| Unit name | Britain AD |
|---|---|
| Unit code | ARCH20068 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Prior |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Department of Anthropology and Archaeology |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
This unit provides a comprehensive survey of the social organisation, economy, settlement patterns and material culture of Britain and Ireland, spanning the later pre-Roman Iron Age and Roman periods, through the Anglo-Saxon and Medieval ages and culminating in the archaeology of the industrial era. It explores the cultures and practices of diverse peoples inhabiting Britain over these two millennia AD, examining key themes including identity, social practices, trade, power and ritual through evidence surviving from material culture, biological remains and in the landscape.
This unit aims to provide students with:
1) Comprehensive knowledge of the sites, artefacts and monuments that characterise the archaeology of these periods in Britain and Ireland.
2) Ability to recognise and describe the archaeologies of economy, settlement, social organisation and religion.
3) Critical awareness of the different lines of archaeological, textual and scientific evidence that are used to explore the social, technological and economic changes witnessed during this time.
4) Ability to evaluate the various theoretical models used to understand social change, power and identity in Britain and Ireland in the 1st – 2nd millennia AD.
5) Understanding of the relationship between social and economic changes taking place in Britain and Ireland and the wider European context.
6) The opportunity to develop collaborative skills through co-leading peer-to-peer learning.
On successful completion of the unit, students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate developed knowledge of the character and sequence of British archaeology from the later pre-Roman Iron Age through to the industrial age.
2. Describe and explain the complex processes of change in the British Isles from the 1st to the 20th centuries AD through archaeological, geographical and historical evidence.
3. Demonstrate critical awareness of the problems of using archaeological evidence to interpret proto-historic societies, documented by fragmentary historical evidence.
4. Assess and evaluate the theories and debates surrounding the study of Roman, Medieval, post-Medieval and historical archaeology, including the models of social relations, urbanisation, growth of settlements, economy and trade, and the development of social organisation and state religion.
5. Synthesise and appraise evidence from a wide range of sources, both historical and archaeological.
2 x 2hr Lecture (x1 two hour block).
8 x 3hr Lecture/Seminar session (x1 three hour block).
One 8hr (all day) fieldtrip.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Tasks which do not count towards your unit mark but are required for credit (zero-weighted):
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
When assessment doesn’t go to plan
When required by the Board of Examiners, you will normally complete reassessments in the same formats as those outlined above. However, the Board reserves the right to modify the form or number of reassessments required. Details of reassessments are normally confirmed by the School shortly after the notification of your results at the end of the academic year.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. ARCH20068).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
