UCL INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY
Degree Programme Handbook 2014-15
MSc Environmental Archaeology
CO-ORDINATOR: Michele Wollstonecroft (m.wollstonecroft@ucl.ac.uk)
Phone: 020 7679 4771
Office: Room 311
OTHER CORE INSTRUCTORS: Dorian Fuller (d.fuller@ucl.ac.uk)
Louise Martin (louise.martin@ucl.ac.uk)
Manuel Arroyo-Kalin (m.arroyo-kalin@ucl.ac.uk)
WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM: Cristina Castillo, Leilani Lucas, Charlene Murphy,
David Orton, Chris Stevens & Alison Weisskopf
MSc Environmental Archaeology
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1
INTRODUCTION
2
-Aims, Objectives and Intended Outcomes of this Programme
ENVIRONMENTAL ARCHAEOLOGY PROGRAMME STRUCTURE
2
2
-Core Courses
3
-Required Practical Options
3
-Additional Options
3
-Dissertation
4
-Oral Examination
5
TEACHING SCHEDULE 2014 - 2015
5
TEACHING METHODS
6
DYSLEXIA AND OTHER DISABILITIES
6
DEGREE ASSESSMENT
6
COURSEWORK ASSESSMENT
7
-Originality
7
-Citing of sources
8
-Avoiding Plagiarism
8
-Presentation
9
-UCL Regulations on Word-length
9
COURSEWORK SUBMISSION
9
-Turnitin
10
-Anonymity
10
- Penalties for Late Submission Without Permission
10
-Timescale for return of marked coursework to students
11
-Grading
11
-Re-submission of coursework to improve marks
11
-Return of marked coursework to course co-ordinator
11
COMMUNICATION
11
ATTENDANCE
11
LIBRARIES AND OTHER RESOURCES
12
HEALTH AND SAFETY
12
STUDENT FEEDBACK
12
WHAT IS ‘ENVIRONMENTAL ARCHAEOLOGY’?
12
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE CORE COURSES:
13
G187: Resources and Subsistence
13
ARCL G188 Environmental Archaeology in Practice
G184 Zooarchaeology in Practice
14
G101 Archaeobotanical Analysis in Practice
15
G104 Geoarchaeology
15
POTENTIAL DISSERTATION RESEARCH PROJECTS
15
15
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MSc Environmental Archaeology
INTRODUCTION
This is the Handbook for the MSc degree programme in Environmental Archaeology. It outlines the aims
and objectives, structure and content of the degree, and includes outlines of the core course and of the
most relevant options available this year. It is also available on the Institute web-site:
< http://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/handbook/gradstud.htm >.
This Handbook should be used alongside the MA/MSc Handbook (also available on the Institute web-site:
< http://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/handbook/gradstud.htm >), which contains information about all MA
and MSc degrees, and options within them, being taught this year. Students should consult that
Handbook if they need information about an option outside those normally offered within the present
programme. The MA/MSc Handbook gives essential information on a range of topics, from enrolment to
guidance on the dissertation, so students should ensure that they read it carefully. Distributed along with
the MA/MSc Handbook are maps of the College precinct and surrounding area of London and the
complete MA/MSc teaching timetable.
If students have queries about the organisation, objectives, structure, content or assessment of the
degree, they should consult the Degree Co-ordinator.
Aims, Objectives and Intended Outcomes of the Degree Programme:
1. To provide participants with a theoretical understanding of research questions and methodologies in the
study of past human-environment interactions, including subsistence and subsistence change.
Background in the study of temporal and spatial patterns and processes of community ecology, landscape
change and agricultural systems will be provided.
2. To provide participants taking the MSc qualification with training in research methods relevant to
environmental archaeology, including general familiarity with evidence from archaeobotany,
zooarchaeology and geoarchaeology.
3. To provide practical training in laboratory practice of at least one environmental archaeological science
(zooarchaeology, geoarchaeology or archaeobotany)
4. To enable degree holders to pursue specialized research on archaeological data relating to past
environments and/or subsistence.
Students will carry out a research project, resulting in a dissertation, which should represent a contribution
to the knowledge of environmental archaeology.
ENVIRONMENTAL ARCHAEOLOGY PROGRAMME STRUCTURE
The programme of study for this degree is intended to help students meet the objectives outlined above,
and also to provide an opportunity for them to achieve any additional personal objectives. It comprises
two compulsory core courses (each 15 credits), one compulsory practical option (15 credits) and three
additional options (of 15 credits each), to a total of 90 credits, and a dissertation on a research topic
related to the field of the degree. Each course addresses a specific subject and has its own Co-ordinator.
Prerequisites:
Courses for Masters programmes do not have prerequisites; students will have been accepted to the
programme on the understanding that they already have sufficient background in archaeology or a
relevant field, either through their previous degree, or through relevant experience, to be able to follow the
programme and courses for which they have been accepted. If, however, students wish to change
their programme, or the courses in which they indicated an interest in enrolling in, in their
application, they should discuss this with the relevant Degree and Course Co-ordinators.
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MSc Environmental Archaeology
For some courses, depending on the student's previous background, it may be recommended that they
also attend (but will not be assessed for) a parallel undergraduate lecture course, to ensure that they have
the background to get the most out of the Masters level seminars.
The Core Courses:
Students are required to take 2 core courses, which serve to develop the necessary theory, critical
thinking and quantification skills for this degree.
Credit
15
Code
ARCLG187
15
ARCLG188
Course Name
Resources and
Subsistence
Environmental
Archaeology in Practice
Co-ordinator
Michele
Wollstonecroft
Louise Martin
Term
I
II
Day and Time
Tues 9-11
Wed 9-11
Room
410
410
G187 Resources and Subsistence (coordinated by Michele Wollstonecroft, email:
m.wollstonecroft@ucl.ac.uk, office in Room 311), offered in Term I.
