 30 | Feedback Weeks | 32 | |
| Feedback |
Poster and presentation covering broad thematic and environmental aspect of Eurasia archaeology. Feedback will be provided in written form. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
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| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 70 | |
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| Assessment Weeks | 27,32,35,41 | Feedback Weeks | 28,35,44 | |
| Feedback |
Ongoing writing project throughout the semester. Paper will be drafted, reviewed, workshopped, and submitted. Feedback will be provided in written form at each stage and feedback fed back into discussions and development. Assessed: Project stages at weeks: 27, 32, 35, 41 |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
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| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 20 | |
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| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Discussion is at the centre of this seminar. Substantial contribution demonstrating knowledge of material essential. Participation will be tracked weekly using a rubric and running sum or mark will be provided. Feedback also a part of final evaluation. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
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There are no assessments for this course.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 100 | |
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| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback | Word Count | 3000 | ||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
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| Factual | Understand | Gain a broad knowledge of the archaeology and cultural historical sequences of Eurasia over the past 5000 years. |
| Conceptual | Analyse | Evaluate archaeological methodologies used to examine specific large scale archaeological questions. |
| Reflection | Evaluate | Prepare and critique academic papers using a peer-review procedures. |
| Procedural | Analyse | Gain ownership of academic knowledge through presentation, dialogue, and discussion. |
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