MODULE SPECIFICATION TEMPLATE
MODULE DETAILS
Module title
The Humans of Ice Age Britain
Module code
AQ324
Credit value
10
Level
Level 4
Level 5
Level 6
Mark the box to the right of the Level 0 (for modules at foundation
appropriate level with an ‘X’
level)
X
Level 7
Level 8
Entry criteria for registration on this module
Pre-requisites
Specify in terms of module
codes or equivalent
Co-requisite modules
Specify in terms of module
codes or equivalent
None
Module delivery
Mode of delivery
Taught
Other
X
Distance
Placement
Pattern of delivery
Weekly
X
Block
Other
Online
When module is delivered
Semester 1
X
Semester 2
Throughout year
Other
Brief description of module This module will examine the British archaeological record from the oldest
content and/ or aims
occupation of c.>900,000 years ago until end of the Palaeolithic c. 10,000 years
Overview (max 80 words)
ago. It will chart changes in the types of ancestral human, the stone tools they
used and how they made them, the changes in the fauna and flora, and the
impact of ice ages on the occupation of Britain. British data will be compared
with equivalent evidence from continental Europe where appropriate.
Module team/ author/
coordinator(s)
School
Site/ campus where
delivered
Dr James Cole (JC)
Environment and Technology
Moulescoomb
Course(s) for which module is appropriate and status on that course
Course
BSc Geography with Archaeology
BSc Geography
Module descriptor template: updated Aug 2012
Status (mandatory/ compulsory/
optional)
Optional
Optional
BA Geography
BSc Environmental Sciences
BSc Geography with Geo-informatics
BSc Biological Sciences
BSc Biomedical Sciences
BSc Ecology
BSc Geology
BSc Physical Geography and Geology
BSc Earth and Ocean Science
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
Optional
MODULE AIMS, ASSESSMENT AND SUPPORT
Aims
This module aims to provide students with a critical understanding of past
and current theories surrounding human origins and evolution and the
contribution of the British record to that story.
Learning outcomes
At the successful completion of the module, students will:
1. Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the Palaeolithic settlement
of Britain from the earliest hominins to the arrival of modern
humans
2. Be able to track the various changes in stone technology over time,
and link those changes to different hominin species and behaviours.
3. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the links between sites
(context), artefacts (material culture), behaviour and the way
changing Palaeo-environments impacted on the hominin occupation
of Britain through time.
4. Have a clear understanding of the way Ice Age archaeology has
utilised geology, sedimentology, faunal studies, climatology, and other
related disciplines to develop integrated understandings of this very
remote period.
5. Critically assess written source material and present information in a
concise way through a number of different formats.
6. Show personal initiative through independent information gathering
and extract information from a number of different sources.
Content
The Humans of Ice Age Britain aims to introduce students to British
Palaeolithic archaeology and enable them to acquire a broad understanding
of current issues and debate in the discipline. Students will gain a basic
working knowledge of how chipped stone, as material culture, is used by
archaeologists to explore the way early hominins structured their social and
geographical landscapes. In addition students will gain an understanding of
the multi-disciplinary character of modern Palaeolithic archaeology and how
the changing Ice Age climates of Britain played a role in hominin occupations.
Learning support
Core Reading:
Ashton, N., Lewis, S. and Stringer, C (eds). 2011. The Ancient Human
Occupation of Britain. Developments in Quaternary Science 14.
Elsevier, Oxford.
Gamble, C. 1999. The Palaeolithic Societies of Europe. Cambridge
University Press. Cambridge.
McNabb, J. 2007. The British Lower Palaeolithic: Stones in Contention.
Routledge.
Pettitt, P.B. and White, M.J. 2012. The British Palaeolithic: Hominin
Societies at the Edge of the Pleistocene World. London: Routledge.
Module descriptor template: updated Aug 2012
Stringer, C. 2006. Homo Britannicus. The Incredible Story of Human
Life in Britain. Allen Lane. London.
Walker, M. 2005. Quaternary Dating Methods. John Wiley and Sons
Ltd. Chichester.
Teaching and learning activities
Details of teaching and
learning activities
Allocation of study hours (indicative)
Where 10 credits = 100 learning hours
Study hours
SCHEDULED
This is an indication of the number of hours students
can expect to spend in scheduled teaching activities
including lectures, seminars, and tutorials.
25
GUIDED INDEPENDENT
STUDY
All students are expected to undertake guided
independent study which includes wider reading/
practice, follow-up work, the completion of assessment
tasks, and revisions.
75
PLACEMENT
The placement is a specific type of learning away from
the University. It includes work-based learning and
study that occurs overseas.
TOTAL STUDY HOURS
100
Assessment tasks
Details of assessment for
this module
Types of assessment task1
Indicative list of summative assessment tasks which lead to the award of credit or
which are required for progression.
% weighting
(or indicate if
component is
pass/fail)
WRITTEN
COURSEWORK
PRACTICAL
Written assignment:
Standard Individual Presentation on a specific site
covered in the course (LO 2, 3, 5, 6)
Extended Essay (LO 1, 2, 4, 5, 6)
25%
75%
Oral assessment and presentation, practical skills
assessment, set exercise
1 Set exercises, which assess the application of knowledge or analytical, problem-solving or evaluative skills, are included
under the type of assessment most appropriate to the particular task.
Module descriptor template: updated Aug 2012
EXAMINATION INFORMATION
Area examination board
Geography and Geology
Refer to Faculty Office for guidance in completing the following sections
External examiners
Name
Position and institution
Date appointed
Date tenure
ends
TBA
QUALITY ASSURANCE
Date of first approval
Only complete where this is
not the first version
Date of last revision
Only complete where this is
not the first version
Date of approval for this
version
Version number
Modules replaced
Specify codes of modules for
which this is a replacement
Available as free-standing module?
Module descriptor template: updated Aug 2012
Yes
No