Students

AHIS709 – Advanced Study in Archaeology

2018 – S1 Day

General Information

Download as PDF
Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor, Lecturer and Tutor
Yann Tristant
Contact via yann.tristant@mq.edu.au
Australian Hearing Hub, South Wing, Level 2
By appointment only
Credit points Credit points
4
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MRes
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
Students undertake advanced study to provide a disciplinary basis for future research activity in Archaeology, examining methodology and interpretative issues related to the discipline. This unit exposes students to significant issues relating to Archaeology in one of six identified areas. These six areas – field archaeology, archaeological sciences, cultural heritage, indigenous archaeology and bioarchaeology - are central to an understanding of Archaeology within a rapidly changing Australian and international context. The unit challenges students to test the limits of research in a selected area of study and identify effective research methodologies relevant to this area.

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:

  • 1. Interpret evidence from an archaeological sources at an advanced level.
  • 2. Critique modern scholarship on Archaeology on the basis of their knowledge of primary and secondary sources
  • 3. Implement methodologies drawn from modern sources and evaluated against ancient data sets.
  • 4. Produce synthetic discussions of Archaeology based on their understanding and analysis of ancient and modern sources.

General Assessment Information

Unit Requirements and Expectations

Students must achieve an overall mark of 50% or above to complete this unit satisfactorily.

Assignment submission

All written work must be submitted through the iLearn website. Please upload your assignment to the drop-box for the relevant week. Save your assignment as a pdf or a doc file (a pdf is best; please do not use docx).

All assignments must include the following at the start: Student name; Student Number; Assessment Task Title or Question. Any assignment submitted without these will not be marked.

All written assignments will be returned via the ‘turnitin’ tool on the iLearn Unit site, and will contain feedback from the marker within them.

Extensions and Special Considerations

If you anticipate any difficulty in attending class for a scheduled test it is important that you contact us as early as possible. Please avoid asking for extensions as missing deadlines complicates the work of markers and puts you behind. If you have to ask for an extension or the opportunity to reschedule the date of a test please request it before the deadline, and only request the extension if you face serious crises that can be documented in some way (e.g. with a medical certificate). ‘Getting behind with your work’ or 'I ran out of time’ are not excuses. If you miss a class test due to illness or a serious crisis that can be documented, you can re-schedule and sit the test at a later time. Please see us as soon as possible to organise a time and place to sit a supplementary test.

Special Consideration Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/special_consideration/policy.html

Applying for Special Consideration Students applying for Special Consideration circumstances of three (3) consecutive days duration, within a study period, and/or prevent completion of a formal examination must submit an on-line application with the Faculty of Arts. For an application to be valid, it must include a completed Application for Special Consideration form and all supporting documentation.

The online Special Consideration application is found at: http://www.arts.mq.edu.au/current_students/undergraduate/admin_central/

Extensions can only be granted in exceptional cases and may only be sought in consultation with the unit convenor and with support of documentary evidence. If you anticipate any difficulty in meeting assigned due dates then it is important that you contact the course’s convenor as early as possible.

Please avoid asking for extensions as missing deadlines complicates the work of markers and puts you behind. If you have to ask for an extension, request it before the deadline, ‘Getting behind with your work’ or 'I had other deadlines' do not count.

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) 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. After seven days, a mark of 0% will be assigned.

Written assessment tasks submitted that are under or over the word length by more than 10% will be penalised with a 10% deduction. The marker will only read the listed word limit, i.e. if the word limit is 2,000 words they will stop reading at 2,000 words (plus or minus up to 200 words).

Written assessment tasks submitted without proper referencing, i.e. little or no page numbers or no bibliography will receive an automatic fail.

Marking Rubric

The museum catalogue entry, research essay and research project design will be graded using a rubric, which can be found on the iLearn unit site. 

Final Marks

Results shown in iLearn, 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.

 

Please note with respect to the marks you receive for work during the session: that the marks given are indicative only; final marks will be determined after moderation. See further the note on Results in the Policies and Procedures section below:

 

https://students.mq.edu.au/study/exams-and-results/exam-results

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Draft project 20% No Week 4
Sources identification 40% No Week 8
Methods identification 40% No Week 12

Draft project

Due: Week 4
Weighting: 20%

Write a 2-page report (Word format) including any relevant figures, tables and references, about a potential research project.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • 1. Interpret evidence from an archaeological sources at an advanced level.
  • 2. Critique modern scholarship on Archaeology on the basis of their knowledge of primary and secondary sources
  • 3. Implement methodologies drawn from modern sources and evaluated against ancient data sets.
  • 4. Produce synthetic discussions of Archaeology based on their understanding and analysis of ancient and modern sources.

