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2022/2023

Prehistoric Societies

Code: 100388 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2500501 History OB 2 1

Contact

Name:
Paloma González Marcén
Email:
paloma.gonzalez@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

Anna Maria Bach Gómez

Prerequisites

Without official prerequisites

Objectives and Contextualisation

This course is part of the History subject of the degree of History. The 30 ECTS of basic subjects linked to the subject of History whose objective is to guarantee the minimum necessary knowledge that must allow students to successfully complete compulsory and optional credits that are foreseen for the Degree of History.

 

The subject of Prehistoric Societies aims to provide a basic knowledge of the main events and processes of change and continuity of Humanity in a diachronic perspective, from Prehistory to the present day, integrating various geographical spaces. In fact, the spatial dimension of this historical knowledge will have to be as broad as possible, because it contributes enormously to developing the capacity to understand the historical and cultural diversity. Likewise, the subject offered will provide first notions about the diverse thematic approaches of Historical Sciences (social, political, economic, of sort, ideological, cultural), as well as of theory and methodology of History, Prehistory and Archaeology (debates and historiographical perspective).

Competences

  • Applying the main methods, techniques and instruments of the historical analysis.
  • Developing critical thinking and reasoning and communicating them effectively both in your own and other languages.
  • Mastering the basic diachronic and thematic concepts of the historical science.
  • 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 ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Communicating in your mother tongue or other language both in oral and written form by using specific terminology and techniques of Historiography.
  2. Coordinating work of interdisciplinary nature with other teams.
  3. Developing the ability of historical analysis and synthesis.
  4. Engaging in debates about historical facts respecting the other participants' opinions.
  5. Enumerating theories about human species and relating them with the production of society and culture.
  6. Identifying the main and secondary ideas and expressing them with linguistic correctness.
  7. Interpreting the social and economic structure of prehistory.
  8. Organising and planning the search of historical information.
  9. Recognising diversity and multiculturalism.
  10. Solving problems autonomously.
  11. Using the characteristic computing resources of the field of History.
  12. Using the specific basic tools of prehistory studies.

Content

Block 0. Historical changes and social practices: a vision from prehistory
 
Block 1. The emergence and consolidation of the production economy
The Neolithic, how and when? Climate change and processes of plants and animals domestication.
The first agricultural societies in the Middle East
Expansion and consolidation of farming and herding societies in Europe
 
Block 2. The first complex societies in the Middle East and in Europe
The emergence of the States in the Middle East: the concept of "urban revolution"
Development of Bronze Age societies in Europe: hierarchy and complexity
Commerce and colonization: The Mediterranean Sea at the end of II millennium to the beginning of the I millennium
The Iron Age and the formation of European societies: archeology, history and myth
 
Block 3. The other prehistoric societies
Hunter-gatherer of the Holocene and first producing societies in Africa, Asia, America and Oceania

Methodology

Directed activities

Theoretical classes led by teachers with ICT support.

Group work sessions and debates conducted by teachers.

Assessment and collective discussion of textual or audiovisual documents. Individual and/or collective presentations with discussions.

Supervised activities

Sessions focused to solve doubts about the subject development.

One-to-one advice or work with small groups on specific contents of the subject.

The advice in small groups for the preparation of presentations and guideline exercises.

Autonomous activity

Personal study, reading of texts. Search for bibliographic information.

Paper writing. Preparation of presentations, oral discussions.

Evaluation

Written tests

Papers

Oral presentations

Participation in debates.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Monitoring 10 0.4 1, 2, 3, 8
Test and papers preparation 75 3 10, 1, 3, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12
Theoretical lessons 50 2 1, 5, 7, 4, 9

Assessment

Evaluation modules
 A continuous evaluation of all the activities developed in the subject will be carried out. The evaluation system is organized in 3 modules; each one will be assigned a specific mark in the final grade:
40% module 1, 40% module 2, 20% module 3.
1. The directed activities will be evaluated through two written tests  (35% each one).
2. The supervised activities will be evaluated through the module of presentations and debates and discussions in the classroom (10%).
3. Autonomous activities will be evaluated through the work (20%).

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.
 
Evaluation calendar
At the beginning of the course, students will be informed of the specific contents of the assessment modules and their delivery deadlines.

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.
 
Requirements to pass the subject
Regular participation in the course sessions.
Presentation / completion of the evaluation modules within the established deadlines.
Achieve an average score of the assessment modules of 5 or more on a scale of 10, as long as a score of 3.5 or more has been obtained on a scale of 10 in each of them.
A student will be considered non-assessable when he does not submit or do not attend one or more of the assessment modules within the established deadlines or attend lessthan 75% of the theoretical sessions.
 
