Archaeology

Unit outlines will be available through Find a unit outline two weeks before the first day of teaching for 1000-level and 5000-level units, or one week before the first day of teaching for all other units.
 

Major

A major in Archaeology requires 48 credit points from this table including:
(i) 12 credit points of 1000-level core 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 core units
(ii) 12 credit points of 2000-level units
(iii) 12 credit points of 3000-level units

1000 level core units of study

ARCO1000 Ancient People: Hunters and Farmers

This unit of study is not available in 2022

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units 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 Teacher/Coordinator: Please refer to the unit of study outline for individual sessions https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Session: Semester 2 Classes: 2x1hr lecture/week, 1x1hr tutorial/week Prohibitions: ARCA1001 Assessment: 4x125wd equivalent each online tutorial exercise (10%), 1x2000wd essay (40%), 2x1000wd equivalent each in-class test (50%). Please refer to the unit of study outline for individual sessions https://www.sydney.edu.au/units 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.
ARCO1002 Ancient Worlds, Modern Lives

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Please refer to the unit of study outline for individual sessions https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr lecture/week, 1x1hr tutorial/week Prohibitions: ARCA1000 or ARCO1000 Assessment: 4x500wd laboratory notebook (40%), 1x2500wd essay (60%). Please refer to the unit of study outline for individual sessions https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
Is the human past relevant to our present lives? Can archaeology play an important role in the pathways we take into our future? In addressing these questions, and introducing archaeology, we focus on "grand challenges" that connect the past and the future. Using current research, we will examine key elements of the human story across time and space, from our origins to the Anthropocene. Focussing on archaeological theory, method, and practice, the unit will highlight the importance of archaeology to understanding current social issues including climate change, sustainability and resilience.

2000 level units of study

ARCO2001 Ancient Australia: Diverse adaptations

This unit of study is not available in 2022

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Session: Semester 1 Classes: 2x1hr lecture/week, 1x1hr tutorial/week Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 1000 level in Archaeology Assessment: 1x3000wd Essay (55%), 7x150wd each Chapter review (35%), 2x225wd each Tutorial presentation (10%) 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.
ARCO2007 Ancient Greece

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Please refer to the unit of study outline for individual sessions https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Session: Semester 1 Classes: 2x1hr lecture/week, 1x1hr tutorial/week Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 1000 level in Archaeology OR 6 credit points at 1000 level in Archaeology and 6 credit points at 1000 level in Ancient History Prohibitions: ARCA2612 Assessment: 1x1000wd tutorial exercise (15%), 1x2000wd essay (50%), 1x1500wd exam (35%). Please refer to the unit of study outline for individual sessions https://www.sydney.edu.au/units 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 Teacher/Coordinator: Please refer to the unit of study outline for individual sessions https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Session: Semester 2 Classes: 2x1hr lecture/week, 1x1hr tutorial/week Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 1000 level in Archaeology or (6 credit points at 1000 level in Archaeology and 6 credit points at 1000 level in Ancient History) Prohibitions: ARCA2615 Assessment: 1x1000wd equivalent tutorial presentation (20%), 2x750wd equivalent in-class test (40%), 1x2000wd essay (40%). Please refer to the unit of study outline for individual sessions https://www.sydney.edu.au/units 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.
ARCO2009 Village to City in Ancient Western Asia

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Please refer to the unit of study outline for individual sessions https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr lecture/week, 1x1hr tutorial/week Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 1000 level in the Archaeology major or (6 credit points at 1000 level in Archaeology and 6 credit points at 1000 level in Ancient History) Assessment: 1x2000wd essay (40%), 1x2000wd 20min equivalent presentation (40%), 5x100wd tutorial exercises (20%). Please refer to the unit of study outline for individual sessions https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
The emergence of farming in West Asia is an historical first linked to major shifts in cult and belief leading to increasingly complex forms of social organisation and the rise of primeval states. The unit introduces these developments in a broad comparative perspective throughout ancient West Asia.
ARCO2101 Fundamentals of Archaeological Practice

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Please refer to the unit of study outline for individual sessions https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x1hr lecture/week, 1x2hr laboratory session/week Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 1000 level in the Archaeology major Prohibitions: ARCA2601 or ARCA2639 Assessment: 1x2500wd fieldwork research design (60%), 1x2000wd equivalent laboratory notebook (40%). Please refer to the unit of study outline for individual sessions https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
Archaeological research requires a broad understanding of a range of practical aspects incorporating field, lab and interpretive skills. Here we explore a diverse array of topics across a number of themes to introduce some of the major principles and practices in archaeological research.
ARCO2103 Archaeology: Time and Materiality

