Archaeology
Major
A major in Archaeology requires 48 credit points from this table including:
(i) 12 credit points of 1000-level units
(ii) 12 credit points of 2000-level units
(iii) 18 credit points of 3000-level units
(iv) 6 credit points of 3000-level Interdisciplinary Project units
Minor
A minor in Archaeology requires 36 credit points from this table including:
(i) 12 credit points of 1000-level units
(ii) 12 credit points of 2000-level units
(iii) 12 credit points of 3000-level units
1000 level units of study
ARCO1000 Ancient People: Hunters and Farmers
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr lecture/week, 1x1hr tutorial/week Prohibitions: ARCA1000 Assessment: 1x 1500 wds Essay (40%), 2x 1500 wds equivalent each In-class test (60%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
Tracing the story of our species, Homo sapiens, we provide an introduction to world prehistory from the evolution of our distant ancestors in Africa up to the emergence of farming. This unit introduces the discipline of archaeology, providing a broad practical and conceptual foundation for the continuing study of archaeology.
ARCO1001 Civilisations of the Ancient World
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 2x1hr lecture/week, 1x1hr tutorial/week Prohibitions: ARCA1001 Assessment: 4x 125 wd equivalent each Online tutorial exercise (10%), 1x 2000 wds Essay (40%), 2x 1000 wd equivalent each In-class test (50%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
This unit presents an overview of the archaeology and ancient history of the Ancient World, introducing the great civilisations of Mesopotamia, Iran, and Egypt, and the prehistoric and historic cultures of Greece and Italy, ending with the height of the Roman Empire.
2000 level units of study
ARCO2001 Ancient Australia: Diverse adaptations
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 2x1hr lecture/week, 1x1hr tutorial/week Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 1000 level in Archaeology Assessment: 2x 500 wd equivalent each Tutorial Presentation (30%), 1x 3500 wds Essay (70%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
People have occupied Australia for at least 50,000 years. During that period geographically varied cultural systems changed frequently, adjusting to altered economic and social contexts. This unit traces the long history of humans in this continent, a surprising, remarkable story of culture change.
ARCO2004 Ancient Levant: The Fertile Crescent
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 2x1hr lecture week, 1x1hr tutorial/week Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 1000 level in Archaeology Prohibitions: ARCA2604 Assessment: 1x 500 wds Tutorial Paper (15%), 1x 3000 wds Essay (60%), 1x 1000 wd equivalent In-class test (25%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
The lands along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean have a deep, rich history. They saw the birth of the earliest villages and later formed the crossroads between the great civilisations of Egypt and Mesopotamia. This unit presents the archaeological story of this culturally diverse region.
ARCO2006 Ancient Iran: Highlands and Lowlands
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr lecture/week, 1x1hr tutorial/week Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 1000 level in Archaeology Assessment: 1x 2000 wds Course journal (40%), 1x 500 wd equivalent Presentation (10%), 1x 2000 wds Essay (50%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
Iran is a country of environmental challenges, but its unique ecology set the stage for a succession of cultures culminating in the Persian Empire. The course will introduce the cultural developments of Greater Iran, making use of archaeological and historical sources as well as interpretative and theoretical concepts.
ARCO2007 Ancient Greece
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 2x1hr lecture/week, 1x1hr tutorial/week Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 1000 level in Archaeology or 12 credit points at 1000 level in Ancient History Prohibitions: ARCA2612 Assessment: 1x 1000 Tutorial exercise (15%), 1x 2000 Essay (50%), 1x 1.5 hours Exam (35%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
This unit traces the history and development of the Greek world during the first millennium BC. We explore key sites such Athens, Corinth, Lefkandi, Zagora, and Pergamon, and examine the transformations that occurred in socio-political organisation, religion, burial practice, art and architecture.
ARCO2008 Ancient Italy: Etruscans and Romans
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 2x1hr lecture/week, 1x1hr tutorial/week Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 1000 level in Archaeology or 12 credit points at 1000 level in Ancient History Prohibitions: ARCA2615 Assessment: 10x 100wd equivalent Tutorial Quiz (20%), 2x 1500 total equivalent In-class test (40%), 1x 2000 Essay (40%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
Despite being a superpower of the archaic Mediterranean very little historical knowledge of the Etruscan civilisation survives, leaving much to archaeology. This unit will begin by surveying this enigmatic group before moving onto Rome as the Republic begins its expansion.
