This course examines the origins and applications of various theories used to describe, explain and interpret the archaeological record. We focus onﾠprocessual and post-processual archaeologies and examine the relationship between archaeology, social science and science.
ARCA3000 is the compulsory 3rd year archaeology theory course.ﾠ It is assumed that students undertaking this course have previously completed two years of undergraduate archaeology courses and are familiar with archaeological concepts, sites and methods.ﾠPlease do not attempt this course in your first year of archaeological study.
We recommend completing the following courses before enrolling in this one:
10 units ARCA/ARCS courses which must include ARCA1000 and ARCA1001 or ARCA2030 or ARCS2030
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
AY219
Level 3, Michie Building (09), St Lucia Campus, The University of Queensland.
Monday-Friday, 9:00am-12:00pm, 1:00pm-4:00pm.
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
1. To familiarise students with the range and variety of contemporary archaeological theory.
2. To allow students to gain an understanding of the history of archaeological thought.
3. To allow students to confidently cross the divide between the present archaeological record and past human behaviour.
4. To provide students with a solid grounding in archaeological theory in preparation for Honours in archaeology or entry to the archaeological workplace.
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Have a general understanding and familiarity with most of the major theoretical approaches to the archaeological record.
LO2.
Understand the social and scientific contexts for the development of archaeological theory.
LO3.
Critically evaluate archaeological literature.
LO4.
Understand the relationship between archaeology and other social and physical sciences.
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participation/ Student contribution, Presentation, Reflection |
Presentation, Written Reflection and Engagement
|
40% |
22/08/2024 - 24/10/2024 |
| Examination |
Culture History and Processualism In-Class Exam
|
30% |
12/09/2024 2:00 pm |
| Poster |
Theory Poster
|
30% |
4/11/2024 12:00 pm |
22/08/2024 - 24/10/2024
This Case Study assessment item consists of three components:
Component 1: Presentation (22%)
In the first hour of class time each week (starting in Week 5) students will present, individually or in pairs, PowerPoint presentations on a case study related to a theoretical component of the previous week's lecture. You are to select your own case study but it can not come from the set readings for that week (including the textbook). You must find and research a different case study that illustrates one or more of the theoretical aspects presented in the previous lecture. You do not have to cover all the content of the previous lecture. You do not have to wait until the lecture to decide on the theoretical approach or the case study. By studying the textbook and the readings you should start to get an idea of where to begin (but of course you can't use a case study from the textbook or readings!). The choices of theories for the presentations are (in order) processualism, behavioural archaeology, systems theory, post-processualism, contextual archaeology, agency, gender, and critical archaeology.
If presenting individually the presentation will be 15 minutes long consisting of a 10 minute presentation and 5 minute question time. If presenting as a pair the presentation will be 20 minutes long consisting of a 15 minute presentation and 5 minute question time (both students must be actively involved in the presentation and in answering the questions). You must use PowerPoint (or equivalent) to illustrate your presentation. Check the assessment crtieria closely - You will see that your ability to answer the questions is a substantial part of the mark for this component.
Presentations will start in week 5 of the semester. A roster of presentation slots will be developed and by the end of week 3 every student will be expected to have nominated the slot in which they will present. If presenting in pairs then it is your responsibility to form the pair, agree on the theoretical aspect and nominate the slot as a pair providing me with both names. Given that there will be a limited number of presentations in any one week slots for each week will be allocated on a first in basis.
NB. The presentations will be recorded as part of the standard Echo360 recording of the class. The presentations will be availble on Blackboard for all students to see when they open the lecture recording.
Component 2: Written Reflection (10%)
Each student is expected to write a 900 (plus or minus 100) word critique of the process of preparing the presentation. This is done individually (even if you worked on the presentation as a pair) and is due by 2pm on the day immediately before your presentation (i.e. Wednesday). In this critique I need you to answer (based on the literature and the theoretical approach) the following questions:
Component 3: Critical Engagement/Participation (8%)
Each week you are expected to participate as an audience member during other students' presentations by asking questions or making comments based on the readings and your knowledge of the theory.
Marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
Use of AI: This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Component 1 is assessed in class.
Component 2 Submission: You are required to submit an electronic copy for component 2 by 2pm on the day immediately before your presentation (ie. Wednesday). You must submit your assignment electronically by the due time, on the due date. Your assignment must be submitted via Turnitin on blackboard. To submit your assignment electronically log in to https://learn.uq.edu.au/ultra with your UQ username and password, then click on Course Code>>Assessment>>Assignments, and use the appropriate assignment submission link for each piece of assessment. No e-mailed submissions of assessments will be accepted.
