ARK2130 - From the Bronze Age to the Vikings and Beyond. Archaeological Analysis of Past Technology
Course content
The course provides a general understanding of metal and ceramic technology and seeks to relate manufacture and use of artefacts to their relevant social contexts in the Bronze Age, the Iron Age and the Medieval Period in the Nordic region. Combined with insights from ethnography and ethnoarchaeology in various parts of the world, you will learn how items of bronze, iron and clay were manufactured and used, and gain insight into the artefacts’ find context on sites from the Bronze Age, the Iron Age and the Medieval Period.
In addition to general lectures and case studies, the course has weekly laboratory work. It is essential that you attend BOTH. The course has a prominent practical component where the theory form the lectures will be put into practice. In the laboratories prepared bags of selected materials and accompanying work sheets will be distributed. These weekly meetings are informal and a lively discussion of the selected material, the technology and its social links is encouraged.
Learning outcome
In this course you will:
• Learn the most important aspects of metal and ceramic technology. Through the use of the chaîne opératoire approach and seeing objects as having biographies, you will be able to recognize main stages of production and to identify types of raw material used in the manufacture of artefacts.
• Learn how to relate the use of objects to their social context. You will develop a thorough understanding of the various stages in metal and ceramic technology and the specific technology’s place within the wider society.
• Obtain the relevant skills to scientifically study museum collections of bronze, iron and clay objects from the Bronze Age, the Iron Age and the Medieval Period in the Nordic region.
• Be able to draw valid conclusions about production and the wider social aspects of manufacture and use of objects.
Admission
Students at UiO must apply for courses in StudentWeb.
International applicants, if you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures for international applicants.
The examination in this course is not available for external candidates. Only students admitted to the course may sit for the examination.
Prerequisites
Formal prerequisite knowledge
Id does not exist in shared textThe course is available to all students accepted to the bachelor program in archaeology.
Teaching
There will be 10 lectures and 6 practical laboratory assignments (based on 6 of the lectures). It is compulsory to attend at least 6 of the general lectures and all of the weekly labs. The students have to submit 6 practical assignments during the course (obligatory). Each assignment shall be subject to the approval of the subject teacher and needs to be approved before the students submit their final essay.
Access to teaching
A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.
Examination
Each student writes an independent essay on a related topic with a limit of 5 pages of 2300 characters (space not included). The students must also hand in the 6 practical assignments which they have made during the course. The final grade will be based on the essay, but the students performance in the labs, based on their worksheets, will also be taken into account.
The exam is to be handed in in Fronter. The file must be submitted in .pdf-format and we stress that the student is responsible for making sure that the files are readable. If you need assistance in converting your file into .pdf, we recommend that you follow these instructions. The file must be named with your candidate number (not your name) and the course code (ARK2130).
In the process of uploading the file containing your exam, you will be asked to confirm that the work you are submitting is your own and that you are aware of the University of Oslo's policy concerning academic integrity and cheating. To qualify for uploading you must answer these questions affirmatively.
Examination support material
Id does not exist in shared textLanguage of examination
Id does not exist in shared textThe language of examination is English. It is possible to submit your response in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
Explanations and appeals
Id does not exist in shared textStudents can request an explanation of their grades, and can also appeal against their grades or make a complaint about formal examination errors. Read more about explanations and appeals
Resit an examination
You can usually resit an exam, but the conditions depend on whether you had a valid reason for absence from the regular exam. Read more about resitting an exam.
Withdrawal from an examination
Id does not exist in shared textSpecial examination arrangements
If you have a disability or a health problem that entails significant inconvenience in an examination situation, you may be considered for special examination arrangements. Mothers who are breastfeeding may apply for extra time to complete the exam.