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Rock Art and Archaeology: from Scotland to the Sahara (U04024)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : HCA-3-U04024

This course will focus on prehistoric rock art and the role it plays in society, both past and present. It will examine how we define, analyse and interpret rock art, and consider contemporary issues of conservation, management and presentation.

The majority of the course will deal with the methodological and theoretical approaches that have been used in the study of rock art, and how these have influenced our changing perceptions of its meaning and value. Students will be made aware of the almost global occurrence of prehistoric paintings and engravings, but concentrate specifically on those in Europe and Africa from the Palaeolithic to the Iron Age.

The final part of the course considers rock art as an archaeological resource with reference to such issues as conservation, management and the implications of public access and use.

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : Archaeology 2A and 2B, or Honours entry to degrees in Classics, or equivalent

? Costs : None.

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Archaeology, (School of History, Classics and Archaeology, Schedule E)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 3rd year

? Delivery Period : Not being delivered

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 11 weeks

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Monday	11:10	13:00	Central

? Additional Class Information : N.B. timetable is arranged annually

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Students who complete the course successfully will be able by the end of the course to demonstrate in written examination and course work as well as in class discussion:
• The methodological and theoretical approaches used to study prehistoric rock art and how these have altered our perspective through time
• A globally orientated view of rock art and rock art studies
• The key arguments relating to the ethnography of rock art
• The different contexts in which rock art was created and used
• The role of rock art as a cultural and archaeological resource
• The issues surrounding the treatment and use of rock art today

Transferable Skills:
Students will also demonstrate that they can:
• gather material independently on a given topic and organise it into a coherent data set;
• compare differing sets of data from varying situations and draw conclusions from them;
• evaluate different approaches to and explanations of material, and make critical choices between them;
• express clearly ideas and arguments, both orally and in writing;
• organise complex and lengthy sets of arguments and draw these together into a coherent conclusion;
• organise their own learning, manage their workload and work to a timetable