Theoretical Trends in Archaeology
Code: 106853Credits: 6
| Degree programme | Type | Course |
|---|---|---|
| Archaeology | OB | 3 |
Contact lecturer
- Name :
- Jordi Cortadella Morral
- Email :
- jordi.cortadella@uab.cat
Teaching staff
- Rafael Mico Perez
Group languages
You can consult this information at the end of the document.
Prerequisites
To provide students with basic training in the concepts, theories and explanatory hypotheses about past societies that are derived from archaeological studies, students must have prior knowledge of Prehistory and History in general, from Ancient to Contemporary.
Objectives
- Search, select and manage information autonomously both in structured sources (databases, bibliographies, specialized publications) and in information distributed on the network.
- Acquire skills for the critical analysis of archaeological texts, identifying and historically contextualizing the problems raised and the theoretical and methodological resources used to resolve them.
- Recognize and put into practice the following skills for teamwork: commitment to the same, habit of collaboration, ability to join in problem solving.
- Debate based on the specialized knowledge acquired in an interdisciplinary context.
Learning outcomes
- CM05 (Innovatively apply the theoretical and methodological procedures of archaeology to society's demands.) Innovatively apply the theoretical and methodological procedures of archaeology to society's demands.
- CM06 (Recognise the ethical and social implications of the different approaches and theoretical proposals of archaeology to adapt the analysis to the demands of democratic values and practices without ideological manipulation.) Recognise the ethical and social implications of the different approaches and theoretical proposals of archaeology to adapt the analysis to the demands of democratic values and practices without ideological manipulation.
- CM07 (Propose a theoretical and methodological conceptualisation of archaeology that is consistent with inclusive and non-sexist perspectives of the past.) Propose a theoretical and methodological conceptualisation of archaeology that is consistent with inclusive and non-sexist perspectives of the past.
- KM07 (Recognise the structure of archaeology as a science both on a theoretical (epistemological and ontological) and methodological level based on its theoretical diversity and the main current debates.) Recognise the structure of archaeology as a science both on a theoretical (epistemological and ontological) and methodological level based on its theoretical diversity and the main current debates.
- KM08 (Identify the contributions of disciplines such as anthropology, sociology, economic theory, geography, epistemology and the philosophy of science to archaeological theory.) Identify the contributions of disciplines such as anthropology, sociology, economic theory, geography, epistemology and the philosophy of science to archaeological theory.
- KM09 (Recognise the main androcentric biases in archaeological accounts and, specifically, in the ontological categories of social studies to develop inclusive analysis that incorporates relevant issues in relation to women.) Recognise the main androcentric biases in archaeological accounts and, specifically, in the ontological categories of social studies to develop inclusive analysis that incorporates relevant issues in relation to women.
- SM07 (Apply the logical structure of archaeology as a science to identify the processes that support its main reasoning in order to be able to analyse the processes of inference and generation of archaeological information and offer one's own views.) Apply the logical structure of archaeology as a science to identify the processes that support its main reasoning in order to be able to analyse the processes of inference and generation of archaeological information and offer one's own views.
- SM08 (Synthetically explain the main explanatory proposals of the past from the different theoretical schools of archaeology, assessing both strengths and weaknesses.) Synthetically explain the main explanatory proposals of the past from the different theoretical schools of archaeology, assessing both strengths and weaknesses.
Contents
The theoretical guidelines and methodological structure of the archaeological discipline will be presented and the historical development of archaeology from its origins to the present will be critically reviewed.
1. Archaeology and the ancient world.
2. The medieval, modern and enlightened paradigms.
3. Evolutionism, diffusionism, particularism and functionalism.
4. The historical-cultural school: general principles.
5. The historical-cultural school and chronocultural typologies.
6. Processual archaeology (New Archaeology) and the project of a scientific archaeology.
7. Postmodern thought and post-processual archaeologies: critical perspectives and interpretative claims.
8. Historical materialism and archaeology: approaches from V. G. Childe to the present.
9. Emerging proposals and perspectives in archaeology.
Learning activities and methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theoretical classes | 40 | 1.6 | CM05, CM06, KM08, KM09 |
| Individual or group work and study | 78 | 3.12 | CM06, CM07, KM09, SM07 |
| Practical classroom seminars | 20 | 0.8 | CM07, KM07, SM07, SM08 |
The subject consists of theoretical classes and seminars.
- In the theoretical classes, the central contents of each of the topics will be introduced, relating the different theoretical currents with their historical context and the problems they try to solve.
- In the seminars, team work will be carried out to analyze theoretical applications in the practice of archaeology.
Note: 15 minutes of a class will be reserved, within the calendar established by the center/degree, for the students to complete the surveys to evaluate the performance of the teaching staff and to evaluate the subject/module.
Assessment
Continuous assessment activities
| Title | Weight | Hours | ECTS | Learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theoretical tests | 30 | 2 | 0.08 | CM06, KM07, KM09, SM08 |
| Presentation of work and classroom debate | 20 | 10 | 0.4 | CM07, KM07, SM07, SM08 |
| Delivery of work | 50 | 0 | 0 | CM05, CM06, KM08, KM09 |
The subject will be evaluated through individual and/or group work, public presentations and written tests.
The evaluation system is organized in 3 modules, each of which will be assigned a specific weight in the final qualification:
- Assignment submission module (50%): in this module, the assignments presented during the course will be evaluated.
- Module of public presentations and classroom debates (seminar) (20%).
