arc3fff foraging to farming
FORAGING TO FARMING
ARC3FFF
2019
Credit points: 15
Subject outline
The shift from foraging to farming has remained an area of intense interest in archaeology for over a century. Beginning some 15,000 years ago, this fundamental transition laid the foundations for our familiar world of city life. A historical treatment is accorded the growth of ideas on the subject. Particular attention is paid to problems of differentiating the material residues of farmers from those of hunters and gatherers. Initial developments in the Middle East are placed in global perspective by considering the advent of food production in Europe, north and sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia, Melanesia, Mesoamerica and South America.
SchoolSchool of Humanities & Social Sciences
Credit points15
Subject Co-ordinatorPhillip Edwards
Available to Study Abroad StudentsYes
Subject year levelYear Level 3 - UG
Exchange StudentsYes
Subject particulars
Subject rules
Prerequisites Students must have completed at least 60 credit points or obtain the subject coordinators permission
Co-requisitesN/A
Incompatible subjects ARC2FFF
Equivalent subjectsN/A
Special conditionsN/A
Learning resources
Readings
| Resource Type | Title | Resource Requirement | Author and Year | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Readings | The Human Past (3rd edition) | Recommended | Scarre, C. (3rd ed.) | THAMES & HUDSON, 2013 |
Graduate capabilities & intended learning outcomes
01. Develop competence in creative problem-solving
- Activities:
- Cases studies will be employed to explain research methods in lectures and tutorials. Assignment 1 will test this capability by asking students to assess how well theories about the origins of food production explain the evidence we have recovered from archaeological sites. Students are assessed at a higher level than second-year students
- Related graduate capabilities and elements:
- Creative Problem-solving(Creative Problem-solving)
02. Develop facility in critical thinking
- Activities:
- Critically evaluate archaeological research methods. Assignment 2 will test these competencies by asking students to develop a research plan to investigate an early agrarian archaeological site. Students are assessed at a higher level than second-year students
- Related graduate capabilities and elements:
- Critical Thinking(Critical Thinking)
04. Draw on theoretical and methodological literature from the Middle East to answer research questions about archaeological case studies
- Activities:
- Write a medium-length essay to address a substantive research question. Students are assessed at a higher level than second-year students
- Related graduate capabilities and elements:
- Writing(Writing)
- Inquiry/ Research(Inquiry/ Research)
- Critical Thinking(Critical Thinking)
06. Embed life-long learning by providing a broad perspective on major developments in the human career over the past 10,000 years
- Activities:
- A long sweep of human history is considered in lectures and tutorials, from the end of the Ice Age to the urban economies of the modern world. Such foundaitonal knowledge is assessed in the exam. Students are assessed at a higher level than second-year students
- Related graduate capabilities and elements:
- Life-Long Learning(Life-Long Learning)
07. Use theoretical frameworks and archaeological evidence of different kinds to construct global narratives of regional historical trajectories and social systems
- Activities:
- Specific regional case studies are covered in lectures and workshops. Write a medium-length essay to test skills at constructing summaries of the development of agrarian societies in different regions of the world. Students are assessed at a higher level than second-year students
- Related graduate capabilities and elements:
- Ethical & Cultural Awareness(Ethical & Cultural Awareness)
08. Construct a sustained argument based on the application of adequate research to current academic issues
- Activities:
- Discussion of case studies in lectures and training on essay -writing techniques in tutorials; write a medium-length essay to address a substantive research question. Students are assessed at a higher level than second-year students
- Related graduate capabilities and elements:
- Critical Thinking(Critical Thinking)
- Ethical & Cultural Awareness(Ethical & Cultural Awareness)
- Inquiry/ Research(Inquiry/ Research)
- Creative Problem-solving(Creative Problem-solving)
- Writing(Writing)
Subject options
Select to view your study options…
Melbourne, 2019, Semester 2, Blended
Overview
Online enrolmentYes
Maximum enrolment sizeN/A
Enrolment information
Subject Instance Co-ordinatorPhillip Edwards
Class requirements
Lecture/FilmWeek: 31 - 43
One 2.0 hours lecture/film per week on weekdays during the day from week 31 to week 43 and delivered via blended.
TutorialWeek: 31 - 43
Two 1.0 hours tutorial per week on weekdays during the day from week 31 to week 43 and delivered via blended.
Assessments
| Assessment element | Comments | % | ILO* |
|---|---|---|---|
| one 1-hour examination (1,000-word equivalent) | 20 | 06 | |
| one 2,000-word essay | 50 | 01, 04, 07, 08 | |
| two 500-word short assignments | 30 | 02 |