Turnitin links will be configured to permit early submission of assessment items. Students will have the opportunity to submit draft assignments to Turnitin prior to submission of the final assignment in order to review similarity index content and to improve academic writing practice in accordance with UQ Academic Integrity policies.
By uploading your assignment via Turnitin, you are certifying that the work you submit is your own work except where correctly attributed to another source. Do not submit your assignment if it contains any work that is not your own. Please note that on the preview page, your assignment will be shown without formatting. Your assignment will retain formatting and your course coordinator/tutor will be able to see formatted assignments. Once you have submitted your assignment you are able to go back and view your submission with the correct formatting.
You are required to retain proof of submission of your assessment. Your Digital Receipt is available for download from your Assignment Dashboard. If you cannot see your submission and download your digital receipt, your assessment has not been successfully submitted; please submit again. If you are unable to submit your assignment by the due date, you will need to apply for an extension through your student portal on my.UQ.
If you are experiencing technical difficulties with Blackboard, please contact the ITS team via AskUs.
Component 3 is assessed in class.
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
An extension request without penalty will only be considered under exceptional circumstances as outlined on my.UQ. You must submit the extension request as soon as it becomes evident that an extension is needed, but no later than the assessment item submission due date.
A request for an extension to an assessment due date must be accompanied by supporting documentation corroborating the reason for the request. The student submitting the request is fully responsible for all supporting documentation that is provided with the request and should ensure all documents are authentic.
Extensions on the basis of an approved Student Access Plan (SAP) or an Extension Verification Letter (EVL) can be approved for a maximum period of 7 calendar days. Extensions exceeding this duration or subsequent extensions for a piece of assessment will require additional supporting documentation (e.g., a medical certificate or other supporting evidence listed on my.UQ).
When you submit an extension request in the student portal, it is received, read, and actioned by the Social Science Student Administration Team. It does not go to the course coordinator.
Late applications (requests received after the assessment item submission due date) must include evidence of the reasons for the late request, detailing why you were unable to apply for an extension by the due date.
In considering applications for extensions, students may be asked to supply the work they have completed to date on the assessment piece. This is to establish what efforts have already been made to complete the assessment, and whether the proposed work plan is feasible.
Late submissions of extension requests in your final semester of study could delay your graduation by up to one semester.
Work can NOT be accepted if it is more than one week (7 calendar days) late without prior approval.
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
10% of Maximum Grade per day for seven days. After seven days no marks will be awarded.
12/09/2024 2:00 pm
You will complete an in-class examination on your knowledge of culture history and processualism.
Marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
AI Use: This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 60 minutes |
| Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
| Open/closed book | Closed Book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Materials | Standard English Dictionary: Non-Native English Speakers |
| Exam platform | Paper based |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
You may be able to defer this exam.
The University recognises that on occasion a medical condition or other exceptional circumstances may impair your ability to attend an examination at the scheduled date and time. Depending on the circumstances, you may be eligible for a deferred examination, and be permitted to sit your in-class, mid-semester or end-of-semester examinations at a later scheduled time. For information on eligibility and application instructions, please view the following page on myUQ: Deferring an exam - my.UQ - University of Queensland
4/11/2024 12:00 pm
To help you gain a deeper appreciation of various theoretical approaches and for you to demonstrate that understanding, you are required to produce a poster that answers the following question:
For much of its history, archaeology has aided and abetted Imperial enterprises through a process of scientific colonialism in which “knowledge is extracted and produced or processed elsewhere, without benefits returning to those at the source (Nicholas and Hollowell 2007:60).” How then, as 21st century archaeologists, can you avoid scientific colonialism and instead use archaeological science as a form of praxis that distributes the benefits of knowledge about the past more equitably?
There are many different perspectives that you could take to answer this question, including, but not limited to, feminist, gender, marxist, emancipatory, Aboriginal, Blak sovereignty, class, ethnicity, the Anthropocene, or heritage. To make this assignment managable for yourself, you should select one theoretical perspective (it doesn't have to be from this list) and just use that. You will also need to illustrate it with at at least two archaeological science case studies. You cannot use the same case study/ies you included in your presentation assignment.
The target audience for your poster is a conference of theoretical archaeologists.
To answer the question start with the set readings from the course and then you are expected to research beyond those set readings to create your answer. Find case studies in your additional research to help you illustrate points that you want to make. The answer is to be presented as a poster.
Your poster will be A3 in size and coloured. It also has to be accompanied by a single A4 page containing your information sources including references and image sources. Submit your poster as a pdf through Turnitin on Blackboard. Do not submit a hardcopy of the poster.
For information on creating a poster you can google "creating a poster in Powerpoint". There are many websites that provide advice.
