Course syllabus

 

 

SEMESTER 1, 2020

15 points

 

Well-Being Always Comes First We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there. For more information, look at this Canvas page, which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community. CONTACT ME IF YOU ARE HAVING ISSUES COMPLETING COURSEWORK BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY KEEP IN TOUCH AND KEEP UP WITH THE WORK.  USE THE RESOURCES, USE MY VIRTUAL OFFICE HOURS, USE THE DISCUSSION BOARDS.  KEEP CALM, KEEP SAFE, AND KEEP BEING KIND.

 

Course Convenor: 

 Judith Littleton - j.littleton@Auckland.ac.nz

Teacher:

 Judith Littleton - j.littleton@Auckland.ac.nz

Course delivery format:  NOW ONLINE

 LECTURE 12-2PM WEDNESDAY, Chemistry G053

LAB:Tuesday, ROOM 706, HUMAN SCIENCES BUILDING.

OFFICE HOURS: Judith Wednesday 2-3pm  Click on this link to join:  https://auckland.zoom.us/j/199816844

Lectures will be recorded and posted at the time of the lecture.   Reading quizzes will be posted on Tuesday morning.  Labs are an integral part of the course since they provide the range of essential practical skills. In other words you can probably pass while missing the odd lecture (though it will be much less interesting) but don't start the course thinking you can miss labs - you can't.  The lab worksheets will be posted online by Monday each week.  There are also practice quizzes. If something unavoidable comes up then see me (Judith). 

 Summary of Course Description:              

 Human remains reflect the lives of the dead as well as the lives of those who buried them. In this course you will be introduced to the various ways in which we study the dead. The course will cover three areas: the interpretation of mortuary practices, the interpretation of past lives from human remains, and the practice of burial archaeology in the southern hemisphere. The course is designed for students intending to do further study in archaeology or biological anthropology. In labs we will focus upon human osteology so that students have a practical understanding of human remains.  

Course Aims

In this course we aim to:

• Introduce you to the area of bioarchaeology and the analysis of both human and mortuary remains;
• Give you an opportunity to undertake independent research in this area;
• Demonstrate how different research questions and theoretical perspectives lead to different outcomes;
• Understand how assumptions underlie different analyses and learn how to identify them.
• Learn the basics of human osteology and the excavation of human remains.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this course, you will be equipped with the tools to:

♦ _Explain the limitations and promises of the analysis of human remains;

♦ _Evaluate analyses of human remains and mortuary practice;

♦ _Apply the first principles of analysis of human remains within an archaeological context;

♦ _Identify and explain what constitutes best practice in relation to human remains;

♦ _Master and demonstrate research skills including development of research questions; and

♦ _Write coherent evaluations of research and concepts relevant to course content.

 

Employability:

Able to analyse – undertaking independent research, identifying and using theoretical frameworks and concepts, use reference databases effectively to identify relevant sources.

Practical skills for cultural resource management and archaeology – including appreciation of legislation, ethics, and the excavation and recording of burials and human remains. Use first principles to identify human and animal remains and burials..

Communication skills: presenting work in a written format concisely and accurately; able to debate sensitive issues

Social and environmental skills: awareness of ethical issues and the multiple responsibilities of a researcher, cultural sensitivity.

Assessment

Task	Value	Due Dates
Reading quizzes	5%  (0.5 mark per quiz)	Question will be asked in Wednesday’s lecture – one quiz per week commencing week 3 ONLINE - AVAILABLE TUESDAY TILL WEDNESDAY 11.59 AM (TIMED)
Annotated bibliography and essay statement	5%	Due Week 5  on Canvas (30 March-3 April NO DATE CHANGE
Essay (3000-3500 words)	35%	Due Week 9 on Canvas (11-15 May) NO DATE CHANGE
Practical lab test	25%	Week 12 in lab (9 June) ON LINE, DATE CHANGE, TIMED TO LAB TIME, NOTE THERE WILL BE DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE TEST
Take home exam (2 essays – 3-5 pages each)	30%	Handed out on last day of lectures, due one week later on Canvas, 12-19 June.

 

 

Weekly Topics:

SEE UNDER MODULES OR DOWNLOAD THE SYLLABUS

 

Prescribed Texts:

Parker Pearson, M 2002 The archaeology of Death and Burial. 2nd ed. Texas A&M University.

Plus one additional reading per week. 

MAKE SURE YOU READ THEM BEFORE THE LECTURE AND THEN REVISE BRIEFLY AFTER.

A limited number of these books may be available from UBIQ (starting next year I have just placed the order), but it is also available from Book Depository or Amazon and probably other places.  We will rely on it and while I have asked the library for another copy there will be only one copy in Short Loan so please ensure you have access.  If you are having real trouble getting it then pop in and see me, Judith)

 

The University of Auckland's expectation is that students spend 10 hours per week on a 15-point course, including time in class and personal study. Students should manage their academic workload and other commitments accordingly. 

Ideally all coursework should be submitted by the due date and time. IF YOU ARE ILL OR HAVE SOME OTHER FORM OF EMERGENCY THEN CONTACT JUDITH AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE TO ARRANGE AN EXTENSION. Late work will be accepted with a penalty BUT because some of this work is lab based and there is a short turn around there may be limits on how late you can go. [this bit is under construction - meanwhile if you have issues see me].

SYLLABUS:

Download the syllabus here:367syllabus_2020_final2.docx

Labs

Labs will be on Canvas under modules each week.