How many courses do you know that provide tools required to unravel past lives from ancient sites and objects? This course aims to do just that, giving you an introduction to archaeology and the various techniques archaeologists use to investigate the past. Archaeologists dig holes in the ground, but they also work underwater, in museums and in laboratories. You will learn about all these archaeologies, get hands-on experience working with archaeological materials and develop skills required to review and interpret the archaeological literature.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Upon Successful completion of this course, students will be able to:- Apply essential skills for classifying and interpreting archaeological materials;
- Understand the diversity of archaeological techniques and their roles in uncovering information about past peoples;
- Critique archaeological excavation reports and evaluate the quality of fieldwork and the conclusions reached; and
- Identify objects in museum collections and reflect on the information they contain.
Indicative Assessment
Review of an archaeological excavation report (1500 words, 15%) [Learning Outcomes 2,3]
Essay about a museum object (2500 words, 25%) [Learning Outcomes 1,2,4]
Portfolio of worksheets completed during tutorials (25%) [Learning Outcomes 1,2]
Short answer exam (3 hours, held during the formal examination period (35%) [Learning Outcomes 1,2]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
2 hours of lectures and 1 hour of laboratories per week for 13 weeks. Films will also be shown but are not compulsory. Students are expected to undertake a further 7 hours of study each week over the semester (total workload 130 hours).
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
McIntosh, H. The Practical Archaeologist: How We Know What We Know About the Past. 2nd Rev edition, Checkmark Books, 1999.
Renfrew, C. & Bahn P. 2008. Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practice. 5th Ed. London: Thames and Hudson (other editions are fine).
Majors
Minors
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $2604 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2015 | $3576 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1042 | 16 Feb 2015 | 06 Mar 2015 | 31 Mar 2015 | 29 May 2015 | In Person | N/A |
