Undergraduate Course: People, landscape change and settlement: the last 15,000 years (GEGR10107)
Course Outline
School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
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 is intended to provide an integrated palaeoecological approach to the origin and evolution of temperate and arctic environments during the Lateglacial and Holocene, with particular reference to the interplay between human and natural landscapes. |
Course description |
The intention of the course is to ensure that all participants are familiar with the general principles of reconstruction of past environments and the broad outlines and limitations of the wide range of techniques available, in particular the evidence gained from studies of invertebrate faunas. The objective is to understand how the data used to reconstruct the dynamic Lateglacial and Holocene environment are acquired, how they may be used for the interpretation of past environments and how they may be used to inform decisions on conservation.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | This course is open to 3rd and 4th year students. This course is open to all university students, but priority will be given to students on the Geography Degree Programmes. Students from other programmes may be able to join if there is space. Please contact geoset.ug.drummond@ed.ac.uk to check availability. |
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisites | None |
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: 38 |
Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
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Lecture Hours 22,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 7,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
167 )
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Additional Information (Learning and Teaching) |
Seminar/Tutorials includes 4 Laboratory hours
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Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
60 %,
Coursework
40 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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Additional Information (Assessment) |
Degree Essay (40%)
24-Hour Take-Home Exam (40%)
Students must attain an overall mark of 40% (or above) in order to pass the course. |
Feedback |
Questions are encouraged during lectures, and provide an opportunity to give further information and clarification. Feedback is provided during class powerpoint presentations and laboratory practicals. Revision sessions provide feedback for examinations.
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No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- A comprehensive and integrated knowledge and understanding of the broad pattern of environmental change (both natural and anthropogenic) over the last 15,000 years.
- An understanding of some of the sources of palaeoenvironmental data, and the various palaeoecological techniques, including vertebrate and invertebrate remains which can be applied to the investigation of environmental change and human activity in the landscape.
- An understanding of taphonomy and preservation.
- An understanding of the interaction of human communities with different facets of the environment and the role of humans as agents of landscape change and development.
- Knowledge of the biogeography of disease and an understanding of conservation issues and an understanding of conservation issues.
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Reading List
1. Bell, M. and Walker, M.J.C. (2015). Late Quaternary Environments. Physical & Human Perspectives (2nd ed.). Routledge, London.
2. Butzer K. W. (2005). Environmental history in the Mediterranean world: cross-disciplinary investigation of cause-and-effect for degradation and soil erosion. Journal of Archaeological Science 32: 1773-1800.
3. Fitzhugh W. W. and Ward E. I. (2000). Vikings. The North Atlantic Saga. Smithsonian Institute, Washington.
4. Greenblatt C. and Spigelman M. (Eds) (2003). Emerging pathogens. Archaeology, ecology & evolution of infectious disease. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
5. Hodder K. H., Bullock J. M., Buckland P. C. and Kirby K. J. (2005). Large herbivores in the wildwood and modern naturalistic grazing systems. English Nature Research Report, 648. English Nature, Peterborough.
6. Lowe J. J. and Walker M.J.C. (2014). Reconstructing Quaternary Environments (3rd ed). Routledge, London.
7. Roberts N. (2014). The Holocene. An Environmental History (3rd edition). Wiley Blackwell, Oxford.
Particularly useful Journals: Antiquity, Archaeometry, The Holocene, Journal of Archaeological Science, Journal of Biogeography, Journal of Quaternary Science, Meddelelser om Grønland, Quaternary Research, Quaternary Science Reviews. |
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills |
1. Basic observation skills in the laboratory.
2. Basic knowledge of how to use a database to collate data and interpret an invertebrate assemblage (using BUGSCEP).
3. Skills in writing a project/essay of their choice (from a list of essays provided in the course).
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Special Arrangements |
This course is open to 3rd and 4th year students. This course is open to all university students, but priority will be given to students on the Geography Degree Programmes. Students from other programmes may be able to join if there is space. Please contact geoset.ug.drummond@ed.ac.uk to check availability. |
Keywords | Lateglacial,Holocene,Disease,Human Impact,Climate Change,Biogeography,Extinctions,Palaeoecology |
Contacts
Course organiser | Dr Eva Panagiotakopulu
Tel: (0131 6)50 2531
Email: Eva.P@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Leigh Corstorphine
Tel: (0131 6)50 9847
Email: lcorstor@ed.ac.uk |
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