This course explores the human past – both recent and distant – of the Asia-Pacific region through a transdisciplinary lens. The Asia-Pacific is renowned for its incredible cultural, social and linguistic diversity, and this course explores the processes of continuity and transformation over time that have shaped today’s diversity. How are contemporary languages, cultures and societies windows onto past lives? Does evidence from historical linguistics, archaeology, population genetics, history, anthropology, and oral traditions tell similar or different stories about how people lived in the past? How are multiple perspectives, knowledges and disciplines brought together to investigate ‘big picture’ questions of the human past? These questions are explored through case studies from across Asia and the Pacific, such as the social and technological drivers of the expansions of large language families like Austronesian, Sino-Tibetan and Austroasiatic, the linguistic, social and cultural identities and interactions that shaped the settlement of the New Guinea and the Pacific, the social and political networks underpinning connections across South Asia and the Wallacea region. These models and narratives are key to understanding the Asia-Pacific past, and the dynamics of language and society across time and space are essential to understanding the contemporary Asia-Pacific world.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Understand the contemporary social, cultural and linguistic diversity of the Asia-Pacific region through transdisciplinary models of change over time.
- Critically evaluate theoretical frameworks and current methodologies used to reconstruct the human past.
- Investigate the social, cultural and linguistic past through sources and knowledges from different academic and indigenous perspectives.
- Construct narratives of the Asia-Pacific past that draw on multiple perspectives.
- Critically evaluate approaches to recovering the human past through a transdisciplinary lens.
Indicative Assessment
- Online quizzes (weekly quizzes and best 10 count towards mark) (5) [LO 1,2]
- Analytical Essay (1,200 words) (20) [LO 1,2,3]
- Collaborative Research Project: individual discussion pieces (3 x 500 words each) (30) [LO 1,2,3,5]
- Collaborative Research Project: poster presentation (20) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
- Collaborative Research Project: individual essay (1,500 words) (25) [LO 1,2,3,4,5]
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
This course requires a total of 130 hours commitment, which includes:
- 36 hours of synchronous classes
- 94 hours of independent study, including readings and class preparation, as well as work on assessment items.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
This course has a set of weekly readings which are available from the course Canvas site.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you 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). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found 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 |
|---|---|
| 2026 | $4500 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2026 | $5820 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3215 | 23 Feb 2026 | 02 Mar 2026 | 31 Mar 2026 | 29 May 2026 | In Person | N/A |