060070 SE The past in the past (2018W)

In archaeological research, we document and interpret the present myriad remains of past human activities in the landscape. Often, these remains are representative of an accumulation of activities through time. Yet how did people living in the past interact with, conceptualise and remake the remains of the past in their own time? What influence may past objects, monuments, or landscapes have had on the decision-making processes of people living long after the time of their creation? How did people in the past use and portray the past, and for what reasons?
In this seminar, students will be introduced to concepts of the "past in the past" through case studies and examples selected from all over the world, through class lectures and available literature. From this, students will be expected to conduct an analysis, give a presentation and write an interpretive, analytical research paper detailing their findings.

The first part of this seminar will consist of lectures on the topic and intensive writing workshops, in which students will learn how to write a comprehensive research paper. This will be done through reading and critical analysis of published research papers. Students will be expected to complete assignments and readings, and to attend and participate in class discussions. This will include presentation of their ongoing research and evaluation by peers and instructors. By the end of the class, students should gain further knowledge about their chosen research topic as well as the ability to write a compressive research paper that can be submitted for peer review.

This course should help students to:
Understand ways in which the results of past human decision making processes may have had an impact on subsequent uses of the landscape.
Gain an understanding of different ways that the physical remains of past built environments could have been reused by subsequent inhabitants.
Develop critical thinking skills with regard to how archaeologists interpret past human activities in the landscape.
Learn how to write an English language research paper for peer review.
Students will be expected to:
Select an individual topic of research from criteria provided by the instructors.
Perform independent research on the selected topic.
Participate in intensive in-class activities designed to improve writing skills.
Give a presentation on the selected topic and receive feedback from peers/instructors.
Write a paper on the selected topic of research using the knowledge gained during the course.

Method
Intensive participation in classes and workshops
Critical study of literature & independent development of research.