Island Worlds: prehistoric societies in the western Mediterranean from Malta to Minorca (P02516)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : HCA-P-P02516

The subject matter of the course complements that of others currently offered in Archaeology. It is an additional course, not a replacement. The course investigates island cultures and societies both in their own right, as independent entities, and with reference to adjacent landmasses in the ancient Mediterranean. The main case studies are drawn from Malta, Sicily, the Aeolian archipelago, Pantelleria, Corsica, Sardinia and the Balearics. Major themes for discussion are the earliest human colonisation of islands, and periods of conspicuous cultural development or florescence (including the temple period on Malta, the Nuraghic and Talayotic phases in Sardinia and the Balearics, the Late Bronze Age in Sicily). Particular attention is paid to explanations for cultural change in the light of theoretical propositions and debates about island worlds as specific and potentially divergent entities with distinct identities, or laboratories of cultural change, variously stimulated by isolation or contact. Attention is also paid to human interaction with particular landscapes and ecosystems, often of a fragile character.

Entry Requirements

? Costs : None.

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Archaeology, (School of History, Classics and Archaeology, Schedule E)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : Semester 2 (Blocks 3-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 11 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
15/01/2009	11:10	13:00	Room 1.F01, Old High School	Central

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Thursday	11:10	13:00	Central

? Additional Class Information : N.B. timetable is arranged annually

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Students who complete the course successfully should have acquired a good understanding of:
- set case studies and broader theoretical debates in Mediterranean island archaeology
- different categories of archaeological (including environmental and visual) evidence characteristic of small islands
- the physical characteristics of the region and its relevance to archaeological interpretation
- primary and secondary literature on island archaeology

At the end of this course students will be expected to demonstrate the following, as assessed by coursework:
- well developed written skills and communication skills in discussing island archaeology, shown in their ability to synthesize and debate arguments with examples
- analytical skills in assessing the merits of rival arguments and interpretations in island archaeology
- research skills enabling them to find additional information for assignments and formulate research questions relevant to contemporary scholarship in this field
- ability to recognise and focus on important aspects of the subject and to select and evaluate relevant problems with examples