ARCO2102 Archaeological Field Methods
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x1hr lecture/week, 1x2hr workshop/week Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 1000 level in Archaeology Prohibitions: ARCA2602 Assessment: 1x 2500 wds Site recording exercise (50%), 1x 2000 wd equivalent Exam (50%) Mode of delivery: Field experience Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
This subject provides a theoretical and practical introduction to a series of techniques employed in the formulation of archaeological research projects. Topics that will be addressed include: surveying methods, ethical, legal and practical aspects of fieldwork, field processing, and interpretation.
ARCO2103 Archaeology: Time and Materiality
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr lecture/week, 1x1hr tutorial/week Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 1000 level in Archaeology Assessment: 5x 100 wds equivalent each Tutorial questions (10%), 1x 1000 wd equivalent Annotated illustrations (20%), 1x 3000 wds Essay (70%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
Time and materiality are fundamental to archaeology. This unit reviews the ways in which time and materiality have been understood in archaeology in order to reappraise how they can conceptualised for the analysis of cultural phenomena. Global examples will be used.
ARCO2105 Ancient Mobility to Modern Megalopolis
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr lecture/week, 1x1hr tutorial/week. Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 1000 level in Archaeology Assessment: 1x 500 wds Tutorial questions (10%), 1x 1000 wd equivalent Tutorial presentation (20%), 1x 3000 wds Essay (70%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
15,000 years ago all of humankind lived in mobile communities in small settlements. Today almost all people live in sedentary communities. Some of those communities contain millions of people and occupy vast settlements, becoming known as the megalopoli.
ARCO2201 Field School in Greece
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Assoc Prof Lesley Beaumont Session: Intensive January Classes: 3-week intensive Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 1000 level in Archaeology Assessment: 1x 3000 wds fieldwork journal (50%), 1x 1500 wd equivalent exam (40%), 1x participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Field experience Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
Field collection and analysis of archaeological data form the core of archaeological practice. In this unit students will undertake intensive training in archaeological fieldwork in Athens, Greece, where they will both attend classroom lectures and participate on-site in archaeological excavation.
ANHS2606 The City of Rome: History and Landscape
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Kathryn Welch Session: Intensive January,Semester 1 Classes: 2x1hr lectures/week, 1x1hr tutorial/week Prerequisites: 6 Junior credit points in ANHS and 6 credit points in any of Ancient History, History, Archaeology, Philosophy, Greek (Ancient) or Latin or 12 credit points at 1000 level in Archaeology Assessment: 1x500wd annotated bibliography (15%), 1x2000wd research essay (35%), 1x500wd oral tutorial presentation (15%), 1x1500wd final exercise (25%), tutorial participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
'The city, stick to the city, and live in its light.' (Cicero) This unit will explore the rich history of Rome's urban landscape from the middle Republic (c.200BCE) to the early fourth century CE. We will examine the ways in which the physical city interacted with and even affected the political, religious and cultural life of the Romans and how the great monuments of Empire were eventually destroyed, recovered and reinvented by later ages.
3000 level units of study
ARCO3002 Australian Forager Economies
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week. Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 2000 level in Archaeology Prohibitions: ARCA2640 Assessment: 1x 1000 wd equivalent Presentation (15%), 1x 1500 wds Tutorial paper (35%), 1x 3500 wds Essay (50%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
For most of human history, hunting and gathering was the dominant economic strategy employed. This unit explores the archaeological evidence for hunter-gatherer activity, from early hominins in Africa to recent populations, placing the significance of Australian prehistory within a global context.
ARCO3004 Art of ancient western Asia
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 2000 level in Archaeology Prohibitions: ARCA2623 Assessment: 1x 2000 wd equivalent Unit journal (35%), 1x 1000 wd equivalent Presentation (25%), 1x 3000 wds Research paper (40%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
The stunning art of Ancient Western Asia opens a window onto a world of images loaded with symbolism and meaning. Emphasis is placed on the contextual importance of art, and in gathering basic skills necessary for analysis and interpretation.