The principal aims of this core course are to develop and understanding of theoretical debates and
methodological issues in the archaeological study of subsistence, changes in subsistence and related
human modification of environments. This course is intended to provide the theoretical grounding for
practical projects in zooarchaeology or archaeobotany examining subsistence, and consider the
potential of geoarchaeological approaches to studying past subsistence systems
G188 Environmental Archaeology in Practice (coordinated by Louise Martin, email:
louise.martin@ucl.ac.uk, office in Room 303), offered in Term II. This core course aims to develop a
working knowledge of key methods in data analysis for environmental archaeology, including dating
and the Bayesian analysis of radiocarbon calibration, sampling strategies on-site and off-site,
quantification of biological and geoarchaeological datasets, and approaches to statistical analysis.
Problems in taphonomy of environmental datasets will also be introduced. This course provides the
theoretical grounding for practical projects in zooarchaeology, archaeobotany or geoarchaeology.
Required Practical Option [at least 1 required = 15 credits]:
Practical skills in working with archaeological environmental/subsistence evidence is a key part of this
degree, and each student is expected to pursue practical study of at least one of the core practical
research areas—Archaeobotany, Geoarchaeology or Zooarchaeology. A student may take 2 or 3
practical options, replacing the additional options below. (Note: in addition to 1 practical options,
students must take three units (=45 credits) of optional courses). The schedule for these courses for
this year is indicated below. Further details on these courses appears later in this document.
Credit
Code
15
ARCLG101
15
ARCLG184
15
ARCLG104
Course Name
Co-ordinator
Archaeobotanical
Analysis in Practice
Zooarchaeology in
Practice
Geoarchaeology
Dorian Fuller
Term
II
Reading Week
Day and Time
Room
313
Louise Martin
I
Mon 2.15-4.15
308
Manuel ArroyoKalin
II
Tu 4-6 (lecture)
Wed 11-1 (practical)
209
lab
Additional Options:
Students must take 45 credits of optional courses
Normally, students select options from those
available within (and particularly relevant to) this degree programme, but they may select one element
of options from those available in other Masters' degree programmes taught in the Institute of
Archaeology, after discussion with and subject to the agreement of the Degree Co-ordinator. More
exceptionally, it is possible to take one module provided by another Department at UCL, or one of the
other Colleges of the University of London - students should discuss this with their Degree Coordinator. The options available this year for this degree programme are:
For details on the topics of this courses, first visit the appropriate webpages at:
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/masters/components/ [selected course number]
If you have further queries, please contact the course coordinator. Availability of space in some options
may be limited; please confirm availability with the course coordinator.
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MSc Environmental Archaeology
List of Additional Options:
Credit
15
Code
ARCLG090
15
ARCLG091
15
ARCLG112
15
ARCLG116
15
ARCLG117
15
ARCLG128
15
ARCLG196
15
ARCLG202
15
ARCLG203
15
15
ARCLG205
ARCLG218
15
ARCLG219
15
ARCLG226
15
ARCLG269
15
ARCLG270
15
ARCLG271
15
15
ARCLG274
ARCLG277
15
ARCLG278
15
ARCLG281
Course Name
Geographic Information
Systems in Archaeology
I
Geographic Information
Systems in Archaeology
II
Interpreting Pottery
- lecture
Practicals (one of)
Co-ordinator
Andy Bevan
Term
I
Wed 9-12
501
Mark Lake
II
Th 1-4
322c
Bill Sillar
I
Mon 10-12 and
B13
Bill Sillar
I
B13
Archaeological
approaches to the
human use of space
Spatial analysis in
archaeology
Archaeology of huntergatherers from the
emergence of modern
humans
The Late Bronze Age
Aegean
Mediterranean world in
the Iron Age
Ancient Italy in the
Mediterranean
Mediterranean prehistory
British and European
Prehistory: Neolithic to
Iron Age
The Archaeology of
Complex Urban Sites:
Analytical and
Interpretative Techniques
Society and Culture in
Ancient Egypt
Near Eastern Material
Cultures I: Neolithic and
Early Bronze Age
Near Eastern Material
Cultures II: Middle
Bronze Age to the end of
the Iron Age
Archaeology of early
human origins
Archaeologies of Asia
Archaeology of
Buddhism
Social complexity in
Early China: from
Neolithic to Early Empire
Funerary archaeology
Mark Lake
I
Mon 12-1, 2-3, or
3-4
Mon 11-1
410
Andy Bevan
II
Mon 2-4
412
Andy Garrard
II
Tu 2-4
612
Todd Whitelaw
I
Fri 2-4
B13
Corinna Riva
II
Th 2-4
209
Corinna Riva
II
Mon 2-4
612
Borja Legarra
Mike Parker
Pearson
I
I
Th 11-1
Mon 2-4
410
410
Tim Williams
II
Fri 10-12 and
Fri 2-4
B13
410
Richard Bussmann
II
Tu 4-6
412
Karen Wright
I
Tu 11.30-1.30
209
Mark Altaweel
II
Fri 10.30-12.30
209
Matt Pope
I
Fri 11-1
410
Yijie Zhuang
Robert Harding
I
II
Fri 12-2
Fri 12-2
412
412
Yijie Zhuang
II
Th 9-11
209
Mike Parker
Pearson
I
Tues 2-4
612
Subject to space and the agreement of the Course Co-ordinators involved, students are welcome to
attend courses in addition to those for which they are formally registered.
