Supervised individual research on a topic in archaeology.
ANTH 495 is an individual research project on an approved topic under the supervision
of one or more members of staff, culminating in the submission of the dissertation
of no more than 20,000 words (excluding footnotes, appendices and references). Submission
date for dissertations is the last day of second semester.
The choosing
of your topic is one of the most difficult decisions that you will have to make in
the whole exercise. It will depend on the kind of interests you have developed in
Anthropology and the availability of supervisors with appropriate expertise. Please
review the list of staff members and areas of interest on the Anthropology website.
It is recommended that you consult with appropriate staff as soon as possible and
before the end of your third year. If you have developed strengths in particular areas
of your subject or become closely involved with certain courses, there would be considerable
advantage in continuing with that work for your dissertation.
One important
consideration, and one reason for consulting closely with staff, is making sure that
you select a topic that is practicable within the time available. The challenge here
is selecting something that is going to make a satisfying and rewarding piece of research,
but that will also be of such size and scope that you will be able to bring it to
completion on time. In Archaeology it is usually not possible to undertake primary
excavation research for a dissertation unless you have made prior arrangements with
a supervisor. Otherwise, laboratory analyses of previously excavated assemblages of
artefacts or animal remains are frequently undertaken. Equally common are projects
based around the analysis of primary documentary sources on aspects of past cultures
or critical reviews of literature on aspects of archaeological heritage management
and applications of new technologies to archaeological issues.
| Paper title | Dissertation |
|---|---|
| Paper code | ANTH495 |
| Subject | Anthropology |
| EFTS | 0.5000 |
| Points | 60 points |
| Teaching period | Full Year |
| Domestic Tuition Fees (NZD) | $3,922.50 |
| International Tuition Fees (NZD) | $16,550.00 |
- Restriction
- ANTH 490, ARCH 490
- Limited to
- BA(Hons), PGDipArts
- Teaching staff
- All academic staff, depending on commitments.
- Paper Structure
- Preparation of dissertation.
- Teaching Arrangements
- Weekly meetings with supervisor/s.
- Textbooks
- No specific textbooks but reading relevant to topic is essential.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Lifelong learning, Scholarship,
Communication, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Ethics, Information literacy,
Research, Self-motivation.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
- Satisfactory completion of this paper will be shown by presentation of a dissertation
which demonstrates that the student is able to:
- Develop an appropriate research problem and plan and conduct an investigation relevant to the discipline of archaeology
- Undertake a literature review that places the topic within a wider field of knowledge
- Critically analyse a body of knowledge relevant to the research problem within the field of archaeology
- Select, justify and apply appropriate research method(s) to the research problem
- Analyse, present, and discuss findings meaningfully
- Prepare a written report on the project in ways appropriate to the discipline of archaeology
- Eligibility
- All students enrolled for the BA(Hons) or PGDipArts are required to complete a dissertation (ANTH 490, ANTH 495 or ANAT 490).
- Contact
- anthropology@otago.ac.nz
- More information link
- View more information on the Department of Anthropology & Archaeology's website
