Postgraduate Course: Island Worlds: Prehistoric Societies in the Mediterranean Sea from the Palaeolithic to the Iron Age (PGHC11302)
Course Outline
| School | School of History, Classics and Archaeology |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | Postgraduate (School of History and Classics) |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | 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 (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
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
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Assessment Information
| Coursework equivalent to a 4000 word essay 100% |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Not entered |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Not entered |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Robert Leighton
Tel: (0131 6)50 8197
Email: |
Course secretary | Mrs Lindsay Scott
Tel: (0131 6)50 9948
Email: |
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