Dissertation (= 90 credits): DUE SEPTEMBER 15, 2015
The dissertation of up to 15,000 words is a report on research, the topic chosen being approved as being
relevant within the general area covered by this degree. Soon after arrival, students should discuss their
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MSc Environmental Archaeology
area of research interest with their Degree Co-ordinator, who will help them to focus their ideas for their
dissertation, or refer them to another member of staff who will be able to provide more specific advice, and
will probably be appointed to be the student's Dissertation Supervisor. They will help the student define
their dissertation topic, and provide guidance through the main stages of the work. The dissertation
provides a further opportunity to define and achieve the student's own particular objectives. It might be
used to apply newly learned approaches to an archaeological problem that has long been of interest, or to
gain greater experience with particular methods of data analysis. If a student is studying part-time while
working in the field, they might choose to analyse a data set derived from their own work, or to assess the
potential of particular theoretical or methodological approaches for their work. They can treat the
dissertation as a one-off research project, as a pilot study for a Ph.D. project, or use it to showcase their
skills to potential employers. Advice on the preparation of the dissertation will be provided at sessions at
regular intervals through the year, starting at the second Induction Day on Thursday 25 September.
The dissertation should be submitted by Tuesday, 15th September 2015. Guidelines for researching,
writing and producing the dissertation are included in the MA/MSc Handbook:
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/handbook/gradstud-degree.htm
We expect all students to have selected a dissertation topic by the beginning of Term II (January)
and to have discussed this topic with an agreed supervisor, and the degree coordinator. Although any
member of IoA staff may supervise or co-supervise a dissertation, for topics on Zooarchaeology students
should consult Louise Martin, for topics on Archaeobotany students should consult Dorian Fuller.
Oral Examination
There is an oral examination which will be held in late May or early June. The oral will seek to explore the
student's understanding of selected issues considered in the core course and how they relate to one or
more of the other options studied, and to the topic defined for their dissertation research. The oral
examination will be conducted by two of the core course Co-ordinators (Martin, Wollstonecroft, ArroyoKalin and/or Fuller). There are no marks awarded for the oral examination; the assessment is
satisfactory or unsatisfactory. In the event of a problem being identified by the Examiners, students
may be invited to attend a formal viva voce examination with the External Examiner for the degree also in
attendance.
Part-time students will be required to attend the oral examination in their second year
TEACHING SCHEDULE 2014-2015
2014-2015 Dates of Teaching Terms:
Term I: Monday 22 September 2014 - Friday 12 December 2014; Reading Week: 3-7 November 2014
Term II: Monday 12 January 2015 - Friday 27 March 2015 Reading Week: 16-20 February 2015
Term III: Monday 27 April 2015 - Friday 12 June 2015
Taught courses are normally timetabled in the first two terms, though assessed work may be scheduled
for submission in the third term, depending on which options have been selected. Full details of the
timetable for each course are included in the course handout. Students are expected to use the remaining
months to complete their placement and to work on their dissertation.
If they are pursuing the degree on a part-time basis, students will normally be expected to take 60 credits
(which will normally include the core course) in the first year and the remaining element in the second.
They must agree their choice of courses with the Degree Co-ordinator. They may start work on the
dissertation at the same time as full-time students, or they may wish to start later; either way they should
consult the Degree Co-ordinator, and their Dissertation Supervisor, once the latter has been appointed.
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MSc Environmental Archaeology
TEACHING METHODS
Courses on Masters' programmes are usually taught through seminars, these will normally involve about
50% lecture and 50% time for student discussion based on the readings and issues raised in lecture. The
option courses will be mainly lab-based practicals with a smaller component of seminar discussion and
lecture.
Seminars are run differently by different Course Co-ordinators, but all have weekly recommended
readings, which students will be expected to have done, to be able fully to follow and actively to contribute
to discussion. Some courses may require the student to make a seminar presentation; if so, this will be
indicated in the course handbook.
DYSLEXIA AND OTHER DISABILITIES
If you have dyslexia or any other disability, please make your lecturers aware of this. Please discuss with
them whether there is any way in which they can help you. Students with dyslexia are reminded to indicate
this on each piece of coursework.
DEGREE ASSESSMENT
Degree is calculated out of 12. Core courses contribute 1/12th each, options are 1/12th each, and
the dissertation is 6/12th.
The Board of Examiners normally meets at the end of October. At that time students who have completed
all elements may be recommended for the award of a degree.
Degree results (for those who have enrolled in or after September 2010) will be graded as a Distinction,
Merit, Pass or Fail.
The requirements for each grade are as follows:
Distinction: An award of a degree with Distinction will be made where:
(a) the weighted arithmetic mean of the marks for all elements (the taught
elements and the dissertation) is 70% or greater, and
(b) the mark for the dissertation is 70% or greater, and
(c) the mark for at least one whole taught element or two taught half elements is 70% or greater, and
(d) there are no marks below 50%, and
(e) all marks are based on first attempts and there are no re-sits.
In the case of the MA in Research Methods for Archaeology, an award of the degree with Distinction will
be made where;
(a) the weighted arithmetic mean of all elements is 70% or greater and
(b) the marks for the Piece of Research Writing and the Research Proposal are both 70% or greater, and
(c) there are no marks below 50%, and
(d) all marks are based on first attempts and there are no re-sits.
For the requirements in the case of 2 year Master’s degrees, please see the relevant Degree Handbook
Merit: An award of a degree with Merit will be made where:
(a) the weighted arithmetic mean of the marks for all elements is 60% or
greater, and
(b) the mark for the dissertation is 65% or greater, and
(c) there are no marks below 50%, and
(d) all marks are based on first attempts and there are no re-sits.
In the case of the MA in Research Methods for Archaeology, an award of the degree with Merit will be
made where;
(a) the weighted arithmetic mean of all elements is 60% or greater and
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MSc Environmental Archaeology
(b) the marks for the Piece of Research Writing and the Research Proposal are both 65% or greater, and
(c) there are no marks below 50%, and
(d) all marks are based on first attempts and there are no re-sits.
