Students

AHIS1300 – Digging up the Past: An Introduction to Archaeology

2022 – Session 1, Online-flexible

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor, Lecturer, & Tutor
Susan Lupack
susan.lupack@mq.edu.au
25 Wally's Walk, B158
By appointment
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
This unit serves as a broad introduction to archaeology, where students become familiar with its fundamental principles and concepts. Students will study the emergence of archaeology as a discipline, its purpose and aims. This unit will provide students with a foundation in the various methods and analytical techniques used to study archaeological evidence by using a combination of theory and practical case studies drawn from all periods of archaeology. Students will explore the various ways of interpreting archaeological remains, taking into account the multidisciplinary nature of the discipline.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Acquire knowledge of the archaeological discipline
  • ULO2: Analyse source material, including archaeological records, ancient sources, and modern scholarship
  • ULO3: Identify fundamental developments, theories and techniques of archaeology
  • ULO4: Communicate archaeological information and concepts through oral, visual and written formats
  • ULO5: Demonstrate critical thinking in reading of the literature and interpretation of the data

General Assessment Information

General Assessment Information

Rubrics and other guidance for the Assessments will be posted on our iLearn site and discussed in class.

To complete the unit successfully you need a minimum mark of 50% overall, and you will have to attempt all the assessments.

F / FA: 0-49% P: 50-64% CR: 65-74% D: 75-84% HD: 85-100%

LATE SUBMISSION OF ASSESSMENT TASKS : Please always let one of us know ahead of time if you are having difficulty completing an assessment or if you will not be able to attend class or complete a tutorial task. It's just good for us to know what is going on with you. Please note: Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – ten (10) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests.

IMPORTANT NOTE ON MARKS:

Grading decisions for each assessment task will be moderated against the set criteria and standards before task results are released.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Encyclopedia entry 15% No Sundays 23:59, Weeks 3 - 13
Weekly quiz 30% No Tuesdays 23:59, Weeks 2-6, 8-12
Final examination 30% No Examination Period
Artefact study 25% No 23:59 12/04/2022

Encyclopedia entry

Assessment Type 1: Non-academic writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Sundays 23:59, Weeks 3 - 13
Weighting: 15%

 

Write a short encyclopedia entry (approximately 200 words)

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Acquire knowledge of the archaeological discipline
  • Analyse source material, including archaeological records, ancient sources, and modern scholarship
  • Communicate archaeological information and concepts through oral, visual and written formats
  • Demonstrate critical thinking in reading of the literature and interpretation of the data

Weekly quiz

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: Tuesdays 23:59, Weeks 2-6, 8-12
Weighting: 30%

 

10 short, weekly questions related to content covered in lectures and tutorials.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Acquire knowledge of the archaeological discipline
  • Identify fundamental developments, theories and techniques of archaeology
  • Communicate archaeological information and concepts through oral, visual and written formats

Final examination

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: Examination Period
Weighting: 30%

 

A two-hour examination on all course content

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Acquire knowledge of the archaeological discipline
  • Analyse source material, including archaeological records, ancient sources, and modern scholarship
  • Communicate archaeological information and concepts through oral, visual and written formats
  • Demonstrate critical thinking in reading of the literature and interpretation of the data

Artefact study

Assessment Type 1: Case study/analysis
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 23:59 12/04/2022
Weighting: 25%

 

Describe, analyse and document an artefact

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Identify fundamental developments, theories and techniques of archaeology
  • Communicate archaeological information and concepts through oral, visual and written formats
  • Demonstrate critical thinking in reading of the literature and interpretation of the data

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

DELIVERY

Lectures: Lectures will be delivered in person! (You will also be able to access the lectures on the Echo360 platform via our iLearn site.)

Tutorials for Internal students will be held face-to-face.

Online forums will be held each week for Online/Flexible (External) students.

RESOURCES

Required Texts:  The unit will be based on the following text books:

  • Gamble, C., 2015. Archaeology. The Basics, 3rd edLondon, New York, Routledge.
  • Renfrew, C. and Bahn, P., 2020. Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practice, 8th ed, London, Thames and Hudson.

Recommended Texts:  You will find these texts helpful, particularly as places to start your research for the assessments:

  • Bahn, P., 2012. Archaeology: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
  • Pearsall, D. M., 2008. Encyclopedia of Archaeology, San Diego, Elsevier.
  • Smith, C., 2014. Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology, New York, Springer.

Supplemental readings: We will also assign or recommend supplemental readings whenever we find an article or chapter that particularly supports what we are doing in the lecture and tutorial.

Please Note: All readings for class should be completed before the lecture, and must be completed before attending the tutorials and taking the quizzes.

Real learning, which is based on independent, active learning, depends on coming to the tutorials prepared to discuss the material from the lecture and the readings.

UNIT WEBPAGE AND TECHNOLOGY USED AND REQUIRED

This unit will use the iLearn system (https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/login/MQ/) to communicate with the students, so you will need access to a computer and a good internet connection. Basic computer and word-processing skills are also required.

Unit Schedule

Please see our iLearn site for weekly updates on the Unit Schedule.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2022.03 of the Handbook