- Department: Archaeology
- Credit value: 20 credits
- Credit level: M
- Academic year of delivery: 2023-24
- See module specification for other years: 2024-25
The course explores the earliest forms of artistic expression from across the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic, and how it changes across different species, varying environmental and ecological conditions, and diverse lifeways. Lectures provide detailed introductions to key themes and the art of each period, discussion is supported through the use of seminars and online activities, and critical reflection encouraged via practical workshops.
Occurrence | Teaching period |
---|---|
A | Semester 2 2023-24 |
This modules aims:
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
The course explores the earliest forms of artistic expression from around the world using a combination of lectures, seminars, practical workshops, and museum and gallery visits. The course takes in the earliest flickerings of the precursors of artistic expression, such as an aesthetic sense and interest in form, perhaps evidence from as early as the Lower palaeolithic and considers the debates surrounding these traces. This invites a (seemingly) simple but critical question: what is art? Next, the course explored the art produced by our closest extinct relatives the Neanderthals and the implications of another complex art making species in the hominin line. The course then focuses on the art produced by Anatomically Modern Humans, from the Palaeolithic through to the Neolithic. While the species making the art remains constant, this period reflects significant shifts in environment and ecology, population density, mobility strategy, and lifeway, including the shift from hunting and gathering to agriculture. The relationship between this complex milieu will be considered in tandem with the changing nature of artistic expression in humans through time. At every step, the varying interpretations, theories and methods used by archaeologists to explore this topic will be introduced and evaluated.
Task | % of module mark |
---|---|
Essay/coursework | 100 |
None
Task | % of module mark |
---|---|
Essay/coursework | 100 |
Formative: oral feedback from module leaders
Summative: written feedback within the University's turnaround policy
Needham, A., Wisher, I., Langley, A., Amy, M., Little, A. (2022) Art by Firelight? Using experimental and digital techniques to explore Magdalenian engraved plaquette use at Montastruc (France). PLOS One 17(4) e0266146.
Milner, N., Bamforth, M., Beale, G., Carty, J.C., Chatzipanagis, K., Croft, S., Conneller, C., Elliott, B., Fitton, L.C., Knight, B., Kröger, R., Little, A., Needham, A., Robson, H.K., Rowley, C.C.A., Taylor, B. (2016) A unique Engraved Shale Pendant from the Site of Star Carr: The oldest Mesolithic art in Britain. Internet Archaeology 40, https://doi.org/10.11141/ia.40.8
Jones, A.M. (2017) The Art of Assemblage: Styling Neolithic Art. Cambridge Archaeological Journal 27(1), 85–94.