Undergraduate 

Archaeology BSc/MA/MA(SocSci)

Archaeology 1A: The Archaeology of Scotland ARCH1001

  • Academic Session: 2024-25
  • School: School of Humanities
  • Credits: 20
  • Level: Level 1 (SCQF level 7)
  • Typically Offered: Semester 1
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No

Short Description

This course provides an introduction to Scotland's past from the earliest human habitation to the Modern era. The course places Scotland's history into a global context from the arrival of Scotland's first people to the end of the British Empire. While tracing Scotland's cultural evolution through this period, we will introduce you to a range of archaeological methods and principles and will see how archaeology contributes to contemporary society. It is organised chronologically into a sequence of themes, which are linked into the main course texts.

Timetable

10 1-hr lectures over 10 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus;

9 1-hr seminars over 9 weeks as scheduled on MyCampus.

One-day field trip on a Saturday.

11 1-hr blended learning content per week over 11 weeks.

Excluded Courses

None

Co-requisites

None

Assessment

Online worksheet 1 (500 words): 20%

Online worksheet 2 (500 words): 20%

90-minute exam (2000 words): 60%

(The worksheets have a substantial number of pictorial and numerical exercises, hence their lower word count but proportionally higher weighting)

Main Assessment In: December

Course Aims

This course aims to:

■ explain Scotland's archaeology from the earliest human habitation until the modern era

■ introduce students to a range of methodologies and principles which underpin archaeological knowledge in Scotland and beyond

■ provide a foundation in archaeological thought and practice

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ apply archaeological evidence to a range of periods from Scottish prehistory and history through the experience of working with primary data during fieldtrips

■ identify the main characteristics of Scotland's material heritage

■ use archaeological evidence to interpret Scotland's cultural development and its contacts with the wider world

■ explain key archaeological methods and techniques

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.