For the requirements in the case of 2 year Master’s degrees, please see
the relevant Degree Handbook
Pass: An award of Pass degree will be made where:
(a) the weighted arithmetic mean of at least 75% the marks for taught elements is 50% or
greater and the marks for the remaining taught elements is 40% or greater, and
(b) the mark for the dissertation is 50% or greater.
(In other words, fail marks in the range 40-49% in up to 25% of the taught elements are condoned.)
In the case of the case of the MA in Research Methods for Archaeology, an award of a Pass degree will
be made if the mark for every element is 50% or greater.
For the requirements in the case of 2 year Master’s degrees, please see the relevant Degree Handbook.
Fail: A candidate will be considered to have failed the degree if the dissertation mark is less than 50% or
the mark for any element is less than 40%.
In the case of the case of the MA in Research Methods for Archaeology, the candidate will be considered
to have failed if the mark for any element is less than 50%.
For the requirements in the case of 2 year Master’s degrees, please see the relevant Degree Handbook
If a candidate fails to pass in one or more elements (course or dissertation), they may re-enter for the
failed element(s) the following year. Only one re-entry per element is permitted.
Each 15 credit course contributes 1/12 of the overall mark, while the dissertation contributes 6/12.
COURSEWORK ASSESSMENT
This varies from course to course, but is always explained in the relevant course handout. Each whole
element is normally assessed by means of a total of 10,000 words of coursework (or its equivalent in other
forms of assessment). The nature and deadlines of individual assessments are defined in the handouts of
the individual courses, available from the relevant Course Co-ordinator. If students are unclear about the
nature of an assignment, they should contact the Course Co-ordinator. The Course Co-ordinator will be
willing to discuss an outline of their approach to the assessment, provided this is planned suitably in
advance of the submission date.
Originality:
All work submitted as part of the requirements for any examination (which includes all assessed work) of
the University of London must be expressed in the student's own words and incorporate their own ideas
and judgements. Plagiarism is defined as the presentation of another person's thoughts or words as
though they are one's own. Plagiarism constitutes an examination offence under the University
Regulations and students found to have committed plagiarism may be excluded from all further
examinations of the University and/or College.
ANY QUOTATION FROM THE PUBLISHED OR
UNPUBLISHED WORKS OF OTHER PERSONS MUST BE IDENTIFIED AS SUCH BY PLACING THE QUOTE IN
QUOTATION MARKS, AND THE SOURCE OF THE QUOTATION MUST BE REFERENCED APPROPRIATELY.
The concept of plagiarism also includes self-plagiarism, which is the extensive use of the same sources
and materials in more than one piece of assessed coursework, submitted for the same or for other
courses taken as part of the degree.
To avoid charges of plagiarism or collusion, students must always ensure that their submitted work is their
own. They should not lend essays or essay drafts to other students because they might be penalised if
the other student copies the work and submits it as their own. If students are unclear about the definition
of plagiarism, they should review the notes on plagiarism and examples of good and bad practice with
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MSc Environmental Archaeology
respect to sources, included in the MA/MSc Handbook and on the Institute Intranet, and consult their
Degree Co-ordinator.
Although each course is assessed independently of other courses, students should take care to ensure
that the same or very similar work is not submitted for assessment more than once during their study for
this degree. Failure to do so could result in a reduction of their overall mark. If students are in any doubt,
they should seek advice from the Degree Co-ordinator, or the relevant Course Co-ordinator.
It is important that students reference their sources of information as accurately and as fully as possible. If
a student summarises another person's ideas or judgements, or reproduces their figures or diagrams, a
reference must be made in the text (using the Harvard convention) and all works referred to must be
documented in full in a bibliography. Referencing styles are outlined in the MA/MSc Handbook.
Citing of sources
Coursework should be expressed in a student’s own words giving the exact source of any ideas,
information, diagrams etc. that are taken from the work of others. Any direct quotations from the work of
others must be indicated as such by being placed between inverted commas. Plagiarism is regarded as
a very serious irregularity which can carry very heavy penalties. It is your responsibility to read and
abide by the requirements for presentation, referencing and avoidance of plagiarism to be found in the IoA
‘Coursework Guidelines’ on the IoA website
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/administration/students/handbook
Avoiding plagiarism
In academic and other circles, plagiarism is regarded as theft of intellectual property. UCL
regulations, all detected plagiarism is to be penalized and noted on the student’s record, irrespective of
whether the plagiarism is committed knowingly or unintentionally. The whole process of an allegation of
plagiarism and its investigation is likely to cause considerable personal embarrassment and to leave a
very unpleasant memory in addition to the practical consequences of the penalty. The penalties can be
surprizingly severe and may include failing a course or a whole degree. It is thus important to take
deliberate steps to avoid any inadvertent plagiarism.
Avoiding plagiarism should start at the stage of taking notes. In your notes, it should be wholly
clear what is taken directly from a source, what is a paraphrase of the content of a source and what is
your own synthesis or original thought. Make sure you include sources and relevant page numbers in your
notes.
When writing an essay any words and special meanings, any special phrases, any clauses or
sentences taken directly from a source must be enclosed in inverted commas and followed by a reference
to the source in brackets. It is not generally necessary to use direct quotations except when comparing
particular terms or phrases used by different authors. Similarly, all figures and tables taken from sources
must have their origin acknowledged in the caption. Captions do not contribute to any maximum word
lengths.
Paraphrased information taken from a source must be followed by a reference to the source. If a
paragraph contains information from several sources, it must be made clear what information comes from
where: a list of sources at the end of the paragraph is not sufficient. Please cite sources of information
fully, including page numbers where appropriate, in order to avoid any risk of plagiarism: citations in the
text do not contribute to any maximum word count.
