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AY3008: SUBMERGED ARCHAEOLOGY: DISCOVERING AND MANAGING LOST LANDSCAPES (2014-2015)

Last modified: 28 Jun 2018 10:27


Course Overview

The course is taught through Saturday morning sessions including a brief lecture to review the relevant chapter in the course workbook, followed by discussion.  Students learn from home, using web-conferencing accessed via broadband to your computer.  The submerged landscape is significant because it relates to a time, at the start of the Holocene, when Europe's physical geography was assuming its present shape and when human migration into newly ice-free areas was taking place.  We shall study the reasons behind past sea-level change, analysis techniques, and emerging information from this exciting new archaeological field. 

Course Details

Study Type Undergraduate Level 3
Term First Term Credit Points 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits)
Campus None. Sustained Study No
Co-ordinators
  • Ms Caroline Wickham-Jones

What courses & programmes must have been taken before this course?

None.

What other courses must be taken with this course?

None.

What courses cannot be taken with this course?

None.

Are there a limited number of places available?

No

Course Description

Course Aims: To provide students with a critical understanding of the submerged landscape and archaeology of the British Isles and of their contribution to the archaeology of the early settlement of Northern Europe and the northern Hemisphere.

Main Learning Outcomes:
1. An understanding of the mechanics of sea-level change at the start of the Holocene
2. An understanding of the mechanics of site submergence
3. An understanding of the methodology of submerged archaeological studies
4. Critical analysis of the way in which submerged archaeology may exist around the coasts of the British Isles.
5. An understanding of submerged archaeology around the world.
6. An understanding of the measures used to study and manage the submerged archaeological resource (archaeological techniques, Scottish and UK legislation, management accords and guidelines).
7. Critical analysis of the future of the resource.

Content: General Introduction Background - previous studies and history of the discipline Relative sea-level change around Scotland, Mechanics of site submergence and survival, Techniques for the study of submerged sites and landscapes Management of submerged sites and landscapes: threats, fragility and archaeological potential Current national and international legislation Current national and international guidelines Submerged archaeology worldwide and in the UK - a general overview with special emphasis on key sites, and on-going projects There will be an emphasis on inter-disciplinary work in the geo-sciences

Further Information & Notes

This course may NOT be taken as part of a graduating curriculum with KL 305N.

This course is taught using web conferencing (ie familiarity with computer and a broadband connection are necessary).

Contact Teaching Time

Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.

Teaching Breakdown

More Information about Week Numbers


Details, including assessments, may be subject to change until 30 August 2024 for 1st term courses and 20 December 2024 for 2nd term courses.

Summative Assessments

1st Attempt: 1 two-hour written examination (50%); two written reports focussing on critical review of a) the resource and b) management issues (30%) Resit: Marks from continuous assessment to be carried forward (50%); 1 two-hour written exam (50%)

Formative Assessment

Sessions involve an element of group discussion of questions posed in the course workbook. These discussions enable students to test their knowledge and understanding of the subject.

Feedback

As the course is delivered flexibly, and students are not present in person, most formative feedback is done by e mail exchanges with the course tutor or programme co-ordinator . Formal feedback from the summative assessments is given in the form of an annotated copy of the student’s work and a detailed written critical review feedback sheet; in class tutorial feedback is given verbally. The schedule for feedback is such that students have summative feedback before they need to submit their next piece of work.

Course Learning Outcomes

None.

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