ARCO3005 Exploring the Silk Road
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week. Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 2000 level in Archaeology Prohibitions: ARCA2633 Assessment: 1x 750 wd equivalent Presentation (15%), 1x 4250 Research paper (60%), 1x 1hr In-class test (25%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
The trade networks of the ancient Silk Roads stretched from the western borders of China to the shores of the Mediterranean, passing through the deserts of Central Asia. In this unit students will address concepts such as nomad-state relations, power and kingship and religion in the ancient world.
ARCO3008 At Home in Ancient Greece
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 2000 level in Archaeology Prohibitions: ARCA2611 Assessment: 1x 1000 wd equivalent Presentation (20%), 1x 4000 Essay (60%), 1x 1hr In-class exam (20%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
The social life of the ancient Greeks in the last millennium BC is approached through examination of selected settlement sites and classes of material. This unit traces how people lived their lives at home and at work, in the towns and countryside.
ARCO3011 Pompeii and Herculaneum
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr lecture/week, 1x1hr tutorial/week. Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 2000 level in Archaeology or 12 credit points at 2000 level in Ancient History Prohibitions: ARCA2627 Assessment: 10x 50wd equivalent Tutorial quizzes (20%), 1x 2000 wds Essay (40%), 2x 2000 wd equivalent In-class test (40%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD79 and the sudden burial of Pompeii and Herculaneum created a unique opportunity for archaeologists to study ancient cities and their inhabitants. This unit will explore how the material records of these cities are used to reconstruct the lives of ancient Romans.
ARCO3101 Archaeology: History, Theory, Research
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week. Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 2000 level in Archaeology Prohibitions: ARCA2635 Assessment: 500wd equivalent Lecture Questions (10%), 1x 1500wds Seminar paper (20%), 1x 4000wds Essay (70%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
An introduction to the history of archaeological inquiry in order to illustrate the way theory works, the key theoretical themes and issues of archaeological research and a global perspective on archaeology today.
ARCO3401 Australian Lithic Technology (Project 1)
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr laboratory/ week Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 2000 level in Archaeology Assessment: 1x 1000 wd equivalent Lab notebook (20%), 1x 1000 wd equivalent Practical test (20%), 1x 4000 wds Project (60%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
Production of stone artefacts, lithic technology, is the oldest technology and key to cultural evolution. The unit introduces the technology, and methods and theories for its archaeological interpretation. Understandings are developed through a student project involving laboratory experimentation.
ARCO3402 Archaeozoology (Project 2)
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr lab/week Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 2000 level in Archaeology Prohibitions: ARCA2641 Assessment: 1x 2000 wds Research design outline (30%), 1x 4000 wds Major report (70%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
What was the role of animals, both vertebrate and invertebrate, in past economic systems? With a principal emphasis on Australian fauna, we will examine the nature of subsistence strategies, animals as indicators of past environments, and techniques of analysis and interpretation of faunal remains.
ARCO3403 Iconography in Archaeology (Project 3)
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 2000 level in Archaeology Prohibitions: ARCA3620 Assessment: 1x 1000 wd equivalent Seminar presentation (20%), 1x 5000 wd equivalent Research paper (80%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
Images have the capacity to both reflect and shape human society. This unit examines the value and use of images in the archaeological context, focusing particularly on the challenges of viewing and interpreting imagery created by cultures removed from our own in time and space.
ARCO3404 Archaeological Fieldwork (Project 4)
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2,Summer Main Classes: 8 hours of lectures, followed by up to two weeks of fieldwork. Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 2000 level in Archaeology Assessment: 1x 1000 wds Research design proposal (20%), 1x 1000 wds Fieldwork log (20%), 1x 4000 wds Project (60%) Mode of delivery: Field experience Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
This unit provides practical experience in archaeology fieldwork. Students learn site discovery, recording and excavation techniques, and develop a detailed understanding of the practices involved in archaeological fieldwork.