Re-evaluation
 Students who meet the following requirements may be presented for the second-chance examination:
 -They must have completed the evaluation modules within the established deadlines
-They must have achieved an average score of each modules of 3.5 or more on a scale of 10
 
Re-evaluation calendar
The dates of the second-chance examination are set by the Faculty. These dates are published on the website of the Faculty in themonth of July of the previous year. It is the responsibility of the students to know the date of this event. The last test of the continuous evaluation will be scheduled at least one week before the re-evaluation date


In the event that tests or exams cannot be taken onsite, they will be adapted to an online format made available through the UAB’s virtual tools (original weighting will be maintained). Homework, activities and class participation will be carried out through forums, wikis and/or discussion on Teams, etc. Lecturers will ensure that students are able to access these virtual tools, or will offer them feasible alternatives.

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Papers and presentations To specify by the teacher at the beginning of the course 10 0.4 10, 1, 3, 6, 8, 4, 11, 12
Written tests To specify by the teacher at the beginning of the course 5 0.2 2, 5, 7, 9, 12

Bibliography

Part 1. The emergence and consolidation of the production economy

  • Aurenche, O.; Kozlowski, S.K. (2003). El origen del Neolítico en el Próximo Oriente. Barcelona: Ed.Ariel.
  • Barker, G. (2006). The agricultural revolution in prehistory: why did foragers become farmers? Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Fowler, C.; Harding, J.; Hoffmann, D. Eds. (2013). The Oxford Handbook of Neolithic Europe. Oxford Handbooks.
  • Bernabeu, J,; Aura, J.E.; Badal, E. (1993). Al Oeste del Edén. Las primeras sociedades agrícolas en la Europa mediterránea. Madrid: Ed. Síntesis.
  • Fowler, C.; Hardin, J.; Hofmann, D. (coords.) (2015). The Oxford Handbook of Neolithic Europe. Oxford Handbooks.
  • Guilaine, J. Dir. (2003). Arts et symboles du néolithique à la protohistoire. Séminaires du collège de France. Errance ed.
  • Mazourie, K. (2007). El Orígen del Neolítico en Europa. Barcelona: Ed. Ariel.
  • Rojo, M.; Garrido, R.; Martínez, I. (coords.) (2012). El Neolítico en la península ibérica y su contexto europeo. Ed. Cátedra.
  • Smith, B.D. (1995). The emergence of agriculture. New York: Scientific American Library.

 

Part 2. The first complex societies in the Middle East and in Europe

  • Akkermans, P.; Schwartz, G. (2003). The archaeology of Syria: From Complex Hunter-Gatherers to Early Urban Societies (16,000-300 BC). Cambridge University Press.
  • Aubet, M.E. (1994). Tiro y las colonias fenicias de Occidente. Barcelona: Ed. Crítica
  • Dickinson, O.T.P.K. (2000). La Edad del Bronce egea. Madrid: Ed. Akal
  • Harding, A.F. (2003). Sociedades europeas en la edad del Bronce. Barcelona: Ed. Ariel
  • Harding, A.F.; Fokkens, h. (2013). The Oxford handbook of the European Bronze Age. Oxford Handbooks.
  • Kristiansen,K.(2001). Europa antes de la historia: los fundamentos prehistóricos de la Europa de la Edad del Bronze y la primera Edad del Hierro.  Barcelona: Ed. Península.
  • Kristiansen, K., Larson, T.B. (2006). La emergència de la Sociedad del Bronce. Viajes, transmisiones y transformaciones. Ed. Bellaterra. Barcelona.
  • Liverani, M. (2006). Uruk. La primera ciudad. Barcelona: Ed. Bellaterra.
  • Lovell, J.I.; Rowan, Y. (2011). Culture, Chronology and the Chalcolithic. Theory and Transition. Oxbow Books, Oxford.
  • Redman, C.L. (1990). Los orígenes de la civilización. Desde los primeros agricultores hasta la sociedad urbana en el Próximo Oriente. Barcelona: Ed. Crítica.
  • Wells, P.S. (1998). Granjas, aldees y ciudades: Comercio y orígenes del urbanismo en la protohistòria europea. Ed. Labor. Bcn.

Part 3. Other prehistoric societies.

  • Adams, R.E. (2000). Las antiguas civilizaciones del Nuevo Mundo. Barcelona: Crítica.
  • Connah, G. (2004). Forgotten Africa: An introduction to its archaeology. London: Routledge.
  • Gosden, Ch. (2008). Arqueología y colonialismo. El contacto cultural desde 5000 a.C. hasta el presente. Barcelona: Ed. Bellaterra.
  • Hanks, B. K., Linduff, K. M. (2009). Social complexity in Prehistoric Eurasia: Monuments, metals and mobility. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

 

 

Software

-None