Archaeology of Complex Societies
Code: 100728 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2500241 Archaeology | OT | 3 | 2 |
| 2500241 Archaeology | OT | 4 | 2 |
Contact
- Name:
- Pedro Castro Martínez
- Email:
- pedro.castro@uab.cat
Teaching groups languages
You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject. Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2023.
Prerequisites
There are no special prerequisites.
Objectives and Contextualisation
1. Define the notion of "complexity" applied to societies studied by archaeology.
2. Consider the historical dynamics of illetrate societies that suppose territorial expansions, inter-regional integrations, world-systems and relations of dependency and centre-periphery, his material bases and his political-ideological configurations.
3. Consider the historical dynamics of illetrate societies that suppose crisis and collapses, paths of growth-decreasing, aggregation-desaggregation, centralisation-decentralisation, as well as conjunctures of catastrophes and epidemics.
4. Present the theoretical positions and the methodologies used in the studies from prehistoric archaeology on the subjects concerned.
5. Present and analyse some cases of prehistoric societies, object of studies from prehistoric archaeology, that illustrate the related topics, in diferent geographies and historical times.
Competences
- Archaeology
- Contextualizing and analysing historical processes.
- Managing the main methods, techniques and analytic tools in archaeology.
- Providing a context for the concepts of archaeological theory and its origin and distinguishing the main epistemological and methodological debates in social sciences.
- 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 be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
- Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
Learning Outcomes
- Applying both knowledge and analytical skills to the resolution of problems related to their area of study.
- Applying proper techniques and analytical tools in case studies.
- Autonomously searching, selecting and processing information both from structured sources (databases, bibliographies, specialized magazines) and from across the network.
- Critically assessing the sources and theoretical models.
- Identifying the characteristic methods of Archaeology and its relationship with the historical analysis.
- Identifying the context of the historical processes.
- Interpreting material sources and the archaeological record.
- Mastering the diachronic structure of the past.
- Mastering the processes of change produced in Prehistory.
- Transmitting the results of archaeological research and clearly communicating conclusions in oral and written form to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
Content
1. "Complexity" in Archaeology.
2. Historical dynamics of Génesis and Finals and the Illetrate Societies.
3. Territorial expansions and Territorial Integrations: Material Bases and Political Configurations-Ideological.
4. World-systems and relations of dependency and of centre-periphery.
5. Catastrophes and Epidemics: Implications and consequences in Prehistoric Societies.
6. Paths of growth-decreasing, aggregation-desaggregation, centralisation-decentralisation, stratification-horizontality.
Methodology
1. Lectures on the contents of the syllabus. Frequent discussion of topics in the classroom.
2. Exposition of course works on concrete cases, and debate and comments in the classroom.
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 | |||
| Theoretical classes | 45 | 1.8 | 9, 8, 6, 5 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Practical classroom activities | 15 | 0.6 | 2, 1, 4, 3, 6, 5, 7, 10 |
Assessment
1. A written course work, individually or in a group, about a case study. Possibility of recovery.
2. An exhibition in class of the contents of the course work on a case study.
3. Brief individual intervention on questions referred to some of the subjects developed in class.
At the moment of completion/delivery of each assessment activity, will inform (Virtual Campus) of the procedure and date of revision of qualifications.
Will be classified as Non-evaluable when has not delivered more than 30% of the evaluation activities.
In the event of committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the person 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.
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.
Single assessment
All students may have access to the possibility of a single assessment, which will be carried out in the faculty database. The single assessment will
consist of the following tests, with the weights indicated in brackets:
- Examination on the contents of the syllabus (40%)
- Commentary on a text-1 (30%)
- Commentary on a text-2 (30%)
Possibility of recovery, with same tests.
Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual essay | 25 | 10 | 0.4 | 1, 4, 3, 10 |
| Public exhibition and debate | 25 | 20 | 0.8 | 4, 10 |
| Written thematic course work | 50 | 60 | 2.4 | 2, 1, 4, 3, 9, 8, 6, 5, 7, 10 |
Bibliography
Basic bibliography
CASTRO-MARTINEZ, Pedro V., GILI, Silvia, LULL, Vicente, MICÓ, Rafael, RIHUETE, Cristina, RISCH, Roberto. & SANAHUJA YLL, Mª Encarna (2001), “Teoría de la producción de la vida social. Un análisis de los mecanismos de explotación en el sudeste peninsular”, Astigi Vetus, 1, pp. 13-54.
CASTRO MARTINEZ, Pedro V., ESCORIZA MATEU, Trinidad, OLTRA PUIDOMENECH, Joaquim, OTERO VIDAL, Montse y SANAHUJA YLL, Mª Encarna (2003). “¿Qué es una ciudad? Aportaciones para su definición desde la prehistoria”, Geocrítica-Scripta Nova. Revista Electrónica de Geografía y Ciencias Sociales, VII, 146 (10).
CASTRO-MARTÍNEZ, Pedro V., ESCORIZA-MATEU, Trinidad, SANAHUJA YLL, M.Encarna (2006), Contra la Falsificación del Pasado Prehistórico, Instituto de la Mujer, Madrid.
CASTRO-MARTINEZ, Pedro V.; ESCORIZA MATEU, Trinidad (2009), “Lugares Reales y Lugares Ideales. Mujeres y Hombres: Realidad e Ideología en Arqueología”, Cuadernos de Prehistoria de la Universidad de Granada, 19: 37-64.
CASTRO-MARTINEZ, Pedro V.; ESCORIZA MATEU, Trinidad (2014), “Por una Arqueología Social, contra las Manipulaciones Convenientes”, Arkeogazte. Revista de Arqueología, 4: 25-42.
CHAPMAN, Robert W. (2010), Arqueologías de la complejidad. Bellaterra, Barcelona.
CHILDE, Vere G. (1950), “The Urban Revolution”, Town Planning Review, 21 (1), pp. 3-17.
CHILDE, Vere G. (1954 [1936]), Los orígenes de la civilización. Fondo de Cultura Económica, México (2ª edición).
ESTEVEZ ESCALERA, Jordi (2005), Catástrofes en la Prehistoria, Bellaterra, Barcelona.
FLANNERY, Kent (1975), La evolución cultural de las civilizaciones. Anagrama, Barcelona. Original (1972), “The Cultural Evolution of Civilizations”, Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 3, pp. 399-426.
FRANK, Andre G. and Barry GILLS (1993), The World System: 500 years or 5000?, London: Routledge.
FRIED, Morton (1985 [1960]), “Sobre la evolución de la estratificación social y del Estado”, en Llobera, J. R. (ed.), Antropología Política. Anagrama, Barcelona, pp. 133-154.
GRAEBER, David, & David Wengrow (2021), El amanecer de todo: Una nueva historia de la humanidad, Ariel, Barcelona.
GUIDI, Alessandro (2000), Preistoria della complessità sociale. Editori Laterza, Bari.
MARX, Karl (1989 [1857]), “Introducción” a las Grundrisse”. Anexo en Contribución a la crítica de la economía política. Progreso, Moscú.
MEILLASSOUX, Claude (2000 [1977]), Mujeres, Graneros y Capitales, Siglo XXI, México DF.
RENFREW, Colin i BAHN, Paul, (1993), Arqueología. Teorías, Métodos y Práctica. Akal, Madrid.
SERVICE, Elman (1984 [1975]), Los orígenes del Estado y de la civilización. El proceso de la evolución cultural. Alianza Universidad, Madrid.
TAINTER, Joseph (2003), The Collapse of Complex Societies, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Software
Word, Power Point, PDF reader, internet browser