To guard further against inadvertent plagiarism, you may find it helpful to write a plan of your
coursework answer or essay and to write the coursework primarily on the basis of your plan, only referring
to sources or notes when you need to check something specific such as a page number for a citation.
Take care also to avoid ‘self plagiarism’. On the basis of the principle that students should not
obtain credit twice for the same work, it is illicit to reproduce material for assessment in more that one
piece of assessed work within a degree without acknowledging the fact. Knowledge or ideas may of
course be relevant in more than one context. References to a student’s own work should therefore be
cited wherever appropriate in the same way as references to the works of other authors. Failure to do so
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MSc Environmental Archaeology
is considered 'self-plagiarism'. If in doubt, students should consult their Personal Tutor or another
appropriate teacher.
COLLUSION, except where required, is also an examination offence. While discussing topics and
questions with fellow students is one of the benefits of learning in a university environment, you should
always plan and write your coursework answers entirely independently.
Presentation:
Essays and other assessed work must be word-processed (unless otherwise specified) and should be
printed on one side of the paper, using 1.5-line spacing. Bibliographies may be in single line spacing.
Adequate margins should be left for written comments by the examiner. Students are encouraged to use
diagrams and/or tables where appropriate. These should be clearly referred to at the appropriate point in
the text, and if derived from another source, this must be clearly acknowledged. Students should adhere
to word limits on essays; they are intended to help ensure equality of workloads between courses as well
as to encourage the useful transferable skills of clearly structured arguments and succinct writing.
College regulations require the imposition of penalties for overlength work: see below.
UCL has published guidelines on the use of non-discriminatory language which apply to students as well
as staff (<www.ucl.ac.uk/hr/policy_docs/non_discrim_language.htm>). You are reminded, in particular, to
avoid the use of gender-biased terms in your written work.
UCL Regulations on Word-length:
For submitted coursework, where a maximum length has been specified, the following procedure will
apply:
i) The length of coursework will normally be specified in terms of a word count
ii) Assessed work should not exceed the prescribed length.
iii) For work that exceeds the specified maximum length by less than10% the mark will be reduced by ten
percentage marks; but the penalised mark will not be reduced below the pass mark, assuming the work
merited a pass.
iv) For work that exceeds the specified maximum length by 10% or more, a mark of zero will be recorded.
The following should not be included in the word-count: title page, contents pages, lists of figure and
tables, abstract, preface, acknowledgements, bibliography, captions and contents of tables and figures,
appendices, and wording of citations.
COURSEWORK SUBMISSION
Students are required to submit hard copy of all coursework to the course co-ordinator’s pigeon hole via
the Red Essay Box at Reception by the appropriate deadline. Coursework must be stapled to a
completed blue coversheet (available from the web, from outside Room 411A or from the IoA library)
Please note that stringent penalties for late submission were introduced UCL-wide from 2010-11. Late
submission are penalized in accordance with these regulations unless permission has been granted and
an Extension Request Form (ERF) completed.
Date-stamping is via ‘Turnitin’ (see below), so in addition to submitting hard copy, students must also
submit their work to Turnitin by midnight on the day of the deadline for each piece of work.
Students who encounter technical problems submitting their work to Turnitin should email the nature of the
problem to ioa-turnitin@ucl.ac.uk in advance of the deadline in order that the Turnitin Advisers can notify
the Course Co-ordinator that it may be appropriate to waive the late submission penalty. If there is any
other unexpected crisis on the submission day, students should telephone or (preferably) e-mail the
Course Co-ordinator, and follow this up with a completed ERF.
It is essential that students upload all parts of their coursework to Turnitin (ie including the bibliography
and images). This ensures that a complete electronic copy of all work is available in case an essay goes
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MSc Environmental Archaeology
astray. Please be assured that markers will not include these additional elements when checking word
counts.
Turnitin:
In addition to providing date-stamping, Turnitin’s primary function is to scan work for evidence of
plagiarism. This system gives access to billions of sources worldwide, including websites and journals, as
well as work previously submitted to the Department, UCL and other universities.
In common with most other UCL Departments, the Institute now uses this system for all assessed
coursework for taught courses. Students submit hard copy of coursework in the normal way, but are also
required to submit each piece electronically to Turnitin, which should be done before submission of the
copy to be marked. The declaration that students sign on coursework coversheets includes a statement
confirming that the work has been submitted to Turnitin.
Unless instructed otherwise, all work must be submitted to Turnitin. Work which is not submitted to
Turnitin will be subject to late submission penalties except in cases where the Turnitin Advisers have been
notified of a technical problem.
A training session will take place in the first week of term, at which the procedures will be explained to new
students, and you will be provided with the Turnitin code and password for submitting coursework for each
course. The full content of the training sessions is given on the Institute Intranet
Turnitin can be used to help you improve you work and avoid inadvertent plagiarism. In advance of
submitting your coursework for marking you may, if you wish, run your work through the system in order to
obtain a report on the originality of the wording and then make any necessary adjustments prior to final
submission. Turnitin advisors will be available to help you via email: ioa-turnitin@ucl.ac.uk if you need
help generating or interpreting the reports.
It is important to recognise that the final decision about whether work contains plagiarism rests with
academic staff. Consequently, the presence or absence of matches in a Turnitin report does not, by itself,
provide a guarantee that the work in question either contains or is free from plagiarism.
Anonymity
Students should put their Candidate Number on all coursework. This is a 5 digit alphanumeric code and
can be found on Portico: it is different from the Student Number/ ID. Please also put the Candidate
Number and course code on each page of the work.
