ARCO2002: Semester 1, 2020

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Units ARCO2002 Semester 1 2020 [Normal day]

Unit of study_

ARCO2002: Ancient Australia: Shape and Connection

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

Overview

This unit will explore the application of morphometry, the study of form or shape, and phylogeny, the study of evolutionary history and relationships, to the study of Australian archaeological phenomena.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	ARCO2002
Academic unit	Archaeology
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	12 credit points at 1000 level in the Archaeology major.
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
Skills-based evaluation	Laboratory exercise n/a	20%	-	1000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Skills-based evaluation	Laboratory exercise n/a	20%	-	1000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Project report n/a	60%	-	4000 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Laboratory exercise A: This is an exercise to help you gain familiarity with the concepts of landmarking, measurement error and centroids.
Laboratory exercise B: This exercise will help you gain a familiarity with 3D landmarking and basic morphometric analysis.
Project report: This exercise will help you gain a familiarity with morphometric analysis.

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
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
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	Lecture 1. Introduction	Lecture (1 hr)
	Lecture 2: Questions about shape in Australian prehistory	Lecture (1 hr)
	Lab 1: Introduction to this unit	Science laboratory (2 hr)
Week 02	Lecture 3. Traditional approaches to the morphometry	Lecture (1 hr)
	Lecture 4. What the traditional approaches reveal	Lecture (1 hr)
	Lab 2: Measuring shape with calipers	Science laboratory (2 hr)
Week 03	Lecture 5: What is Geometric Morphometrics?	Lecture (1 hr)
	Lecture 6: Making GM happen	Lecture (1 hr)
	Lab 3: Photographing specimens	Science laboratory (2 hr)
Week 04	Lecture 7. Landmarks	Lecture (1 hr)
	Lecture 8: Landmark quality	Lecture (1 hr)
	Lab 4: Defining Landmarks	Science laboratory (2 hr)
Week 05	Lecture 9: Digitizing LM in 2D	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 05	Lab 5: Digitising in 2D	Science laboratory (2 hr)
Week 06	Lecture 10: What is photogrammetry	Lecture (1 hr)
	Lecture 11. Creating 3D models	Lecture (1 hr)
	Lab 6: Digitising in 2D	Science laboratory (2 hr)
Week 07	Lecture 12: Creating LM on 3D models	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 07	Lab 7: Photogrammetry	Science laboratory (2 hr)
Week 08	Lecture 13: What does GM analysis involve?	Lecture (1 hr)
	Lecture 14: Learning Morpho	Lecture (1 hr)
	Lab 8: Doing your GM	Science laboratory (2 hr)
Week 09	Lecture 15: Warp grids and wire frames	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 09	Lab 9: PCA, grids and frames	Science laboratory (2 hr)
Week 10	Lecture 16: Allometry	Lecture (1 hr)
Week 10	Lab 10: Allometry and CVA	Science laboratory (2 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.

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 GM, and a firm grasp of the principles and practices of archaeology
LO2. be able to acquire and evaluate further information about the human past through independent research
LO3. be able to identify, define, investigate, and solve a variety of problems in archaeology and other fields
LO4. think independently, analytically and creatively, and to critically evaluate the sources, and validity of information
LO5. exercise critical judgement and critical and creative thinking to create new understandings
LO6. have 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

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

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