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2020/2021

Landscape and Territory

Code: 100736 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2500241 Archaeology OB 3 1
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
Ermengol Gassiot Ballbé
Email:
Ermengol.Gassiot@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
catalan (cat)
Some groups entirely in English:
No
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
No

Teachers

Ermengol Gassiot Ballbé
Joan Oller Guzman

Prerequisites

There are no special prerequisites, beyond having attended the first and second degree courses of the Archeology Degree, which are essential to understand the territorial and social projection of this knowledge.

Objectives and Contextualisation

This subject will analyze the projection on the territory of the various cultural events and historical processes developed in the Mediterranean area during prehistory and antiquity. The landscape, understood as the result of the historical process of transformation of the territory and its resources by the various human communities, will be the main object of study, especially its aspect of social landscape, that is, its more historical side.

 

Targets

At the end of the course the student must demonstrate

Have obtained the contents expressed in the syllabus and identify any of its points in the context that corresponds to it.
Be familiar with the main techniques of space analysis in archeology, both cartographic and palaeontological.
Be able to analyze, process and interpret any type of additional material (texts, maps, aerial photos, tables, graphics) in accordance with the content of the syllabus and place it in the corresponding framework.
Demonstrate having made minimum readings required (books and / or specially indicated chapters and / or recommended articles).
Know how to identify and distinguish the various forms of occupation and exploitation of the territory developed by the various prehistoric and historical societies worked on the agenda.
To have achieved a comprehensive and global knowledge of the subject through the articulation and the relationship between the different points in which the syllabus is divided.

Competences

  • Carrying out and managing archaeology fieldwork: excavation and survey.
  • Generating innovative and competitive proposals in research and professional activity.
  • Managing the main methods, techniques and analytic tools in archaeology.
  • Respecting the diversity and plurality of ideas, people and situations.
  • Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethic relevant issues.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Applying both knowledge and analytical skills to the resolution of problems related to their area of study.
  2. Applying proper techniques and analytical tools in case studies.
  3. Autonomously searching, selecting and processing information both from structured sources (databases, bibliographies, specialized magazines) and from across the network.
  4. Combining technical resources from similar disciplines.
  5. Drawing up conventional graphic documents: planimetry, topography, cartography, explanatory drawing.
  6. Establishing investigation protocols for original research projects.
  7. Interpreting the archaeological fieldwork results by placing them into their historical context.
  8. Mastering specific techniques and instrumental resources of archaeological laboratory analysis.
  9. Mastering the specific techniques and instrumental resources of the archaeological excavations and surveys.
  10. Recognising and implementing the following teamwork skills: commitment to teamwork, habit of cooperation, ability to participate in the problem solving processes.
  11. Recognising the importance of controlling the quality of the work's results and its presentation.
  12. Reflecting on their own work and the immediate environment's in order to continuously improve it.
  13. Using computing tools, both basics (word processor or databases, for example) and specialised software needed in the professional practice.

Content

The subject is made up of common contents (Bloc I) that will be taught jointly and a second block (Bloc II) of specific contents of prehistory and ancient history. The students have to choose between one of the two.

 

BLOCK I. INTRODUCTION TO SOME THEORETICAL NOTIONS. (Shared teaching Ermengol Gassiot and Joan Oller)
1.    The notion of space in the social sciences
2.    Categories and proposals for the analysis of space in archaeology
3.    Ancient landscapes. Geography and ancient rationalities.

BLOCK II. LANDSCAPE AND TERRITORY FROM PREHISTORIC ARCHAEOLOGY. (Teaching by Ermengol Gassiot)

A. Instrumental resources
1.    Instrumental elements for the reconstruction of space in the past:
- The paleoclimate
- The paleovegetation
2. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in archaeology: principles of operation
- Semantic and spatial databases
- Downloading and preparing maps

B. Archaeology of prehistoric landscapes and territories
1. Mobility, settlements and hunter-gatherer territories
- Exploitation of resources and territory
- Mobility and settlement systems
2.    The first agricultural and livestock territories
- Agriculture: land type and agricultural potential in the ancient Neolithic
- Livestock farming: grazing areas, optimal roads and transhumance
3. Megalithic and monumental landscapes
- Visibility analysis and dolmens
- Megalithic territories

BLOCK III. ANCIENT LANDSCAPES. (Teaching by Joan Oller)


1. The landscapes of the Iron Age. The Iberian world.
2. The landscapes of Ancient Greece. Literary and epigraphic documentation.
3. Ancient Greek landscapes. Examples.
4. Ancient Rome. Documentation. Surveyors. Epigraphy. "Delimiting the territory."
5. Ancient Rome. The genesis of a model. Type of Ager. "Inventorying the territory".
6. Rome. Centuriation. The ideal model.
7. Rome. Exploiting resources: Agriculture. Villae and rural landscape.
8. Rome. Exploiting resources: irrigation and water management.
9. Rome. Exploiting resources: mining.
10. Rome. The strategic control of the territory. Roads and fortifications.
11. The landscape at the end of the ancient world. Territorial control.
12. The landscape at the end of the ancient world. Exploiting resources.