- Module of written tests to reinforce understanding of technical vocabulary and theoretical models (30%).
The subject consists of two parts, with independent assessments. The arithmetic mean of both parts will only be made with the partial marks from 4 out of 10.
Students will obtain a not assessed/not submitted course grade unless they have submitted more than 30 % of the assessment items.
Erasmus and exchange students who request to advance an exam must present a document from their home university justifying their request.
This subject does not allow a single assessment.
To access the revaluation, it is necessary to have attended all the evaluable activities and to have passed at least half of them (cut-off mark: 4 points out of 10).
In the event that the student commits any type of irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade of an evaluation act, this will be graded with 0, regardless of the disciplinary process that may result from it. In the event that several irregularities are verified in the evaluation acts of the same subject, the final grade for this subject will be 0.
In this subject, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is allowed as an integral part of the development of the work, as long as the final result reflects a significant contribution of the student in the analysis and personal reflection. The student will have to: (i) identify which parts have been generated with AI; (ii) specify the tools used; and (iii) include a critical reflection on how these have influenced the
process and the final result of the activity. The non-transparency of the use of AI in this evaluable activity will be considered a lack of academic honesty and result in the activity being evaluated with a 0 and not being able to be recovered, or greater sanctions in serious cases.
Bibliography
(the bibliographic list may be expanded when discussing specific topics)
Binford, L. R. (1962), “Archaeology as anthropology”, American Antiquity, 28: 217-225.
Binford, L. R. (1988), En busca del pasado. Descifrando el registro arqueológico. Crítica, Barcelona.
Castro, P.V., Gili, S., Lull, V., Micó, R., Rihuete, C., Risch, R. i Sanahuja, Mª E. (2001), “Teoría de la producción de la vida social. Un análisis de los mecanismos de explotación en el sudeste peninsular (ca. 3000-1550 cal ANE)”, Astigi Vetus, 1, pp. 13-54.
Childe, V. G. (1984), La evolución social. Alianza, Madrid.
Clarke, D. L. (1968), Analytical Archaeology. Methuen, Londres (trad. cast. Arqueología analítica. Bellaterra, Barcelona, 1984).
Courbin, P. (1982), Qu’est-ce que l’archéologie? Payot, París.
Daniel, G. (1986). Historia de la arqueología: de los anticuarios a V. Gordon Childe. Madrid.
Díaz-Andreu, M.; Mora, G.; Cortadella, J. (coord.) (2009). Diccionario histórico de la arqueología en España (siglos XV-XX). Madrid.
Gándara, M. (1981), “La vieja “Nueva Arqueología”, Boletín de Antropología Americana, 3: 7-70.
Gutiérrez Lloret, S., (1997). Arqueología. Introducción a la historia material del pasado. Alicante.
Hempel, C. (1987), Filosofía de la ciencia natural. Alianza, Madrid.
Hodder, I. (1988), Interpretación en arqueología. Corrientes actuales. Crítica, Barcelona.
Johnson, M. H. (2000), Teoría arqueològica. Una introducción. Ariel, Barcelona.
Johnson, M. H. (2006). “Archaeology and theoretical culture”. Archaeological Dialogues, 13: 167-182
Lambert-Karlovsky, C. (ed.) (1989). Archaeological thought in America. Cambridge.
Lull, V. (2005), “Marx, Producción, Sociedad y Arqueología”, Trabajos de Prehistoria, 62 (1), pp. 7-26.
Lull, V. (2007), Los objetos distinguidos. La arqueología como excusa. Bellaterra Ediciones. Barcelona.
Lull, V. (2017), “¿De qué se ocupa la arqueología?”, MARQ – Arqueología y Museos, 8, pp. 9-22.
Lull, V. i Micó, R. 1997, \"Teoría arqueológica I. Los enfoques tradicionales: las arqueologías evolucionistas e histórico-culturales\", Revista d'Arqueologia de Ponent, 7: 107-128.
Lull, V. i Micó, R. 1998, \"Teoría arqueológica II. La arqueología procesual\", Revista d'Arqueologia de Ponent, 8: 61-78.
Lull, V. i Micó, R. 2001, “Teoría arqueológica III. Las primeras arqueologías posprocesuales”, Revista d'Arqueologia de Ponent, 11-12: 21-41.
Micó, R. (2006), “Archivos, espejos o telescopios. Maneras de hacer en arqueología”, Complutum, 17, pp. 171-183.
Moro, O. (2007). Arqueología prehistórica e historia de la ciencia. Hacia una historia crítica de la arqueología. Barcelona.
Richard, N. (1992). L’invention de la préhistoire, Une anthologie. París.
Schnapp, A. (1993). La conquête du passé. Aux origines de l’archéologie. París.
Shanks, M. i Tilley, C. (1987), Re-constructing Archaeology. Theory and Practice. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Shanks, M. i Tilley, C. (1987), Social Theory and Archaeology. Polity Press, Cambridge.
Trigger, B. G. (1992). Historia del pensamiento arqueológico. Barcelona.
Watson, P. J., Leblanc, S. i Redman, Ch. L. (1974), El método científico en arqueología. Alianza, Madrid.
White, L. (1982), La ciencia de la Cultura. Un estudio del hombre y la civilización. Paidos, Barcelona.
Software
No specialized software
Course groups and languages
The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE
| Type of teaching | Group | Language | Semester | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (TE) Theory | 1 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |
| (PAUL) Classroom practices | 1 | Catalan | second semester | morning-mixed |