Unit 1: Introduction to Archaeology

Introduction

Welcome to Unit 1: Introduction to Archaeology.

In this unit we will be looking at the aims of archaeology and how archaeologists go about reconstructing the human past.

The study period for this unit will start the week commencing 21 October 2002.

Aims

By the end of this unit, you should:

Understand what archaeology is and how you go about doing it.
Understand the difference between relative and absolute dating.
Be able to identify the three different epochs of Cretan chronology.
Understand the different sorts of archaeological evidence and be able to discuss their strengths and weaknesses.
Be able to explain how to collect evidence for archaeological study.

Weekly Discussion Topic

As mentioned in Unit 0, each week, there will be a discussion topic, which will cover the material in the unit. Please read through the material with the discussion topic clearly in your mind, and then share your thoughts with your peers on the Discussion Forum. Your tutor will post a dedicated conversation thread to this end. Below is the discussion topic to bear in mind for this unit. You will find that the Pause and Reflect activities feed into these discussion topics, serving to stimulate your thoughts around these.

Discuss the ways in which evidence can be put together rigorously to learn about people from the past.

These pages are from a course designed for the Alliance for Lifelong Learning Web site, with an associated online discussion forum, and other functionality, and any references to these should be ignored.