ARCH20510 Archaeology of Landscapes

Academic Year 2020/2021

This module will explore how archaeologists discover, investigate and interpret archaeological landscapes. Through lectures and workshops, it will introduce students to the concept of landscape, and equip them with an understanding of the role of different methods in modern archaeological practice. This module will provide students with a basic grounding in theoretical approaches to landscape archaeology, incorporating examples especially from Ireland but also comparative landscapes worldwide.

Using case studies. lectures are complemented by in-class discussion groups, and address themes including landscape archaeology theory and practice, use of cartographic sources, aerial photography, GIS, lidar, geophysical surveys and other remote sensing methods, environmental ecand the investigation of site-level and landscape-scale remains.

The taught component of the module will be complemented by a day long fieldtrip and is expected to encompass significant reading around the subject by students.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module students should be able to:

1. Recognise the diversity of approaches used in researching archaeological landscapes and understand their strengths and weaknesses in different scenarios;
2. Understand the diversity of archaeological landscapes in Ireland and beyond, and how these can be interpreted;
3. Appreciate the social and ritual significance of archaeological landscapes, seeing beyond ‘dots on maps’;
4. Demonstrate an increased skill in synthesising archaeological information from a variety of data sources.

Indicative Module Content:

What is landscape? A brief history of thought in landscape archaeology; Methods in landscape archaeology: aerial photography; lidar; GIS; drones; geophysical survey; palaeoenvironmental reconstruction; Mesolithic landscapes; early Neolithic landscapes; late Neolithic landscapes; Bronze Age landscapes; Royal Sites and the Irish Iron Age; Power and identity in medieval landscapes.

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

18
Small Group

4
Field Trip/External Visits

8
Autonomous Student Learning

70
Total

100
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Lectures; in-class discussion groups; fieldtrip; reflective learning 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Incompatibles:
ARCH20110 - Interpreting sites & landscape, ARCH20650 - Archaeology of Landscapes

Additional Information:
Archaeology PhD students (DRHSC001 Z117, DRHSC001 Z118) may audit only


 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Assignment: 1000 word project outline defining the main assessment project to be undertaken by the student. This can be used as a building block in the final assessment Week 5 n/a Graded No

20
Project: Final project (3000 words) where a student can write about a landscape of their own choosing using whichever theoretical framework they feel is appropriate. This builds upon Assessment 1. Week 12 n/a Graded No

80

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

UCD School of Archaeology use standard feedback sheets for all modules. Your feedback is provided on this form - the form also contains feed forward details - this will help you think about how you could improve your approach in future assignments. The initial project outline will help you develop your ideas, and critical assessment of this at an early stage will inform how you construct your final project. The final project is intended to be of your own design and on an area of your own choosing. The ability to define research questions and conduct independent research is critical in your development and this assignment is designed to allow you significant freedom of expression. Feedback will be given rapidly (within one week) on the initial project outline allowing students to take this forward or alter as appropriate with minimal delay.