| CODE | ARC2026 | ||||||
| TITLE | Archaeological Science | ||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Classics and Archaeology | ||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit will consist of a series of lectures which will look holistically at examples of interdisciplinary research in archaeology, specifically, recent research projects which have a predominant archaeological science content which will be presented and discussed. These will be themed as listed below: Where? The provenancing of materials will be considered using the MaltaPot and CoFIPoMS project of the University, as well as other similar projects from other countries. Why? The aims for the construction of large scale structures, and the relationships between sites, can be understood by the use of aerial photography and satellite imagery, which can attempt to suggest why features (such as the Maltese cart ruts) were created Who? The identity of people and the direction of mobility of humans can be traced using ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis which will be discussed basing on the more recent research, locally and internationally. What? The question of what food was consumed in the past can be answered using techniques which analyse organic residues, leading to an understanding of this important element of human life. When? Dating techniques are extremely powerful in setting benchmark dates to material remains and sites, and the issues of applying such techniques to Maltese prehistory will bne the focus of this section. How? The use of scientific and technological methods to determine how object were produced by considering specific elements of the chaîne opératoire of pottery or metalwork. The design of this study-unit focuses on research questions answerable by archaeological science methods, to permit a degree of flexibility to ensure that up to date cases are considered. The tutorials will provide an opportunity for discussion on the topics presented, and a consideration of the application of the content of this study-unit to ongoing research. Study-Unit Aims: - Describe the application of scientific techniques to archaeology, using relevant, contemporary local and international case studies to demonstrate the application of methods to resolve research questions; - Illustrate the interdisciplinary nature of archaeological science by describing the approaches taken to tackle projects on different scales, ranging from a Department-scale scenario to international funded projects; - Provide a training scenario for assessment on the judicious application of archaeological science methods basing on existing projects and data. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Identify the interdisciplinary nature of archaeological science research projects; - Demonstrate how archaeological science techniques are applied to achieve research outcomes answering specific research questions; - Evaluate the requirements for the effective application of scientific techniques to archaeological projects. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Synthesize the content of archaeological science reports, and correlate the analytical results to the archaeological interpretation; - Evaluate the validity of the application of particular scientific techniques to problem solving, and the utility of the data compiled; - Plan an archaeology dissertation or small scale research project which requires the selection and application of scientific techniques. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Pollard, A. M., Ruth Ann Armitage, and Cheryl Makarewicz, eds. Handbook of Archaeological Sciences. Second edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley, 2023. Supplementary Readings: - Brown, T. A. (Terence A.), and Keri Brown. Biomolecular Archaeology : An Introduction. Chichester, West Sussex, UK ; Wiley-Blackwell, 2011. - Malainey, Mary E. A Consumer’s Guide to Archaeological Science : Analytical Techniques. Springer, 2011. - Pollard, A. M, and Carl Heron. Archaeological Chemistry. 2nd ed. Royal Society of Chemistry, 2008. Additional peer-reviewed papers accessible from HyDi and/or OAR. |
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| RULES/CONDITIONS | Before TAKING THIS UNIT YOU MUST TAKE ARC1010 | ||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Tutorial | ||||||
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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