ARCO2103: Semester 2, 2021

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Units ARCO2103 Semester 2 2021 [Normal day]

Unit of study_

ARCO2103: Archaeology: Time and Materiality

Semester 2, 2021 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Time and materiality are fundamental to archaeology. This unit reviews the ways in which time and materiality have been understood in archaeology in order to reappraise how they can conceptualised for the analysis of cultural phenomena. Global examples will be used.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	ARCO2103
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	Roland Fletcher, roland.fletcher@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Roland Fletcher, roland.fletcher@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Essay Major essay	70%	STUVAC Due date: 18 Nov 2021 at 23:59	3000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Question relating to lecture 1 Will be discussed in class	2%	Week 01	100 word equivalent
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Question relating to lecture 2 Will be discussed in class	2%	Week 02	100 word equivalent
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Question relating to lecture 3 Will be discussed in class	2%	Week 03	100 word equivalent
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Question relating to lecture 4 Will be discussed in class	2%	Week 04	100 word equivalent
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Question relating to lecture 5 Will be discussed in class	2%	Week 05	100 word equivalent
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Draft seminar presentation slides Draft PowerPoint for discussion	5%	Week 07 Due date: 20 Sep 2021 at 23:59	10-15 slides for discussion
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Post-seminar slides Final PowerPoint slides after presentation	15%	Week 12 Due date: 05 Nov 2021 at 23:59	10-15 slides after presentation
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ?

Assessment summary

You must submit the draft seminar presentation slides, the final seminary presentation slides and the essay in order to be eligible to pass the unit.

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
Mid-semester break	BREAK	Independent study (1 hr)
Week 01	Time and materiality	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 02	Archaeological theory and materiality	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 03	Evolution – the logic of evolutionary theories	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 04	Cultural Evolution – materiality. sociality and variation	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 05	The Evolution of Human Behaviour	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 06	Transitions and Trajectories	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 07	Transitions and Trajectories continued	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 08	No lecture - seminar completion and consultations	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 09	Seminar presentations	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 10	Seminar presentations	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 11	Seminar presentations	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 12	Seminar presentations	Lecture and tutorial (3 hr)
Week 13	Materiality, Time and Cultural Evolution	Lecture and tutorial (3 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 are recommended, not required.

All readings are available in eReserve via Canvas, or in 2hr Loan.

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. understand the key elements of archaeological theory and explanation about time and materiality
LO2. understand why concepts of materiality are important to the history and practice of contemporary archaeology
LO3. apply aspects of materiality theory to explanation and practice in archaeology today
LO4. integrate literature review into archaeological argument building
LO5. exercise critical judgement and an increased capacity for rigorous and independent thinking
LO6. access, assess, organise and communicate knowledge and ideas with increased competency.

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.

Some changes to the format have been made in line with student feedback.

Additional information

Further information will be given in Canvas and in seminars

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

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

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