FIELD PRACTICE

A practical course has been programmed in the Forest of Virós and National Park of Aigüestortes and Estany de Sant Maurici, during the month of October (date to be specified).

Methodology

- Attendance at theoretical classes led by the teacher.

- Attendance to seminars / practices sessions led by the teacher.

- Participation in practical classes outside the classroom and the activities derived from them.

- Comprehensive reading of texts and interpretation of cartographies, graphs, tables and archaeological documents.

- Analytical, individual and group reviews, work and comments.

- Personal study

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Classroom practices and seminars 5 0.2
Field practices 5 0.2
Theoretical classes 30 1.2
Type: Supervised      
Tutories 20 0.8
Type: Autonomous      
Perform continuous assessment activities 13.5 0.54
Study of the course materials 60 2.4

Assessment

40% Exam. This exam will be done with the help of all the materials that the student wants to take to the classroom (notes, articles, etc.).
40% Directed practical work.
10% Practical work on the field trip
10% Participation in class.


The assessment activities delivered within the deadlines established by the teacher of the subject will be reevaluated; in no case may an exercise be submitted for the first time during the reevaluation period. Participation, attendance and progression are not reevaluated.


A student will be considered as "not presented" if he has not delivered the `ractical work and the witten proof of the subject.

At the time of completion/delivery of each assessment activity, the teacher will inform (Moodle, SIA) of the procedure and date of revision of the grades.

The student will be classified as Non-evaluable when he has not delivered more than 30% of the evaluation activities.

In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.

 

 

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Participation in classroom 10 0 0 2, 8, 9, 7, 12
Practical work directed 30 10 0.4 1, 3, 7, 5, 10, 11, 12
Test 30 5 0.2 1, 3, 4, 8, 6, 5, 10, 11, 12, 13
Text comments and graphic documents 30 1.5 0.06 2, 1, 3, 4, 7, 11, 12

Bibliography

 Guided bibliography:

It is very convenient that students use the bibliography as an instrument to achieve a global knowledge of the contents and be able to raise and develop any issue or section of expansion. Apart from the attached list, in the classroom they will recommend complementary readings during the course of teaching.

 

 

Amado, X. (1997). “La aplicación del GPS a la arqueología”. Trabajos de Prehistoria, 54(1): 155-165.

Ariño, E., Gurt, J.M., Palet, J.M. (2003), El pasado presente. Arqueología de los paisajes en la Hispania Romana, Barcelona 2003.

Augé, O.; Gassiot, E.; Pélachs, A. (2012). “La producció de ferro a la protohistòria i època romana al Pallars Sobirà. L'exemple del Bosc de Virós a la Vall Ferrera”. A DD. AA. Boscos de Ferro. Actes de les Primeres Jornades de Recerca i Desenvolupament de la Vall Ferrera. Tremp: Garsineu. Pp. 9 -40.

Baena, J.; Blasco, C.; Quesada, F. (eds.) (1997). Los SIG y el Análisis espacial en Arqueología. Madrid: Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.

Berger, J. F. (dir). (2005). Temps et espaces de l'homme et société : analyses et modèles spatiaux en archéologie : actes des recontres, 21-23 octobre 2004. Antibes : APDCA.

Binford, L. W. (1982). “The Archaeology of Place”. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 1, 5-31.

Chouquer, G.-Favory, F. (1991), Les paysages de l'antiquité. Terres et cadastres de l'Occident romain, París.

Chouquer, G.-Favory, F. (2001), L’arpentage romain, Ed. Errance, Paris.

Clavel-Lévêque, M. (Ed.) (2000), Atlas Historique des Cadastres d’Europe I, Bruselas.

Clavel-Lévêque, M., Orejas, A., (Ed.) (2002), Atlas Historique des Cadastres d’Europe II, Luxemburg.

Conolly, J. i Lake, M. (2009). Sistemas de información geográfica aplicados a la arqueología. Barcelona: Bellaterra arqueología.