BDES3030 Roman Architecture: Creation-Reception
Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Dr Sean Anderson (Architecture)/Dr Lesley Beaumont (Archaeology) Session: Semester 2 Classes: Lecture 2hrs/wk, tutorial 1hr/wk Prerequisites: 12 Junior credit points of ARCA, OR (6 junior credit points of ARCA and 6 junior credit points of (ANHS1600 or ANHS1601 or ANTH1001 or ARHT1001 or HSTY1089)), OR BDES2010 Assessment: Essay/Project 3000 Words (60%); Tutorial Quizzes 1500 Words (30%); Participation (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning
Western architecture has been profoundly shaped by the technological and stylistic influence of Roman architects. Taught jointly by an archaeologist and an architectural historian, this unit interweaves the creation and reception of Roman buildings from antiquity to the present.
Interdisciplinary Project unit of study
FASS3999 Interdisciplinary Impact
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 1hr lecture/performance event week for 5 weeks 2hr workshop per week for 10 weeks 2hr online learning modules for 5 weeks Prerequisites: 18 credit points at 2000 level Assessment: 1x 2000 wds equivalent Mapping knowledge exercise (30%), 1x 10 minutes Collaborative Presentation (30%), 1x 2000 wds equivalent Critical reflection essay (40%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
Note: Department permission required for enrolment
Interdisciplinarity is a key skill in fostering agility in life and work. This unit provides learning experiences that build students' skills, knowledge and understanding of the application of their disciplinary background to interdisciplinary contexts. In this unit, students will work in teams and develop interdisciplinarity skills through problem-based learning projects responding to 'real world problems'.
Honours
Honours in Archaeology requires 48 credit points from this table including:
(i) 12 credit points of 4000-level Honours Seminar units
(ii) 36 credit points of 4000-level Honours Thesis units
Honours Seminar
ARCO4101 Australian Archaeology Seminar
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr workshop, 1x1hr seminar attendance Assessment: 1x 1500 wds Research Critique (30%), 1x 1000 wds Seminar paper (25%), 1x 3500 wds Research Proposal (45%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
This unit examines the structure and production of archaeological research in Australia and from a local and a global perspective. Archaeological research design, the critical analysis of published academic research, data analysis and research writing will be examined.
ARCO4102 Classical Archaeology Seminar
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Assessment: 1x 750 wds Thesis review (15%), 1x 250 Essay proposal (5%), 1x 1500 wd equivalent Presentation (25%), 1x 3500 Essay (55%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
An advanced seminar for students studying Classical Archaeology (ancient Greece and Italy). Students will gain an expertise in theory and evidence about this subject. The unit will additionally enhance students' research, analytical, writing and presentation skills.
ARCO4103 West Asian Archaeology Seminar
Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2 hr seminar/week, 1 hr/week attendance at Near Eastern Seminar Series Assessment: 1x 500 wd equivalent In-class presentation (10%), 1x 750 wds Short paper (20%), 1x 750 wd equivalent Seminar Presentation (20%), 1x 4000 wds Research paper (50%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
The rich and complex archaeology of West Asia offers a large array of choices for students to develop their skills in relevant research practices. Emphasis will be placed on wider West Asia from prehistory to antiquity, with a focus on current research projects and innovative methodologies.
Honours Thesis
ARCO4201 Archaeology Honours Thesis 1
Credit points: 12 Session: Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr contact/week, 1x1hr supervision/week Mode of delivery: Supervision Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
In this unit you begin a substantial, independent research project in Archaeology. Regular meetings with a supervisor approved by the Archaeology Honours Coordinator will guide your progress. You will develop a plan for researching and writing the thesis, submit an ethics application if appropriate, familiarise yourself with disciplinary conventions and standards, engage with relevant literature, theories and methodologies, and submit drafts at agreed times.
ARCO4202 Archaeology Honours Thesis 2
Credit points: 24 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x1hr supervision/week Assessment: 1x 18,000 - 20,000 wds Thesis (100%) Mode of delivery: Supervision Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
This unit involves completion and submission of an Honours thesis of 18,000 - 20,000 words in collaboration with a supervisor approved by the Honours Coordinator. At completion, students will be eligible to obtain membership in the Australian Association of Consulting Archaeologists Inc. (AACAI), a professional organisation for which the full membership requirement is an honours or postgraduate degree in archaeology.
Advanced Coursework
The requirements for advanced coursework in Archaeology are described in the degree resolutions for the Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Advanced Studies.
24-36 credit points of advanced study will be included in the table for 2019.