- Overview
- Module description
Bronze Age Britain in its European Context (ARC2114)
| Staff | Professor Anthony Harding - Convenor |
|---|---|
| Credit Value | 15 |
| ECTS Value | 7.50 |
| NQF Level | 5 |
| Pre-requisites | ARC1002A Discovering Prehistory, or equivalent |
| Co-requisites | none |
| Duration of Module | Term 1: 11 weeks; |
Module aims
The module aims to provide an introduction to the archaeology of Britain and Ireland in the period ca 2000-700 BC, and set it in the context of contemporary developments on the Continent.
Students will be able to look at Bronze Age monuments and artefacts in some detail, so that they acquire familiarity not only with the material itself but also with some of the techniques utilised in Bronze Age research.
A main focus will be on current approaches to the data produced by recent research, and a consideration of some recent major discoveries.
ILO: Module-specific skills
- 1. Assess a set of sites and artefacts in order to understand a culture sequence.
- 2. Look at field monuments and assess their importance for an understanding of the area and period
- 3. Gain an understanding of the chronology of the period and the material that underpins it
- 4. Acquire familiarity with field and museum evidence relating to the period.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
- 5. Look at a series of debates and assess the weight of arguments on either side
- 6. Evaluate competing theoretical interpretations of this material
- 7. Read reports and other material in order to extract the important ideas with reasonable speed and efficiency
ILO: Personal and key skills
- 8. Develop independent research and learning skills
- 9. Set out arguments on the written page with clarity and conciseness
- 10. Make some use of electronic sources of information to enhance knowledge
- 11. Present the results of private reading in small group discussions and engage in debate with peers at an intermediate level of knowledge and understanding
Syllabus plan
1. Introduction: Views of the Bronze Age; sequence, chronology, environment. The Neolithic background and the beginnings of metal-working. The Beaker question. Metals and metalworking
2. The "Wessex culture": fact or fiction? Wessex with or without Mycenae?
3. Stonehenge and related monuments in the Bronze Age. The Early Bronze Age in the rest of Britain and Ireland
4. Developments in the later second millennium BC: Deverel-Rimbury and related. The Late Bronze Age crisis
5. Settlement and settlements. The burial record and social structure
6. Agriculture 1: the lowland zone. Agriculture 2: the highland zone
7. Hoards and hoarding: utilitarian or votive? Warfare and display: forts and weapons
8. The movement of goods: trade and transport
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | 129 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching activities | 16 | Lectures (8x2hr) |
| Scheduled learning and teaching activities | 4 | Seminars (2x2hr) |
| Scheduled learning and teaching activities | 1 | Essay tutorial |
| Guided independent study | 129 | Independent study (preparation & reading for seminars, lectures, preparation for essay) |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer test to aid revision of factual content Level 2 seminar contributions based on assigned reading | 1-6 | within test | |
| level 2 seminar contributions based on assigned reading | 5 minute presentation | 1-8, 11 | verbally in class |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | 60 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 40 | 2000 word | 1-10 | mark and written comments |
| Exam | 60 | 1.5 hr | 1-10 | provided on request by module tutor |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay | 1-10 | Refer/Defer period |
| Exam | Exam | 1-10 | Refer/Defer period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Barrett, J C and Bradley, R (eds) 1980. Settlement and Society in the British Later Bronze Age, BAR 83.
Bradley, R 1984. The Social Foundations of Prehistoric Britain, esp. chapters 4-5.
Burgess, C 1980. The Age of Stonehenge. Phoenix Press.
Clarke, D V, Cowie, T and Foxon, A 1985. Symbols of Power at the Time of Stonehenge. HMSO.
Cunliffe, B 1994. Oxford Illustrated Prehistory of Europe, chapters 7 and 9. Oxford.
Darvill, T 1987. Prehistoric Britain, chapters 4-5.
Harding, A F 2000. European Societies in the Bronze Age.CambridgeUP.
Megaw, J V S and Simpson, D D A 1979. Introduction to British Prehistory, chapters 5-6.
O’Brien, W 1996. Bronze Age Copper Mining in Britain and Ireland. Shire Books.
Module has an active ELE page?
Yes
Available as distance learning?
No
Origin date
2010
Last revision date
February 2012
Key words search
Bronze Age, Britain, Prehistory