It is also essential that students put their Candidate Number at the start of the title line on Turnitin,
followed by the short title of the coursework.. – eg YBPR6 Funerary practices
Penalties for Late Submission Without Permission:
Where coursework is not submitted by a published deadline, the following penalties will apply:
i) A penalty of 5 percentage marks should be applied to coursework
submitted the calendar day after the deadline (calendar day 1).
ii) A penalty of 15 percentage marks should be applied to coursework submitted on calendar day 2 after
the deadline through to calendar day 7.
iii) A mark of zero should be recorded for coursework submitted on calendar day 8 after the deadline
through to the end of the second week of third term. Nevertheless, the assessment will be considered to
be complete provided the coursework contains material than can be assessed.
iv) Coursework submitted after the end of the second week of third term will not be marked and the
assessment will be incomplete.
vii) Where there are extenuating circumstances that have been recognised by the Board of Examiners or
its representative, these penalties will not apply until the agreed extension period has been exceeded.
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MSc Environmental Archaeology
Students should note that these regulations will in most cases result in failing an element and thus
potentially failing the whole degree if a single item of assessed work is submitted more than 7 days late.
Timescale for return of marked coursework to students.
You can expect to receive your marked work within four calendar weeks of the official submission
deadline. If you do not receive your work within this period, or a written explanation from the marker, you
should notify the IoA’s Academic Administrator, Judy Medrington.
Grading
The grading system for coursework is set out in the MA/MSc Handbook The mark given by the initial
examiner (prior to return) is a provisional assessment for the student's guidance, and may be modified
after assessment by the second internal examiner or by the External Examiner.
Re-submission of Coursework:
Students are not normally permitted to re-write and re-submit essays in order to try to improve their marks.
However, in exceptional circumstances and with the approval of their Degree Co-ordinator, they may if
they wish, submit an additional piece of coursework (on a new topic) to substitute for the first piece of
written coursework submitted for their degree.
Return of marked coursework to course co-ordinator for external marking and other
purposes. Students must return marked coursework to the Course Co-ordinator within two weeks of
receiving it back, so that it can be second-marked, and is available to the Board of Examiners. Because
assessed work forms part of the student's permanent academic record, it needs to be retained until well
after the completion of the degree. If work is not returned to the Course Co-ordinator, the student will be
deemed not to have completed the course. Students are strongly advised always to keep a copy of all
work, and to make a copy for retention of all work after it has been assessed and commented upon by the
first examiner, if they wish to make future reference to the comments on the work.
COMMUNICATION
The primary channel of communication within the Institute of Archaeology is e-mail. If you wish to be
contacted on your personal or work e-mail address, please arrange for e-mail sent to your UCL address to
be forwarded to your other address, since staff and other students will expect to be able to reach you
through your College e-mail, which they can find on the UCL web-site. Students must consult their e-mail
regularly, as well as the student pigeon-holes in the Basement Common Room for written
communications. Please also ensure that you keep your contact details (especially your telephone
number) up to date on Portico, in case you need to be contacted.
ATTENDANCE
Registers will be taken at all classes, and Departments are required to report the attendance of each
student to UCL Registry at frequent intervals throughout each term. If you are unable to attend a class,
please email the course co-ordinator to explain, in order to ensure that there is a record of the reasons for
your absence.
It is a College regulation that attendance at lectures, seminars and practicals be monitored. A 70%
minimum attendance at all scheduled sessions is required (excluding absences due to illness or other
adverse circumstances, provided that these are supported by medical certificates or other documentation,
as appropriate).
Students should also be aware that potential employers seeking references often ask about attendance
and other indications of reliability.
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MSc Environmental Archaeology
LIBRARIES AND OTHER RESOURCES
In addition to the Library of the Institute of Archaeology, other libraries in UCL with holdings of particular
relevance to this degree are the Science Library located in the main campus. On occasion the main
library, which has holding in classics and ancient history may be useful.
Libraries outside of UCL which have holdings which may also be relevant to this degree are: the SOAS
library.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
The Institute has a Health and Safety policy and code of practice which provides guidance on laboratory
work, etc. This is revised annually and the new edition will be issued in due course. All work undertaken
in the Institute is governed by these guidelines and students have a duty to be aware of them and to
adhere to them at all times. This is particularly important in the context of the laboratory/field/placement
work which will be undertaken as part of this degree.
STUDENT FEEDBACK
In trying to make this degree as effective as possible, we welcome feedback during the course of the year.
Students will be asked to fill-in Progress Forms in the middle of each term, which the Degree Co-ordinator
will discuss with them, which include space for comment on each of their courses.
At the end of each course all students are asked to give their views on the course in an anonymous
questionnaire, which will be circulated at one of the last sessions of the course. These questionnaires are
taken seriously and help the Course Co-ordinator to develop the course. The summarised responses are
considered by the Degree Co-ordinator, the Institute's Staff-Student Consultative Committee, Teaching
Committee, and by the Faculty Teaching Committee.
If students are concerned about any aspect of a specific course, we hope they will feel able to talk to the
relevant Course Co-ordinator, but if they feel this is not appropriate or have more general concerns, they
should consult their Degree Co-ordinator, Personal Tutor, or the Deputy Graduate Tutor (Elizabeth
Graham). They may also consult the Academic Administrator (Judy Medrington), the Chair of Teaching
Committee (Karen Wright), or the Director (Sue Hamilton).
WHAT IS ‘ENVIRONMENTAL ARCHAEOLOGY’?
Some aims & objectives of the research
1.
To characterise 'short-term' environments, on various spatial scales, which relate to particular
phases of occupation of an archaeological site (or past settlement system in an area). Both on-site and
off-site data are often used, the former potentially giving detailed information about very local (intra-site)
environmental variation.
2.
Following from this, to infer, using both off-site and on-site data, what resources were available to
and utilised by people in the past, including the modelling, both spatially and temporally (e.g. seasonality),
of the ways in which landscapes were exploited for targeted resources.