We will also spend time in week 7 of the course running through the requirements for this assignment and the basics of setting up Powerpoint to make a poster.
Marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
AI Use: This assessment task evaluates student’s abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
You must submit your assignment electronically by the due time, on the due date.
Your assignment must be submitted via Turnitin on blackboard. To submit your assignment electronically log in to https://learn.uq.edu.au/ultra with your UQ username and password, then click on Course Code>>Assessment>>Assignments, and use the appropriate assignment submission link for each piece of assessment. No e-mailed submissions of assessments will be accepted.
Turnitin links will be configured to permit early submission of assessment items. Students will have the opportunity to submit draft assignments to Turnitin prior to submission of the final assignment in order to review similarity index content and to improve academic writing practice in accordance with UQ Academic Integrity policies.
By uploading your assignment via Turnitin, you are certifying that the work you submit is your own work except where correctly attributed to another source. Do not submit your assignment if it contains any work that is not your own. Please note that on the preview page, your assignment will be shown without formatting. Your assignment will retain formatting and your course coordinator/tutor will be able to see formatted assignments. Once you have submitted your assignment you are able to go back and view your submission with the correct formatting.
You are required to retain proof of submission of your assessment. Your Digital Receipt is available for download from your Assignment Dashboard. If you cannot see your submission and download your digital receipt, your assessment has not been successfully submitted; please submit again. If you are unable to submit your assignment by the due date, you will need to apply for an extension through your student portal on my.UQ.
If you are experiencing technical difficulties with Blackboard, please contact the ITS team via AskUs.
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
An extension request without penalty will only be considered under exceptional circumstances as outlined on my.UQ. You must submit the extension request as soon as it becomes evident that an extension is needed, but no later than the assessment item submission due date.
A request for an extension to an assessment due date must be accompanied by supporting documentation corroborating the reason for the request. The student submitting the request is fully responsible for all supporting documentation that is provided with the request and should ensure all documents are authentic.
Extensions on the basis of an approved Student Access Plan (SAP) or an Extension Verification Letter (EVL) can be approved for a maximum period of 7 calendar days. Extensions exceeding this duration or subsequent extensions for a piece of assessment will require additional supporting documentation (e.g., a medical certificate or other supporting evidence listed on my.UQ).
When you submit an extension request in the student portal, it is received, read, and actioned by the Social Science Student Administration Team. It does not go to the course coordinator.
Late applications (requests received after the assessment item submission due date) must include evidence of the reasons for the late request, detailing why you were unable to apply for an extension by the due date.
In considering applications for extensions, students may be asked to supply the work they have completed to date on the assessment piece. This is to establish what efforts have already been made to complete the assessment, and whether the proposed work plan is feasible.
Late submissions of extension requests in your final semester of study could delay your graduation by up to one semester.
Work can NOT be accepted if it is more than one week (7 calendar days) late without prior approval.
10% of Maximum Grade per day for seven days. After seven days no marks will be awarded.
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 1 - 29 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 30 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Academic Integrity: All students must complete the Academic Integrity Tutorial:https://www.uq.edu.au/integrity/
UQ Assignment Writing Guide: Steps for writing assignments - my.UQ - University of Queensland
Release of Marks: The marks and feedback for assessments will be released to students in a timely manner, prior to the due date of the next assessment piece for the course. This is with the exception of the final piece of assessment. The Marks and feedback for the final assessment item are to only be made available to the student on Grade Release Day at the end of semester.
Assessment Re-mark: For information on requesting an assessment re-mark, please view the following page on my.UQ: https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/manage-my-program/academic-progress-and-final-results/querying-result.
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
You will be required to read the required readings. If you would like additional readings to broaden your knowledge of particular theoretical approaches please look at the additional readings section in the textbook or approach me with your partiuclar requests.