This unit of study is not available in 2022

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units 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.
ARCO2106 Archaeology of Modern Australasia

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Please refer to the unit of study outline for individual sessions https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week, 1x1hr lab/week Prerequisites: 12 credit points of 1000 level in Archaeology or (6 credit points of 1000 level in Archaeology and 6 credit points from History or Ancient History or Anthropology) Assessment: 5x2 questions per quiz reading quizzes (10%), 1x2000wd book review essay (45%), 1x2000wd equivalent artefact poster (45%). Please refer to the unit of study outline for individual sessions https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
Archaeology is one of the key fields for understanding the emergence of the modern world. The documentary record is dominated by European males so the archaeological record provides an important alternative line of evidence. Further, the emergence of modernity was a largely material phenomenon. Rather than simply involving changes in ideology or worldview, the emergence of modernity was based on wholesale transformations of landscapes, settlement patterns, domestic space, and material culture. This class provides students with the practical skills to understand the archaeology of modern society, focusing on case studies from Australia and Oceania.
ANHS2606 The City of Rome: History and Landscape

This unit of study is not available in 2022

Credit points: 6 Session: Intensive January 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: Block mode 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

This unit of study is not available in 2022

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week. Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 2000 level in Archaeology or 6 Junior credit points of ARCA and (ANHS1600 or ANHS1601 or ANTH1001 or ARTH1001 or HSTY1089) 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.
ARCO3003 War and Peace in early West Asia

This unit of study is not available in 2022

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 2000 level in the archaeology major Assessment: Participation (10%), 1x4000wd research paper (50%), 5x200wd (1000wd equivalent) quiz (20%), 1x10min presentation (20%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
This unit explores the cultural, economic, and political interactions between the powers of ancient West Asia. This history provides a rich background to the analysis of issues such as the art of diplomacy, strategy in conflict, the dynamics of trade and exchange, and the nature of imperial ambition.
Textbooks
Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units
ARCO3004 Ancient West Asia: Art and Architecture

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Please refer to the unit of study outline for individual sessions https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 2000 level in Archaeology or (6 credit points at 2000 level in Archaeology and 6 credit points at 2000 level in Ancient History) Prohibitions: ARCA2623 Assessment: 1x3500wd research paper (50%), 1x15min presentation (30%), 2x500wd journal entry (20%). Please refer to the unit of study outline for individual sessions https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
The art and architecture of Ancient Western Asia opens a window onto a world of engineering prowess, artistic brilliance and symbolic meaning, relevant both to our understanding of the ancient creators, and to the unfolding entanglement of people and their creations down the ages. We will explore a range of iconic ancient structures and artworks, and consider their significance in context, and down the ages to the present day.
ARCO3005 Exploring the Silk Road

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Please refer to the unit of study outline for individual sessions https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week. Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 2000 level in Archaeology or (6 credit points at 2000 level in Archaeology and 6 credit points at 2000 level in Ancient History or Art History or History) Prohibitions: ARCA2633 Assessment: 1x1hr (1000wd equivalent) online test (25%), 1x750wd equivalent presentation (15%), 1x4250wd research paper (60%). Please refer to the unit of study outline for individual sessions https://www.sydney.edu.au/units 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.
ARCO3006 Ancient China Unearthed

This unit of study is not available in 2022

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 2000 level in the archaeology major Prohibitions: ARCA2619 Assessment: 1x1000wd equivalent in-class test (25%), 1x4000wd research paper (60%), 1x10min presentation (15%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
This unit explores ancient China from its earliest agricultural heritage through the splendour of Shang times to the Han dynasty and the rise of the Great Silk Roads. A critical aspect of the unit is to explore the conflict between the mythological past and the evidence provided by material culture.
Textbooks
Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units
ARCO3007 Minoans and Mycenaeans

This unit of study is not available in 2022

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 2000 level in the archaeology major Prohibitions: ARCA2610 Assessment: 1x3500wd Essay (50%), 1x1hr In-class test (25%), 1x15 minutes Presentation (25%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
The Aegean world in the second millennium BC was home to two major cultures, the Minoans of Crete and the Mycenaeans on the Greek mainland. The archaeological evidence allows reconstruction of their social and economic lives, sophisticated trade networks, arts, religion, and industry.
ARCO3011 Pompeii and Herculaneum

