Undergraduate Course: The Archaeology of Iron Age Europe: Hillforts, Burials and Landscapes (ARCA10093)
Course Outline
School | School of History, Classics and Archaeology |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
Summary | This course will provide an overview on the archaeology of Iron Age Europe (c. 800 BC - AD 50), from Central Europe to Scotland in the north and Spain in the south. It will address topics such as the notions of 'Celts' and Celtic art, the development of fortified settlements (hillforts and oppida), the social interpretation of burial data, the identification of migrations, and the connections between temperate Europe and the Mediterranean. |
Course description |
In many parts of Eurasia, the 1st millennium BC marked a fundamental turning point that was accompanied by the appearance of a whole range of phenomena that were to play an important part in shaping our world. Some of the key elements we might mention are early state formations, urbanisation, coinage, and intercontinental trade networks. In temperate Europe, this age of increasing mobility of people, ideas and goods saw the development of the first urban agglomerations, the appearance of sumptuous aristocratic burials, and close contacts with the Mediterranean world.
This course provides an overview on the main developments that took place between c. 800 BC - AD 50, from the centralisation processes of the Hallstatt period (the so-called 'princely seats') to the development of Celtic art, the rise of the Late Iron Age oppida, and finally the Roman conquest. It also aims to critically analyse the concept of the 'Celts' and its use and misuse in political and societal discourses.
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Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have at least 3 Archaeology courses at Grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this). We will only consider University/College level courses.
** as numbers are limited, visiting students should contact the Visiting Student Office directly for admission to this course ** |
High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 0 |
Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
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Lecture Hours 11,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 11,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
172 )
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Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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Additional Information (Assessment) |
Coursework:
750 word Review of a key article (20%)
3,500 word Essay (80%)
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Feedback |
Not entered |
No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- demonstrate, by way of coursework, a detailed and critical command of the body of knowledge concerning the European Iron Age;
- demonstrate, by way of coursework, an ability to read, analyse and reflect critically upon relevant scholarship;
- demonstrate, by way of coursework, an ability to understand, evaluate and utilise a variety of source material;
- demonstrate, by way of coursework, the ability to develop and sustain scholarly arguments in oral and written form, by formulating appropriate questions and utilising relevant evidence;
- demonstrate independence of mind and initiative; intellectual integrity and maturity; an ability to evaluate the work of others, including peers.
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Reading List
Collis, J. (2003): The Celts: Origins, Myths & Inventions. Stroud: Tempus.
Fernández-Götz, M. (2014): Identity and Power: The Transformation of Iron Age Societies in Northeast Gaul. Amsterdam University Press, Amsterdam.
Fernández-Götz, M., Wendling, H. and Winger, K. (eds.) (2014): Paths to Complexity: Centralisation and Urbanisation in Iron Age Europe. Oxbow Books, Oxford.
Fernández-Götz, M. (2018): Urbanization in Iron Age Europe: Trajectories, Patterns and Social Dynamics. Journal of Archaeological Research 26: 117-162.
Haselgrove, C. and Moore, T. (eds.) (2007): The Later Iron Age in Britain and beyond. Oxbow Books, Oxford.
Haselgrove, C. and Pope, R. (eds.) (2007): The Earlier Iron Age in Britain and the Near Continent. Oxbow Books, Oxford.
Haselgrove, C., Rebay-Salisbury, K. and Wells, P. (eds.) (2023): The Oxford Handbook of the European Iron Age. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Moore, T and Armada, X.-L. (eds.) (2011): Atlantic Europe in the First Millennium BC. Crossing the Divide. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Ralston, I. (2013): Celtic Fortifications. The History Press, Stroud.
Wells, P.S. (2011): The Iron Age. In S. Milisauskas (ed.), European Prehistory. A Survey (2nd edition). Springer, New York: 405-460. |
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills |
On successful completion of the course, students should be able to:
- gather and critically assess relevant information;
- have an overall knowledge of the archaeology of Iron Age Europe;
- present their ideas and analyses in a coherent fashion to diverse audiences and in a number of different formats. |
Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
Course organiser | Dr Manuel Fernandez-Gotz
Tel: (0131 6)51 5223
Email: M.Fernandez-Gotz@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Claire Brown
Tel: (0131 6)50 3582
Email: cbrown20@exseed.ed.ac.uk |
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