3.
To consider the possible impact of such exploitation on the resource base in particular, and the
environment in general.
4.
To build longer-term environmental sequences, over time scales relevant to the archaeological
investigations in the study area, in order to model relationships between environmental changes (both
'natural' and anthropic) and changes in resource exploitation and subsistence systems.
5.
To examine the evolution in time and space of 'cultural' ecosystems, such as crop-weed
associations, managed woodlands, field systems, modified landforms, etc.The fundamental approach to
reconstructing past environments in environmental archaeology is through the recovery, analysis and
interpretation of palaeoenvironmental data (principally soils, sediments, and plant and animal remains)
from on-site and off-site contexts.
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MSc Environmental Archaeology
6.
To consider how biotic resources (from animals and plants) were procured, culturally modified and
employed in social systems, as resources for storage, trade, conspicuous consumption, etc.
The core courses in this degree, and the selected practical option will provide students with the tools to
contribute to research in Environmental Archaeology. These core elements are briefly summarized below:
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE CORE COURSES
G 187: Resources and Subsistence
COURSE CO-ORDINATOR: Michele Wollstonecroft; Room 311; 020 7679 4771; email:
(m.wollstonecroft@ucl.ac.uk)
Other contributing instructors: Louise Martin (louise.martin@ucl.ac.uk)
Dorian Q Fuller (d.fuller@ucl.ac.uk)
Manuel Arroyo-Kalin (m.arroyo-kalin@ucl.ac.uk)
This course provides an introduction to the major guiding anthropological and archaeological concepts of
the relationships between human societies, culture and the natural world. The course will include lectures,
readings and discussions on ecological concepts and processes, landscape sustainability, climate change
and adaptations, human perceptions and symbolization of their environments, political ecology, and
human impacts on the environment.
Course Aims: This course aims to provide students of Environmental Archaeology with 1) an overview of
current theoretical debates on the study of humans and their environments. 2) A familiarity with case
studies which illustrate current issues in the study of human/environmental relations, and 3) an
understanding of how to generate problem-driven research as they use the technical skills of
geoarchaeology, archaeobotany and faunal analysis that they will also acquire in this MSc degree.
Teaching Structure: Weekly 2 hr seminars in Term I only. Tuesday 9-11, Room 410
Assessment: The course is assessed by two pieces of coursework, consisting of 1) (35%) a PowerPoint
presentation (Week 5) and short written summary due after Reading Week (Week 6); 2) (65%) an essay,
of ca. 3400 words (due at the end of term. Essay topics and submission deadlines are given in the full
course handbook. In addition, students are expected participate in an in-class discussion, involving
presentations on the characteristics of regionally related hunter-gatherer and farmer subsistence
strategies, how they overlap and differ, for which students must present a PowerPoint and submit a written
summary of the key points).
Material covered in the course will be included in the pass/fail oral examination of the MSc Environmental
Archaeology degree.
Basic Texts and Resources:
Barker, G. 2006. The Agricultural Revolution in Prehistory. Oxford University Press
Clutton-Brock, J. (ed.) 1989. The Walking larder: patterns of domestication, pastoralism, and
predation. London : Unwin Hyman .
Denham, T., Iriarte, J. & Vrydaghs, L. (eds.) 2008. Rethinking Agriculture. Archaeological and
Ethnoarchaeological Perspectives. Left Coast Press, Walnut Creek
French, C. 2003. Geoarchaeology in Action. Studies in soil micromorphology and landscape evolution.
Routledge, London.
Harris DR, Hillman GC (eds.) 1989. Foraging and farming: the evolution of plant exploitation. Unwin
Hyman, London
Harris DR (ed.) 1996. The Origins and Spread of Agriculture and Pastoralism in Eurasia. London: UCL
Press
Kirch, P. V. 1994. The Wet and the Dry. Irrigation and Agricultural Intensification in Polynesia. University
of Chicago Press
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MSc Environmental Archaeology
Panter-Brick, C., R.H. Layton and P. Rowley-Conwy (eds.) 2001 Hunter-Gatherers: An interdisciplinary
perspective. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Roberts, Neil 1998. The Holocene, second edition. Blackwell, Oxford.
Rosen, Arlene 2007. Civilizing Climate. Alta Mira Press
Ruddiman, W. F. 2008 Earth’s Climate. Past & Future. Freeman & Co, New York.
Zeder, M., E. Emshwiller, B. D. Smith, and D. G. Bradley (eds.) 2006. Documenting domestication.
University of California Press
ARCL G 188 Environmental Archaeology in Practice
Co-ordinator: Louise Martin (louise.martin@ucl.ac.uk)
Other contributing instructors: Dorian Fuller (d.fuller@ucl.ac.uk), Michele Wollstonecroft
(m.wollstonecroft@ucl.ac.uk), Manuel Arroyo-Kalin (m.arroyo-kalin@ucl.ac.uk), and David Orton.
The principal aims of this core course are to develop a working knowledge of key methods in data analysis
for environmental archaeology, including dating and the Bayesian analysis of radiocarbon calibration,
sampling strategies on-site and off-site, quantification of biological and geoarchaeological datasets, and
approaches to statistical analysis. Problems in taphonomy of environmental datasets will also be
introduced. This course is intended to provide the theoretical grounding for practical projects in
zooarchaeology, archaeobotany or geoarchaeology.
Course Aims
On successful completion of this course a student should:
 Have an overview of current on- and off-site environmental archaeology practices, specifically in
relation to archaeobotany, zooarchaeology and geoarchaeology.
 Be familiar with assessing site formation processes, and assessing appropriate sampling and
retrieval methods.
