AR2P14: Prehistoric Europe: the first million years

Module code: AR2P14

Module provider: Archaeology; School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science

Credits: 20

Level: Level 2 (Intermediate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Professor Duncan Garrow, email: d.j.garrow@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 20 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module covers Europe’s prehistory, from the earliest Palaeolithic through to the Iron Age (c. 1,600,000–800 BC), from Turkey and the Balkans to Britain, Ireland and Scandinavia. We will address important research questions such as the contrasting behaviours and environmental tolerances of ‘modern’ humans (H. sapiens) and ‘archaic’ hominins (e.g. the Neanderthals and H. heidelbergensis) over the last 1 million years or more; the effects of climate and sea-level change on human lives; why farming initially spread across the continent; how and why burial rites changed through time; the varied nature of ritual deposits through time; and how people first came to use metals. We will look at themes such as technology (lithic and organic) and dietary strategies, life histories and hominin cognitive abilities, settlement and burial archaeology, ritual practice, and comparative anthropology. The aim of the module is to provide an introduction to prehistoric archaeology across Europe, and to the types of archaeological evidence that are encountered when studying this period. We will also go on a behind the scenes field trip to a museum. 

This module aims to provide you with an understanding of: 

• The European Palaeolithic’s key hominin species and their behaviours; 
• The major social and economic changes that took place in Europe from c. 11,700–800 BC; 
• The Pleistocene and Holocene climates and environments to which prehistoric Europeans were adapted; 
• The methods used for analysing and interpreting the evidence from the archaeological record of prehistoric Europe. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Recognise and describe the particular character of the archaeological evidence for prehistoric Europe;
2. Identify the major social and economic changes that occurred in prehistoric Europe and compare changes in different regions of Europe for this period;
3. Critically evaluate different methodological approaches to, and theoretical interpretations of, these changes;
4. Organise material and articulate arguments effectively in written coursework.

Participation in seminars will enable you to develop and apply you communication and presentation skills through structured discussion sessions and presentations. Your research and analytical skills will be developed through participation in the seminars and completion of the written coursework components. You will also develop your IT skills through preparing your group project assignment, and through researching sources for the coursework essay.

Module content

This module covers prehistoric Europe, from the earliest Palaeolithic to the Iron Age (c. 1,600,000–800 BC). The sorts of topic covered include: 

• Climates and environments in prehistoric Europe 
• Hominins before humans 
• Hunter-gatherer diets and lifestyles 
• Hunter-gatherer technologies 
• The idea and spread of farming 
• Monumental architecture and the creation of place 
• Metals and the rise of ‘elites’ 
• Ritual deposition 
• Death and burial in prehistoric Europe 
• Art in prehistoric Europe 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

This course is taught through a combination of lectures, seminars, group discussions and debates, student presentations, directed reading, assignments, a knapping practical, and a field trip. 

There will be 10 main teaching sessions, plus a student presentation session. Each of the main sessions will last two hours, including class discussions. 

As a 20 credit module, the module should involve 200 hours of study time: attending lectures and seminars, general background reading, preparing for seminars, and reading for, and writing, your written coursework. You should therefore expect the following sort of workload: 

• 26 - Contact hours in formal teaching sessions (lectures, seminars, practicals etc.) 
• 4 - Field trip 
• 60 - General background reading and note-taking from key texts for each week 
• 90 - Reading for, preparation of, and writing your essay and other coursework 
• 20 - Reading, note-taking, and preparation of your seminar presentation and for class discussions 

Introductory reading: 

• Fokkens, H. & Harding, A. (eds.) 2013. The Oxford Handbook of the European Bronze Age. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Available as an e-book]. 
• Fowler, C., Harding, J. & Hoffman, D. (eds.) 2015. The Oxford Handbook of Neolithic Europe. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Available as an e-book] 
• Gamble, C. 1999. The Palaeolithic Societies of Europe. Cambridge: CUP. Chapters 1 & 8 
• Stringer, C. 2006. Homo Britannicus. London: Penguin. 

Study hours

At least 32 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

You will also prepare a short seminar presentation (in small groups), based around the group project. These seminar presentations are not formally marked and do not count towards the overall module mark, but general feedback will be provided. Oral feedback will also be provided during and/or after general discussion seminars. 

Reassessment

Additional costs