Unit information: The Archaeology of Standing Buildings in 2010/11

Unit name	The Archaeology of Standing Buildings
Unit code	ARCHM0055
Credit points	20
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director	Professor. Mark Horton
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Department of Anthropology and Archaeology
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

An introduction to the history and archaeology of buildings in the modern period. The unit will include introductory training in the archaeological recording of standing buildings.

Themes will include domestic houses, industrial buildings, institutional buildings (workhouses, hospitals, prisons, factories) military and government buildings and religious buildings, building conservation, legislation and statutory requirements. Case students will be drawn from around the world.

Aims:

The unit will provide the student with a broad understanding of the range of historical standing buildings of the modern world  1500-2000AD. Training will be given in the combined use of documentary and archaeological sources of evidence to interpret standing buildings  using case studies from around the world. The student will also be introduced to the principles and practice of producing written, drawn and photographic records. Specific subject which this

Unit aims to cover include:

• The principles and practice of the archaeology of standing buildings archaeology

• Approaches to Buildings: from the anthropology of buildings to the dendrochronology of buildings

• Houses 1: House in Britain and Globally

• Industrial Buildings

• Industrial, military and religious buildings

• CRM and Buildings: buildings conservation, legislation and statutory requirements

• Field Sessions on standing buildings.

The Unit will also provide Skills Training in standing buildings recording (2 days in the field).

Intended Learning Outcomes

Students will be equipped with the skills and background knowledge to interpret and record historical standing buildings internationally.

Teaching Information

63 contact hours throughout TB2, of which there are seven fieldtrips/site visits of 6 hours each.

Assessment Information

Preparation of a report on a standing building, bringing together documentary and primary archaeological sources of evidence.

The assessment includes practical research, such as site visits and documentary research in the National Monument Record Office, local Historic Environment Offices and Public Record Offices. The report is more practice-based than is generally required for MA Archaeoology essays, therefore, a range within a word limit of 3000-5000 words is necessary.

Reading and References

• Glassie, H. 1975 Folk Housing in Middle Virginia. Knoxville: University of Tennessee.

• Harris. R. 1998 Discovering Timber-framed Buildings (third edition). Shire Books

• Humphreys, S. 1974 Inside a Mongolian Tent New Society

• Johnston, M 1993. Housing Culture: Traditional Architecture in an English Landscape. London: University College London Press.

• Morriss, R.K.. 2000 The Archaeology of Buildings. Stroud: Tempus

• Kent, S. 1990 Domestic Architecture and the Use of Space: An Interdisciplinary Cross-Culture Study. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, New Directions in Archaeology.