ﾠ
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 |
Seminar |
Course Introduction Introduction to the course, readings, assessment. Introduction to archaeological theory and some background ideas and terms that you will need to understand to do the course. Readings/Ref: Johnson (2019) (Preface & Ch. 1) Learning outcomes: L01, L02 |
Week 2 (29 Jul - 04 Aug) |
Seminar |
Origins of Archaeological Theory The first 300 years of archaeological theory up to the 1950s. We will discuss antiquarianism, diffusion, culture history and typology amongst other things. There is also a typology exercise to do. Readings/Ref: Johnson (2019) (pp. 13-23) Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
Practical |
Naja Typology Creating your own typology of najas to understand how to create typologies and their utility. Background readings on typologies will be provided on blackboard ahead of this session. Learning outcomes: L01 |
|
Week 3 (05 Aug - 11 Aug) |
Seminar |
History of Modern Thought We will cover the same chronological territory as Lecture 2 but look more generally at the development of science and social science so as to contextualise the theoretical developments in archaeology. Readings/Ref: Johnson (2019) (Ch. 3) Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L04 |
Week 4 (12 Aug - 18 Aug) |
Seminar |
The New Archaeology We will examine the origins, development and major concepts of processual archaeology including ideas of objectivity, determinism, organisational frameworks, ambiguity and hypothesis testing. Readings/Ref: Johnson (2019) (pp. 23-37, Ch. 4); Binford (1983) (Ch. 1); Binford (1987); Flannery (1967) Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
Week 5 (19 Aug - 25 Aug) |
Workshop |
Student Presentations on Processual Archaeology Student Presentations on Processual Archaeology Learning outcomes: L01, L03 |
Seminar |
Behavioural Archaeology We address the origins and major concepts of behavioural archaeology and examine the similarities and differences with mainstream processualism. Readings/Ref: Johnson (2019) (pp 69-70); Schiffer (1972); Schiffer (1977); Schiffer (1988) Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Week 6 (26 Aug - 01 Sep) |
Workshop |
Student Presentations on Behavioual Archaeology Student Presentations on Behavioual Archaeology Learning outcomes: L01, L03 |
Seminar |
Systems Theories This week we investigate the development of General Systems Theory, its role in the development of processualism and and the characteristics of major processual theories derived from GST including optimal foraging theories and site catchment analysis. Readings/Ref: Johnson (2019) (Ch. 5); Lyman & (1998); Steward (1968); Winter (2000) Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Week 7 (02 Sep - 08 Sep) |
Workshop |
Student Presentations on Systems Theory Student Presentations on Systems Theory Learning outcomes: L01, L03 |
Seminar |
Introduction to Post-Processual Archaeologies Today we introduce post-processual archaeologies by examining the origins of their diverse approaches, their similarities and differences. Readings/Ref: Johnson (2019) (Ch. 7); Hodder & (2008); Lampeter (1997) Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 8 (09 Sep - 15 Sep) |
Workshop |
Poster Introduction Lets find out what is required for the poster assignment and how to go about doing it Learning outcomes: L01 |
Week 9 (16 Sep - 22 Sep) |
Workshop |
Student Presentations on Postprocessual archaeology Student Presentations on Postprocessual archaeology Learning outcomes: L01, L03 |
Seminar |
Contextual Archaeologies An examination of Interpretive and Contextual Archaeologies - two foundational post-processual approaches. Readings/Ref: Johnson (2019) (Ch. 7); Hodder (1991); Johnsen &(1992); Liebmann (2002) Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04 |
|
Mid Sem break (23 Sep - 29 Sep) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Mid Semester Break Do not come to class. |
Week 10 (30 Sep - 06 Oct) |
Workshop |
Student Presentations on Contextual Archaeology Student Presentations on Contextual Archaeology Learning outcomes: L01, L03 |
Seminar |
Agency, Practice and Praxis Background to concepts of agency, structure, practice theory, doxa and praxis and their application in post-processual theory. Readings/Ref: Johnson (2019) (pp. 113-114, 141-145); Dellino (2005); Dobres (1995); Joyce & (2005); Pauketat (2001) Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 11 (07 Oct - 13 Oct) |
Workshop |
Student Presentations on Agency, Practice and Praxis Student Presentations on Agency, Practice and Praxis Learning outcomes: L01, L03 |
Seminar |
Post-Modern Approaches to Gender We look at the three waves of feminism and their impact on archaeological theory. Particular attention is paid to the third wave and its role in post-processual archaeology. Readings/Ref: Johnson (2019) (Ch 9); Conkey (2003); Conkey & (1997); Wylie (1997) Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 12 (14 Oct - 20 Oct) |
Workshop |
Student Presentations on Gender Student Presentations on Gender Learning outcomes: L01, L03 |
Seminar |
Archaeology as Political Activity An examination of critical archaeology and the role of archaeology as a 'form of socio-political activity in the present'. We pay particular attention to archaeology as a praxic activity. Readings/Ref: Johnson (2019) (Ch. 13); Leone (1995); Leone (1987); Wurst & (1999) Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03 |
|
Week 13 (21 Oct - 27 Oct) |
Workshop |
Student Presentation on Critical Archaeology Student Presentations on Critical Archaeology Learning outcomes: L01, L03 |
Seminar |
Fitting it all Together Today we look at various approaches that try to combine processual and post-processual archaeologies. We investigate different forms of cognitive archaeology, and the work of Peter Kosso, a philosopher of science. This week includes a review of the entire semester. Readings/Ref: Johnson (2019) (pp. 105-107, Ch 14); Chipp (2003); Huffman (1986); Kosso (1991) Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.