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Please refer to the unit of study outline for individual sessions https://www.sydney.edu.au/units 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 or (6 credit points at 2000 level in Archaeology and 6 credit points at 2000 level in Ancient History or Art History or History) Prohibitions: ARCA2627 Assessment: 10x50wd equivalent tutorial quizzes (20%), 1x 2000wd essay (40%), 2x2000wd equivalent in-class test (40%). Please refer to the unit of study outline for individual sessions https://www.sydney.edu.au/units 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.
ARCO3012 The Archaeology of South Italy

This unit of study is not available in 2022

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 2000 level in the archaeology major Prohibitions: ARCA2614 Assessment: 1x3500wd Essay (70%), 1x2000wd equivalent / 20 minutes Presentation (20%), 5x100wd Quiz (10%) Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
Between c. 800 and 300 BC Greek traders and settlers began to appear on the coast of South Italy and powerful Greek city-states and indigenous Italian polities emerged. Concepts such as colonisation, ethnicity, and hybridisation are here explored, using the material remains of Iron Age South Italy.
ARCO3101 Archaeology: History, Theory, Research

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Please refer to the unit of study outline for individual sessions https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Session: Semester 1 Classes: 1x2hr seminar/week. Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 2000 level in Archaeology or [6 Junior credit points of ARCA or ACRO and (ANHS1600 or ANHS1601 or ANTH1001 or ARTH1001 or HSTY1089)] Prohibitions: ARCA2635 Assessment: 500wd equivalent lecture questions (10%), 1x1500wd seminar paper (20%), 1x 4000wd essay (70%). Please refer to the unit of study outline for individual sessions https://www.sydney.edu.au/units 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)

This unit of study is not available in 2022

Credit points: 6 Session: Semester 2 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)

This unit of study is not available in 2022

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units 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.
ARCO3404 Archaeological Fieldwork (Project 4)

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Please refer to the unit of study outline for individual sessions https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Session: Intensive July Classes: 8 hours of lectures, followed by up to two weeks of fieldwork. Prerequisites: 12 credit points at 2000 level in Archaeology Assessment: 1x1000wd research design proposal (20%), 1x1000wd fieldwork log (20%), 1x4000wd project (60%). Please refer to the unit of study outline for individual sessions https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Mode of delivery: Block mode 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.

Interdisciplinary project unit of study

If you are completing two majors and both of your majors are from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, please select the Interdisciplinary Impact unit of study for your first major, and the Industry and Community Project unit of study for your second major.
If you are completing two majors but only one of your majors is from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, please select the Interdisciplinary Impact unit of study for that major.
If you are completing one major only and that major is from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, please select the Interdisciplinary Impact unit of study for your major.
FASS3999 Interdisciplinary Impact

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Please refer to the unit of study outline for individual sessions https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Session: Intensive December,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: Completion of at least 90 credit points Assessment: 1x1000wd disciplinary mapping exercise (20%), 1x1500wd / 10 min team presentation (30%), 1x2000wd critical reflection (35%), participation and engagement (15%). Please refer to the unit of study outline for individual sessions https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Mode of delivery: Block mode Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
Note: Department permission required for enrolmentin the following sessions:Intensive December
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'.
ARCO3999 Interdisciplinary Impact

This unit of study is not available in 2022

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Refer to the unit of study outline https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Session: Intensive December,Semester 1,Semester 2 Prerequisites: Completion of at least 90 credit points Prohibitions: Interdisciplinary Impact in another major Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
Note: Department permission required for enrolmentin the following sessions:Intensive December
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'.
ARCO3998 Industry and Community Project

Credit points: 6 Teacher/Coordinator: Please refer to the unit of study outline for individual sessions https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Session: Intensive February,Intensive July,Semester 1,Semester 2 Classes: Please refer to the unit of study outline for individual sessions https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Prerequisites: 72 credit points Corequisites: Interdisciplinary Impact in any major Assessment: Please refer to the unit of study outline for individual sessions https://www.sydney.edu.au/units Mode of delivery: Normal (lecture/lab/tutorial) day Faculty: Arts and Social Sciences
This interdisciplinary unit provides students with the opportunity to address complex problems identified by industry, community, and government organisations, and gain valuable experience in working across disciplinary boundaries. In collaboration with a major industry partner and an academic lead, students integrate their academic skills and knowledge by working in teams with students from a range of disciplinary backgrounds. This experience allows students to research, analyse and present solutions to a real-world problem, and to build on their interpersonal and transferable skills by engaging with and learning from industry experts and presenting their ideas and solutions to the industry partner.