| Unit name | Life in the European Neolithic |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ARCH20044 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Cramp |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of Anthropology and Archaeology |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Though often taken as synonymous with the "beginnings of agriculture", the Neolithic marks a point in prehistory where a range of major social, ideological and material transformations can be identified. Beginning with a consideration of how we define and trace the ‘Neolithic package’ in Europe, this unit considers the rich variety of evidence which can be explored to reconstruct aspects of life in the ‘Neolithic’, including diet, environment, houses and settlements and social relationships. We will consider the social, cultural and environmental factors underpinning how, when and why new practices manifested themselves as they did in different regions of Europe.
The course will focus upon key regions including the Near East, Britain & Ireland, Iberia, Central Europe and southern Scandinavia and students will research a chosen region thematically and present findings to the group in weekly discussion/seminar sessions.
The Unit aims to provide students with:
i) A developed knowledge of the trajectory(ies) reconstructed for the European Neolithic and the nature and rate of spread
ii)Comprehension of the nature of the Mesolithic/Neolithic transition in a variety of regions
iii)Detailed familiarity with the Neolithic environment and culture within different regions of Europe and a thorough awareness of how these can be explored through archaeological remains, scientific analyses and ethnographic analogy.
iv)The ability to critically evaluate the variety of lines of available evidence upon which explanations and models of the European Neolithic have been based
v)A detailed understanding of models of social relations, ideology and exchange for the period
At the end of the unit, a successful student will be able to:
i) Describe the character, sequence and regional detail of the European Neolithic
ii)Analyse and evaluate the archaeological evidence for the nature of the Mesolithic/Neolithic transition in a variety of regions and the interpretations that have been drawn from the evidence
iii) Describe the Neolithic environment and culture within different regions of Europe and recognise how these can be explored through archaeological remains, scientific analyses and ethnographic analogy.
iv) Critically evaluate the variety of lines of available evidence upon which influential explanations and models for the spread of European Neolithic have been based
v)Summarise and evaluate models of social relations, ideology and exchange for the period.
Formative assessments:
Weekly seminars where students will present and discuss assigned topics.
Summative assessments:
2 x 2500 word essay (50 % each); one essay will draw together students’ own region-based research developed throughout the course for the seminar discussions (specifically aimed at outcomes i, iii, v), whilst the second essay will be pan-regional and thematic, aimed more specifically at outcomes i, ii and iv.
Jones, A. (ed.), 2008. Prehistoric Europe. Oxford: Blackwell
Hofmann, D. And Smyth, J. (2013) Tracking the Neolithic House in Europe. One World Archaeology.
Price, T.D. (ed.), 2000. Europe’s First Farmers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Thomas, J. 1999. Understanding the Neolithic. London: Routledge
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