Sources identification

Due: Week 8
Weighting: 40%

Write a ~3000 words report, plus any relevant figures and tables, identifying the main sources, researchers, facilities and documentation centres related to your research topic.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • 1. Interpret evidence from an archaeological sources at an advanced level.
  • 2. Critique modern scholarship on Archaeology on the basis of their knowledge of primary and secondary sources
  • 3. Implement methodologies drawn from modern sources and evaluated against ancient data sets.
  • 4. Produce synthetic discussions of Archaeology based on their understanding and analysis of ancient and modern sources.

Methods identification

Due: Week 12
Weighting: 40%

Write a ~3000 words report, plus any relevant figures and tables, identifying the main methods related to your research topic.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • 2. Critique modern scholarship on Archaeology on the basis of their knowledge of primary and secondary sources
  • 3. Implement methodologies drawn from modern sources and evaluated against ancient data sets.
  • 4. Produce synthetic discussions of Archaeology based on their understanding and analysis of ancient and modern sources.

Delivery and Resources

Delivery

Seminar Thursday 2-4pm (Archaeological Field Lab, 29 Wally's Walk, Level 3)

Online units can be accessed at: https://ilearn.mq.edu.au

PC and Internet access are required for those who wish to access iLearn. Basic computer skills (e.g., internet browsing) and skills in word processing are also a requirement.

Please consult teaching staff for any further, more specific requirements.

Resources

There is no textbook for the unit.  

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

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

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct​

Results

Results shown in iLearn, 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.

Student Support

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

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to improve your marks and take control of your study.

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

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.

Graduate Capabilities

PG - Capable of Professional and Personal Judgment and Initiative

Our postgraduates will demonstrate a high standard of discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgment. They will have the ability to make informed choices and decisions that reflect both the nature of their professional work and their personal perspectives.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • 1. Interpret evidence from an archaeological sources at an advanced level.
  • 2. Critique modern scholarship on Archaeology on the basis of their knowledge of primary and secondary sources
  • 3. Implement methodologies drawn from modern sources and evaluated against ancient data sets.
  • 4. Produce synthetic discussions of Archaeology based on their understanding and analysis of ancient and modern sources.

Assessment tasks

  • Draft project
  • Sources identification
  • Methods identification

PG - Discipline Knowledge and Skills

Our postgraduates will be able to demonstrate a significantly enhanced depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content knowledge in their chosen fields.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • 1. Interpret evidence from an archaeological sources at an advanced level.
  • 2. Critique modern scholarship on Archaeology on the basis of their knowledge of primary and secondary sources
  • 3. Implement methodologies drawn from modern sources and evaluated against ancient data sets.
  • 4. Produce synthetic discussions of Archaeology based on their understanding and analysis of ancient and modern sources.

Assessment tasks

  • Draft project
  • Sources identification
  • Methods identification

PG - Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

Our postgraduates will be capable of utilising and reflecting on prior knowledge and experience, of applying higher level critical thinking skills, and of integrating and synthesising learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments. A characteristic of this form of thinking is the generation of new, professionally oriented knowledge through personal or group-based critique of practice and theory.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • 1. Interpret evidence from an archaeological sources at an advanced level.
  • 2. Critique modern scholarship on Archaeology on the basis of their knowledge of primary and secondary sources
  • 3. Implement methodologies drawn from modern sources and evaluated against ancient data sets.

Assessment tasks

  • Draft project
  • Sources identification
  • Methods identification

PG - Research and Problem Solving Capability

Our postgraduates will be capable of systematic enquiry; able to use research skills to create new knowledge that can be applied to real world issues, or contribute to a field of study or practice to enhance society. They will be capable of creative questioning, problem finding and problem solving.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • 3. Implement methodologies drawn from modern sources and evaluated against ancient data sets.
  • 4. Produce synthetic discussions of Archaeology based on their understanding and analysis of ancient and modern sources.

Assessment tasks

  • Sources identification
  • Methods identification

PG - Effective Communication

Our postgraduates will be able to communicate effectively and convey their views to different social, cultural, and professional audiences. They will be able to use a variety of technologically supported media to communicate with empathy using a range of written, spoken or visual formats.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • 1. Interpret evidence from an archaeological sources at an advanced level.
  • 4. Produce synthetic discussions of Archaeology based on their understanding and analysis of ancient and modern sources.

Assessment task

  • Draft project

PG - Engaged and Responsible, Active and Ethical Citizens

Our postgraduates will be ethically aware and capable of confident transformative action in relation to their professional responsibilities and the wider community. They will have a sense of connectedness with others and country and have a sense of mutual obligation. They will be able to appreciate the impact of their professional roles for social justice and inclusion related to national and global issues

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcome

  • 2. Critique modern scholarship on Archaeology on the basis of their knowledge of primary and secondary sources

Assessment task

  • Methods identification