AR3P22-The First Europeans: The Archaeology and Palaeoanthropology of the Lower Palaeolithic

Module Provider: Archaeology
Number of credits: 20 [10 ECTS credits]
Level:6
Terms in which taught: Spring term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2021/2

Module Convenor: Dr Rob Hosfield
Email: r.hosfield@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

The First Europeans: The Archaeology and Palaeoanthropology of the Lower Palaeolithic will introduce you to, and develop your knowledge of, the archaeology and hominins of this period. This will be achieved through a mixture of lectures, staff and student-led discussion seminar sessions, practical activities, field trips, and individual coursework assessments. Lectures will provide core knowledge regarding the chronology, hominins, sites, material culture and palaeoenvironments of the period, while the discussion seminars, practical sessions and field trips will develop understanding of key themes. These include archaeology (e.g. the earliest occupation of Europe and the Acheulean/Clactonian debate), Middle Pleistocene hominin evolution (e.g. encephalisation and new life history stages), environment (e.g. the nature of Middle Pleistocene landscapes and habitats), geology (e.g. the formation of Lower Palaeolithic 'sites'), and methodology (e.g. the different techniques for investigating the Lower Palaeolithic). The coursework assessments will develop your research and presentational skills, including writing for different, non-academic, audiences.



Preparatory reading:

• McNabb, J. The British Lower Palaeolithic: Stones in Contention. Abingdon: Routledge. Chapters 1-2.


• Hosfield, R. 2020. The Earliest Europeans – A Year in the Life: Seasonal survival strategies in the Lower Palaeolithic. Oxbow Books: Oxford (Open access copy at: https://books.casematepublishers.com/The_Earliest_Europeans.pdf). Chapter 2.


• Pettitt, P. & White, M.J. 2012. The British Palaeolithic: Human Societies at the Edge of the Pleistocene World. London: Routledge. Chapter 1.


• Stringer, C. 2006. Homo Britannicus: The Incredible Story of Human Life in Britain. London: Penguin. Introduction & Chapters 1-3.


• Wymer, J.J. 1999. The Lower Palaeolithic Occupation of Britain. Salisbury: Wessex Archaeology & English Heritage. Chapters 1 & 2.

Aims:

This module aims to provide you with an understanding and knowledge of the Lower Palaeolithic period in Europe, including key aspects of hominins (e.g. skeletal morphology) and their behaviour (e.g. technologies and subsistence), Pleistocene chronologies, landscapes and environments, and the techniques used to investigate the period.



Preparatory reading:

• McNabb, J. The British Lower Palaeolithic: Stones in Contention. Abingdon: Routledge. Chapters 1-2.


• Hosfield, R. 2020. The Earliest Europeans – A Year in the Life: Seasonal survival strategies in the Lower Palaeolithic. Oxbow Books: Oxford (Open access copy at: https://books.casematepublishers.com/The_Earliest_Europeans.pdf). Chapter 2.


• Pettitt, P. & White, M.J. 2012. The British Palaeolithic: Human Societies at the Edge of the Pleistocene World. London: Routledge. Chapter 1.


• Stringer, C. 2006. Homo Britannicus: The Incredible Story of Human Life in Britain. London: Penguin. Introduction & Chapters 1-3.


• Wymer, J.J. 1999. The Lower Palaeolithic Occupation of Britain. Salisbury: Wessex Archaeology & English Heritage. Chapters 1 & 2.

Assessable learning outcomes:

By the end of this module, it is expected that you will be able:

• To analyse and present Lower Palaeolithic sites and/or data;


• To assess the nature and quality of archaeological and/or palaeoanthropological evidence for the European Lower Palaeolithic;


• To evaluate different interpretive frameworks and/or investigative techniques applied to archaeological and/or palaeoanthropological evidence for the Lower Palaeolithic in Europe;< /li>
  
• To develop knowledge and understanding of topics introduced in lectures and seminars through further independent study and learning;


• To organise knowledge and demonstrate understanding through written coursework and seminar presentations;


• To critically select and present archaeological and/or palaeoanthropological evidence appropriate for different, non-academic, audiences.

Additional outcomes:
Participation in seminars will enable you to develop and apply your communication and presentation skills through structured discussion sessions and individual presentations. Your research and analytical skills will be developed through participation in the seminars and practical sessions, and through completion of the written coursework components (individual essay, press release, and web-page for schools).

Outline content:

The module focuses upon themes relevant to the current study of Lower Palaeolithic archaeology and hominins in Europe (technology, subsistence, life history, settlement histories, spatial structuring of behaviour). In outlining these themes the module also emphasises the varied geological contexts of the available archaeological evidence, and the relationships between the structure of the data and the questions which can be realistically answered. Regional and site-based data and specific exa mples from Europe (e.g. Soucy, Schöningen and Bilzingsleben, Atapuerca, Boxgrove and Swanscombe) will support the presentation and discussion of these themes.



Archaeological (e.g. lithic and zooarchaeological assemblages), palaeoanthropological (e.g. hominin fossil specimens) and geological/environmental (e.g. landscape fragments and biological proxies) evidence are presented throughout the module, alongside methodological and theoretical frameworks (e.g. the short vs. long chronology for the earliest European occupation; life history modelling) which have influenced the interpretation of the data.



The module also adopts a site-based and regional approach to the examination of the earliest period of European colonisation - the Lower Palaeolithic. The archaeology of the Palaeolithic period is characterised by a mixture of short-lived primary context archaeology (e.g. individual lithic scatters) and large-scale spatial and chronologi cal data palimpsests. The impacts of these contrasting scales of analysis upon behavioural models and research methods are emphasised, e.g. with reference to the value of site-based approaches in understanding tool-making, raw material exploitation and subsistence strategies, and to the importance of regional data in the study of hominin colonisation patterns and settlement histories. Spatial scales of analysis will therefore vary from the individual site to inter-regional comparisons.

Global context:

This module explores the archaeology and environments of Europe's earliest humans, using examples and case studies from both Britain and the continent (e.g. France, Spain and Germany).

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:

Lectures, seminars with structured discussions based upon prepared reading and individual presentations, and practical, artefact-based, sessions. A museum field trip will be arranged to view British Lower Palaeolithic artefact collections, pending any Covid19 restrictions. A second field trip will be arranged to view Middle Pleistocene landscape remnants, pending any Covid19 restrictions. Individual coursework feedback sessions will be offered in early Summer Term. Individual feedback on semi nar presentations will be provided by email.



As a 20 credit module, The First Europeans: The Archaeology and Palaeoanthropology of the Lower Palaeolithic should involve 200 hours of study time: attending lectures, seminars, practical sessions and field trips; general background reading; preparing for seminars; and reading for, and writing, your written coursework (essay, press release, and school webpage). You should therefore expect the following sort of workload: