Life, Death, and Religion: Themes in the Archaeology of Britain

Overview

What developments shaped human communities and how are they manifested in the archaeological record? This module will explore major overarching patterns of human behaviour and social change within various areas of archaeological inquiry.

Using examples and case studies from across Britain, the module will introduce the archaeological evidence that has illustrated these patterns, including many of the key sites, projects, and archaeologists who explored them. We will look at how artefacts or sites used to explain past human behaviour. The themes of domestic life in settlements, death and burial, and ritual and religion are presented with case studies which illuminate the worlds of the past.

Programme

Activities and tasks will be embedded into each unit so students can practise the techniques they have learned and develop their skills. Students will be encouraged to share their own work and participate in discussions on Blackboard. Alongside the learning materials on Blackboard the tutor will be on hand via email to answer any queries and provide guidance throughout the course. They will also participate in the online discussions.   

• Unit 1 - Introduction 
• Unit 2 - Settlement   
•  Unit 3 - Death and burial 
• Unit 4 - Ritual and religion 
• Unit 5 - Consolidation and assessment 

Learning Outcomes

1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the current debates regarding themes within archaeological discourse.
2. Perform intermediate-level online searches of online archaeological databases to extract relevant data.
3. Communicate individual interpretation of archaeological material in formal and informal settings.
4. Collate, analyse, and synthesise information from the wide variety of source material explored in the module to produce a written comparison of the mortuary behaviours between the Romano-British and early medieval periods. 

Assessments

1. Blog post of 300 words outlining the settlement history of your village, parish or town. (20%)
2. Written assignment of 1500 words - Compare and contrast burial evidence in the Romano-British and Early Anglo-Saxon periods. (80%) 

Reading Suggestions

Reading suggestions will be offered throughout the course. 

Entry Requirements

This course is for everyone. No previous experience is needed and there are no formal entry requirements.

What Do I Need?

As this is an online course, you would need the following:

• Internet access
• Access to a laptop or computer with a web camera and microphone; the use of headphones might also be of benefit
• Use of the Chrome web-browser where possible.