ARCO2001: Semester 1, 2020

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Units ARCO2001 Semester 1 2020 [Normal day]

Unit of study_

ARCO2001: Ancient Australia: Diverse adaptations

Semester 1, 2020 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

People have occupied Australia for at least 50,000 years. During that period geographically varied cultural systems changed frequently, adjusting to altered economic and social contexts. This unit traces the long history of humans in this continent, a surprising, remarkable story of culture change.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	ARCO2001
Academic unit	Archaeology
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	12 credit points at 1000 level in Archaeology
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Peter Hiscock, peter.hiscock@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Presentation	Tutorial presentation (online) n/a	10%	-	500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Chapter review n/a	35%	-	1000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Essay n/a	55%	-	3000 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an exceptional standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Distinction	75 - 84	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a very high standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Credit	65 - 74	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at a good standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Pass	50 - 64	Awarded when you demonstrate the learning outcomes for the unit at an acceptable standard, as defined by grade descriptors or exemplars outlined by your faculty or school.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	1. Introduction to Australian prehistory; 2. Change or continuity: using ethnography	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 01	Introduction	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 02	1. Environmental history and dating; 2. Background: exodus from Africa	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 03	1. Colonization of Sahul; 2. Settlement of Sahul	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 03	Australia was colonised around 45,000 by a rapid dispersion from Africa.	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 04	1. The question of extinctions; 2. Who were the first Australians?	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 04	The coastal colonisation model best describes the pattern of initial settlement of Sahul.	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 05	1. Pleistocene economies; 2. Pleistocene technologies	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 05	At least two populations existed in Pleistocene Australia.	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 06	1. Pleistocene economies; 2. Pleistocene technologies	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 06	Human activities were the key factor in the megafaunal extinctions.	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 07	1. Technology in the Holocene; 2. Technology as adaptive strategy	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 07	Tasmanian prehistory shows the loss of useful behaviours.	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 09	1. Coastal economies - Tropics; 2. Coastal economies - NSW	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 09	Artefact assemblages show innovations imported from overseas during the mid-Holocene.	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 10	1. Holocene inland economies; 2. Prehistory of arid Australia	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 10	Late Holocene change in archaeological sites along coastal NSW reveal environmental rather than cultural transformations.	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 11	1. Population change in Australia; 2. Population in the late Holocene	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 11	Chronological continuity in distinctive desert adaptation is demonstrated in the archaeological record.	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 12	1. Models of intensification; 2. Social life and social change	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 12	Archaeological evidence points to population increase everywhere during the mid and late Holocene.	Tutorial (1 hr)
Week 13	1. Late Holocene religious change; 2. Change and continuity	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 13	Archaeological evidence points to ‘intensification’ everywhere during the mid and late Holocene.	Tutorial (1 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed on the Library eReserve link available on Canvas.

Textbook: Hiscock, P. 2008 Archaeology of Ancient Australia. Routledge: London

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. demonstrate a body of knowledge about the study of Australian prehistory, and a firm grasp of the principles and practices of archaeology
LO2. acquire and evaluate further information about the human past in Australia through independent research
LO3. identify, define, investigate, and solve a variety of problems in archaeology and other fields
LO4. demonstrate an ability to think independently, analytically and creatively, and to critically evaluate the sources and validity of information
LO5. apply critical judgement and creative and critical thinking to develop new understandings
LO6. demonstrate an enhanced capacity to construct and express scientific arguments, both verbally and in writing.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

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