HS2311: Neolithic Europe
| School | Archaeology |
| Department Code | SHARE |
| Module Code | HS2311 |
| External Subject Code | F420 |
| Number of Credits | 20 |
| Level | L6 |
| Language of Delivery | English |
| Module Leader | Professor Alasdair Whittle |
| Semester | Double Semester |
| Academic Year | 2013/4 |
Outline Description of Module
The Neolithic marks the beginning of one of the most significant transformations in human behaviour with the shift from small and transient hunter-gatherer populations to the emergence of settled and growing populations. This single module introduces students to the wealth of evidence for the Neolithic period in Europe. By means of selected case studies, it investigates both the initial spread and subsequent diverse development of Neolithic societies over a long time scale - the sort of study of human behaviour which is only possible through archaeology.
A wide-ranging, thematic introduction to the archaeology of the Neolithic period in central and western Europe (excluding Britain and Ireland), with the principal focus on recurrent aspects of Neolithic existence, from dwelling to mortuary practice. Attention is also given to selected regional case studies, and to regional research traditions.
On completion of the module a student should be able to
- Understand the major features of European Neolithic existence
- Relate particular kinds of research to their intellectual tradition
- Know a series of regional case studies
How the module will be delivered
METHODS OF TEACHING: 20 lectures; seminars
Skills that will be practised and developed
Intellectual Skills:
- Evaluate evidence of varying quality and source
- Correlate evidence of different dimensions of Neolithic existence
- Synthesise evidence from different areas and phases
Discipline Specific (including practical) Skills:
- Know particular classes of evidence
- Understand particular regional case studies
- Understand particular regional research traditions
Transferable Skills:
- Write effectively about research problems
- Talk effectively about research problems
- Organise effective enquiry into questions and problems
How the module will be assessed
Assessment will be by one long essay and a two-hour exam. The essay will be based on wide reading, and require the student to engage with a particular problem or theme. The exam will require two answers, one on a general topic, and the second on a particular problem or theme not covered in the essay. In this way, students will achieve both breadth of coverage and some in-depth knowledge.
Assessment Breakdown
| Type | % | Title | Duration(hrs) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Written Assessment | 50 | Neolithic Europe | N/A |
| Exam - Spring Semester | 50 | Neolithic Europe | 2 |
Syllabus content
Lectures
1-2 Introduction: themes and research traditions
3-5 The lifecourse, an archaeology of the body, and the routines of daily existence
6-8 Settlement: houses and dwelling
9-10 Making a living: issues of Neolithic subsistence
11-12 Living in material worlds: the habitus, material culture, and exchange
13-15 Matters of life and death: mortuary practices
16 The sequence on the Great Hungarian Plain
17 The LBK
18 The Alpine foreland
19 south Scandinavia
20 Brittany
Plus two seminars
Essential Reading and Resource List
Edmonds, M. and Richards, C. (eds) 1998. Understanding the Neolithic of north-west Europe. Glasgow: Cruithne Press.
Hodder, I. 1990. The domestication of Europe. Oxford: Blackwell.
Tilley, C. 1996. An ethnography of the Neolithic. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Whittle, A. 1996. Europe in the Neolithic: the creation of new worlds. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Whittle, A. 2003. The archaeology of people: dimensions of Neolithic life. London: Routledge.