ANTH329 Landscape Archaeology

Overview

Archaeological perspectives on how people in the past inhabited and changed the world around them. Students will develop skills in the application of Geographic Information Systems to archaeology.

Landscape archaeology is a broad field that centres on how people in the past inhabited, perceived and shaped the world around them. This course covers the history of landscape archaeology, introduces main methods or techniques related to this field, and discusses relevant theory, concepts and debates using case studies drawn from across the world. Students will also develop critical practical skills in the use of Geographic Information Systems through guided computer laboratory training.

Students will be expected to gain the following from this paper:

1. An extensive knowledge of the methods and techniques employed in landscape archaeology
2. An in-depth understanding of major issues relevant to the study of how people inhabited, perceived and shaped the world around them in the past
3. Basic skills necessary to use and implement archaeological research using Geographic Information Systems software (ESRI, ArcGIS Desktop)

About this paper

Prerequisite

18 200-level ANTH points or 108 points

Restriction

ARCH 303

Schedule C

Arts and Music

Notes

May not be credited together with ANTH310 passed in 2010, 2011 or ARCH310 passed in 2015.

Contact

Zac McIvor

More information link

Please visit the Programme of Archaeology

Teaching staff

Co-ordinator: Zac McIvor

Contributing lecturer: Dr Anne Ford

Paper Structure

The paper covers three main themes:

1. The range of methodological techniques used by archaeologists to study landscape use in the past
2. Major theoretical approaches and concepts used in interpreting how people perceived and shaped the landscape around them, including archaeological case studies used to illustrate these different frameworks
3. The basic use of Geographic Information Systems software (GIS) to undertake archaeological research

Teaching Arrangements

Two 1-hour lectures and one 2-hour laboratory workshop per week.

Textbooks

Most required reading is from journal articles and book chapters available electronically through the library.

Course outline

Will be available on Blackboard at the beginning of the course.

Graduate Attributes Emphasised

Scholarship, Communication, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Environmental literacy, Information literacy, Research, Self-motivation.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.

Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate knowledge of the methods and techniques employed in landscape archaeology
• Demonstrate understanding of major issues relevant to the study of how people inhabited, perceived and shaped the world around them in the past
• Acquire the basic skills necessary to use and implement archaeological research using Geographic Information Systems software (ESRI, ArcGIS Desktop)

Timetable

Overview

Archaeological perspectives on how people in the past inhabited and changed the world around them. Students will develop skills in the application of Geographic Information Systems to archaeology.

Landscape archaeology is a broad field that centres on how people in the past inhabited, perceived and shaped the world around them. This course covers the history of landscape archaeology, introduces the main methods and techniques, and discusses relevant theory, concepts and debates using case studies from across the world. Through guided computer laboratory training, students will also develop critical practical skills using Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

Students will be expected to gain the following from this paper:

1. An extensive knowledge of the methods and techniques employed in landscape archaeology
2. An in-depth understanding of major issues relevant to the study of how people inhabited, perceived and shaped the world around them in the past
3. Basic skills necessary to use and implement archaeological research using Geographic Information Systems software (ESRI, ArcGIS)

About this paper

Prerequisite

18 200-level ANTH points or 108 points

Restriction

ARCH 303

Schedule C

Arts and Music

Notes

May not be credited together with ANTH310 passed in 2010, 2011 or ARCH310 passed in 2015.

Contact

Zac McIvor

More information link

Please visit the Programme of Archaeology

Teaching staff

Co-ordinator: Zac McIvor

 

Paper Structure

The paper covers three main themes:

1. The range of methodological techniques used by archaeologists to study landscape use in the past
2. Major theoretical approaches and concepts used in interpreting how people perceived and shaped the landscape around them, including archaeological case studies used to illustrate these different frameworks
3. The basic use of Geographic Information Systems software (GIS) to undertake archaeological research

Teaching Arrangements

Two 1-hour lectures and one 2-hour laboratory workshop per week.

Textbooks

Most required reading is from journal articles and book chapters available electronically through the library.

Course outline

Will be available on Blackboard at the beginning of the course.

Graduate Attributes Emphasised

Scholarship, Communication, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Environmental literacy, Information literacy, Research, Self-motivation.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.

Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate knowledge of the methods and techniques employed in landscape archaeology
• Demonstrate understanding of major issues relevant to the study of how people inhabited, perceived and shaped the world around them in the past
• Acquire the basic skills necessary to use and implement archaeological research using Geographic Information Systems software (ESRI, ArcGIS Desktop)

Timetable