ARCY1002 Welcome
Channel: sven ouzman
Date: 2018-07-20

This Unit will allow you to begin to think like an archaeologist by introducing you to foundational principles and skills. These include locating, mapping and recording sites. Analysing artefacts at a macro level right down to studying ancient residues and DNA. These skills allow archaeologists to address old and modern issues such as climate change, human evolution and symbolic behaviour, the ethics of studying human remains, working with Indigenous stakeholders, the effects of war on archaeology and so on. You will quickly pick up that there is rarely one answer to these issues and that different researchers have different points of view because they interpret the archaeological evidence in different ways. To understand these differences while building up a set of specialist research skills is an important part of studying archaeology.  And - you get to make an artefact! You needn't be skilled with your hands, just willing to try and understand the different steps (conceptual and physical) required to make an artefact. The process is more important than the end result. Your artefact could be a stone handaxe, a delicate fabric codex, a bamboo navigation device, a ceramic funerary urn - the choice is yours. The best artefact (and accompanying essay that details how you made this artefact) wins the class prize!