Criado, F. (1999). Del terreno al espacio planteamientos y perspectivas para la arqueología del paisaje. Santiago de Compostela : Grupo de Investigación en Arqueología del Paisaje. Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

Davidson, I.; Bailey, G. N. (1984). “Los yacimientos, sus territorios de explotación y la tropografía”. Boletín del Museo Arqueológico Nacional, 2(1): 25-43.

Ejarque, A.; Miras, Y.; Riera, S.; Palet, J.M.; Orengo, H.A. (2010). "Testing microregional variability in the Holocene shaping of high mountain cultural landscapes: a palaeoenvironmental case-study in the Eastern Pyrenees". Journal of Archaeological Science, 37, 1468-1479

Fairclough, G., Moller, P.G. ( 2008), Landscape as Heritage. The management and protection of Landscape in Europe, Action Cost A27. Berna.

García Luján, L. (2005). Introducción al Reconocimiento y Análisis Arqueológico del Territorio. Barcelona: Ariel.

Gassiot, E., Rodríguez Antón, D., Pèlachs, A., Bal, M.C., Garcia, V., Julià, R., Pérez, R., Mazzucco, N. (2014). “La alta montaña durante la Prehistoria: 10 años de investigación en el Pirineo catalán occidental”. Trabajos de Prehistoria, 71(2): 262-282.

Gassiot, E., Clemente, I., Mazzucco, N., Garcia, D.; Obea, L., Rodríguez Antón, D. (2016).“Surface surveying in high mountain areas, is it possible? Some methodological considerations”. Quaternary International, 402: 35-45.

Grau, I. (ed) (2006). La Aplicación de los SIG en la arqueología del paisaje. San Vicente del Raspeig, Universidad de Alicante

Howard, P. (2006). Archaeological surveying and mapping: recording and depicting the landscape. New York: Routledge.

Jarman, M. R.; Vita-Finzi, C.; Higgs, E. S. (1972). “Site catchment analysis in archaeology”. A: Ucko, P.; Tringham, T.; Dimbledy, C. (eds.). Man, Settlement and Urbanism. Londres: Duckworth, pp. 61-66.

Le Couédic M. (2012). Modéliser les pratiques pastorales d’altitude dans la longue durée, Cybergéo: European Journal of Geography, Systèmes, Modélisation, Géostatistique [en ligne], http://cybergeo.revues.org/25123   

Lock, G.; Molyneaux, B. L. (eds) (2006). Confronting scale in archaeology : issues of theory and practice. New York : Springer.

López, P. (1994), Laeconomía política de los romanos. La ciudad romana ideal. El territorio. Santiago de Compostela.

Ñaco, T., Olesti, O., Prieto, A. (eds.) (2000). Anàlisis paleoambientals i estudi del territori, Barcelona.

Olesti, O. (2014), Paisajes de la Hispania Romana: la explotación de los territorios del Imperio. Ed. DStoria (hi ha 4 exemplars a la biblioteca UAB).

Orejas, A. (1991). A”rqueología del paisaje: historia, problemas y perspectives”. Archivo español de arqueología, Vol. 64, Nº 163-164: 191-230.

Orejas, A. (1995). “Arqueología del paisaje: de la reflexión a la planificación”. Archivo español de arqueología, Vol. 68, Nº 171-172: 215-224.

Orejas, A. (1998). “El estudio del paisaje: visiones desde la arqueologia”. Arqueología espacial. Nº 19-20: 9-20.

Orejas, A. (2006), Arqueología de los paisajes agrarios e historia rural. Arqueología espacial, Nº 26: 7-19.

Orejas, A. Mattingly, D., Clavel-Léveque, M. (2009). From present topast through landscape, Action Cost A27. Madrid.

Pasquinucci,M.; Trement, F. (eds.) (2000). Non-destructive techniques applied to landscape archaeology. Oxford: Oxbow.

Pleiner, R. (2000): Iron in Archaeology. The European Bloomery Smelters, Praha: Archeologicky Ústav Av Cr.

Santos, M. (2000). La naturaleza del espacio. Barcelona: Ariel.

Soriano, J. M.; Mendizábal, E.; Pélachs, A., Pérez, R.; Gassiot, E. (2010). “Per què el paisatge és com és?”. Portarró 27: 4- 7.

Vita-Finzi, C.; Higgs, E. S. (1970). “Prehistoric economy in the Mount Carmel area of Plaestine: site catchment analysis”. Proceedings of the prehistoric Society, 36: 1-37.