 Be aware of issues in the application and interpretation of dating techniques.
 Be familiar with laboratory analytical approaches for assessing taphonomy, and potential for
assemblage analysis.
 Be familiar with statistical approaches to quantification of environmental archaeology
assemblages.
 Be familiar with assessing a range of material for their analysis potential, and assessing datasets
for their interpretation potential.
Teaching Structure: Weekly seminars in Term 2 only. Wednesdays, 10am- 12 noon, Room 308
Assessment: The course is assessed entirely by coursework, consisting of: 1. Quantification Report
(35%) ca. 1500 words: due after reading week; 2. Essay (65%) ca. 3500 words: on a case study: due after
term
Material covered in the course will be included in the pass/fail oral examination of the MSc Environmental
Archaeology degree.
Basic Texts and Resources
Evans, J. & T. O’Connor. 1999. Environmental Archaeology. Principles and Methods. Sutton, Stroud.
Goldberg, P. and R. I. Macphail. 2006. Practical and Theoretical Geoarchaeology. Blackwell, Oxford
Grayson, D.K. 1984. Quantitative Zooarchaeology: Topics in the analysis of Archaeological Faunas.
Orlando: Academic.
Hastorf, C. A. and V. S. Popper (eds.) 1988. Current Paleoethnobotany: Analytical Methods and Cultural
Interpretations of Archaeological Plant Remains. Chicago; London: University of Chicago Press
Lyman, R. Lee. 1994. Vertebrate taphonomy. Lyman. New York: Cambridge University Press
Orton, C. 2000. Sampling in Archaeology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Van Zeist, W., K. Wasylikowa, and K.-H. Behre (eds.) 1991. Progress in Old World Palaeoethnobotany.
Rotterdam: Balkema
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MSc Environmental Archaeology
G184 Zooarchaeology in Practice
Co-ordinator: Louise Martin
This course will cover the practical aspects of animal bone identification and analysis.
G101 Archaeobotanical Analysis in Practice
Co-ordinator: Dorian Fuller
The course focuses on the practical hands-on aspects of sorting, identifying, quantifying and reporting
archaeobotanical macro-remains, with primary emphasis on seeds. This course runs intensively over
reading week in Term II, 16-20 February 2015.
The course teaches students to prepare basic descriptive archaeobotanical reports. Training in seed
identification will focus in detail on the identification of major Old World seed crops (including Near
East/European as well as some South/East Asian and African taxa). The course provides basic tools for
identification that can be applied to the identification of other taxa.
G104 Geoarchaeology
Co-ordinator: Manuel Arroyo-Kalin
The course includes classroom and laboratory training in geoarchaeological concepts and methods, with
hands-on laboratory analysis of sediments and soils to examine archaeological formation processes in
their landscape context.
POTENTIAL DISSERTATION RESEARCH PROJECTS FOR THE MSC IN ENVIRONMENTAL
ARCHAEOLOGY
The list below represents some potential methodological and site-based projects. Students are also able
to develop their own projects, if appropriate samples/ study material can be obtained.
Methodological projects:
Archaeobotanical charring and morphometric analysis
There is a large potential for experimental carbonization projects on seeds or projects that look at
morphometrics (of particular species, or groups of species, including change associated with
domestication), including possibly the use of image analysis software. If this sort of project appeals please
consult with Dorian Fuller or Michele Wollstonecroft
Zooarchaeological burning projects:
Animal bone from archaeological sites is often found burnt, and while there has been some research to
record the characteristics and identification of burnt bone, there is good scope for attempting to
understand how variables such as exposure time and varying temperature affect burning patterns. This
kind of project would require experimental work to be undertaken, either in the lab or a field station.
Interested students to see Louise Martin
Taphonomy/bone modification projects:
Aspects of bone surface modification such as understanding and characterizing butchery marks, or
examining root etching, carnivore gnawing, are all available as projects. These could be approached
experimentally on modern material under known conditions, or through examination of archaeological
material. Interested students to see Louise Martin.
Testing zooarchaeological methods:
Morphometric analyses are used in zooarchaeology to explore species separation, (especially separating
sheep and goat), wild/domestic status of animals, and animal-environmental variation through time/space.
Student projects could focus on applying methods to archaeological assemblages, and/or developing new
methods. Interested students to see Louise Martin.
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MSc Environmental Archaeology
Geoarchaeological experiments:
It is possible to develop different experimental situations and/or sample sub-recent contexts to
characterise associated their geoarchaeological material signatures. Interested students should examine
the literature on experimental archaeology/ethnoarchaeology and discuss potential research projects with
Manuel Arroyo-Kalin. N.B. for experimental work, it is essential to think well ahead of time.
Site-Based Project Assemblage Projects:
Bones, Seeds, Phytoliths:
Many potential site-based projects focused on analysing an assemblage are available. Louise Martin can
provide material for assemblage-based projects on faunal remains, from sites in Europe or the Near East,
please consult her if your interests lie in archaeozoological materials. In some cases African bone
assemblages may be available. Dorian Fuller can provide assemblages of flotation samples (for plant
macro-remains) and/or phytolith assemblages from a wide range of periods and regions, including
materials from the Near East (Turkey, Kurdistan, Syria), Sudan, Ethiopia, India, Sri Lanka, China, or
elsewhere. Please consult him if your interests lie in this area. Manuel Arroyo-Kalin can provide
geoarchaeological data sets (bulk samples and materials for soil micromorphological analysis) covering a
range of context in the Eurasia and the Americas for dissertation projects. Students can identify
geoarchaeological research problems from archaeological projects they have been involved with but an
early start is essential given the time required to sample, transport, prepare and analyse samples. The
large staff at the IoA, with their wide range of projects around the world means that there are often many
other potential assemblages may already exist in house from additional areas.
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