AR2S18: Human Activities in Settlements and Landscapes

Module code: AR2S18

Module provider: Archaeology; School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science

Credits: 20

Level: 5

When you’ll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Rowena Banerjea , email: r.y.banerjea@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2025/6

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 3 April 2025

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module provides you with an in-depth knowledge and critical understanding of the application of micromorphological techniques to interdisciplinary study of hunter-gatherer sites, past agriculture, urban settlements and landscapes. The case-studies will be drawn from a range of sites around the world from the Palaeolithic to the medieval period.  

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Competent in the use of the polarising microscope to identify, record and analyse key characteristics of archaeological and palaeoenvironmental sediments including bioarchaeological and micro-artefactual materials. 
2. Able to independently collect, analyse and present scientific data, following guidance, in one assessed practical laboratory report on a stratigraphic unit of your choice. 
3. Able to summarise reading material and to articulate arguments effectively in writing one assessed essay on a thematic topic from the application of archaeological soil and sediment micromorphology. 
4. Acquainted with problem solving skills in dealing with diverse bodies of archaeological and scientific data through seminar participation, practical classes and independent learning. 

Module content

In this module you will examine the application of micromorphology to issues and approaches in the study of past environment, archaeological site and landscape formation processes, architectural materials and forensic-scale traces of activities, and the management of heritage sites. These issues are critically examined and discussed in class in the first part of each session. The second part of each class is a practical session on related context and deposit types in thin-section. Analysis of these deposits and subject areas will provide skills for analysing depositional sequences and bioarchaeological and micro-artefactual remains in settlements and landscapes in temperate and semi-arid environments. 

The deposits and subjects examined include past environment and sequences from: lakes, rivers and buried soils; architectural and artefactual materials; plant remains and dung; archaeological and experimental sequences of floors and deposits within roofed and unroofed areas, and domestic and ritual contexts, as well as post-depositional alterations. In each practical we examine a range of key examples in group discussions and analysis, before specific attributes of selected examples are described individually in standard laboratory worksheets. During the first part of this module you will write an essay on a related theme. In the second part of this module you will independently analyse one microstratigraphic sequence of their own choice, based on the exercises and skills learnt in the preceding sessions, and will write a short, assessed laboratory report. 

The practical sessions progress from step-by-step introduction to different materials, contexts and stages in thin section description, to independent analysis of aspects of a microstratigraphic sequence of individual choice in a final project (laboratory report). We examine field photographs of these contexts and photomicrographs of each deposit type. We discuss the relevance of each category of observation to a range of archaeological contexts and questions, and examine associated concepts in each session.  

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

This module is taught by illustrated lectures, microscope practical sessions and structured group discussion seminars that requires some preparatory reading. You will write one assessed essay and one short, assessed laboratory report. 

This is a 20 credit module, which means that it is intended that you conduct 200 hours of work. This will include work in: laboratory classes, background reading, writing one essay on a thematic topic and one short laboratory report based on microscopy of one stratigraphic unit.  

Study hours

At least 31 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: /cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Reassessment

Additional costs