Principles and Methods of Archaeology and Landscape History

Themes in Archaeology

Analytical Techniques for Forensic Scientists

Western Civilisation

Archaeological Heritage Management

Themes in Landscape History

Landscapes of Conflict

The aim of this module is to increase students' understanding of the impact of conflict ('defence') on the landscape, the development of types of structures and earthworks and the evidence available. Some of the finest countryside and architecture from the Bronze Age to the present day bears witness, often now hidden in modern landscapes, to the need for defence and actual conflict. Students will explore some of the curiosities, earthworks and superb medieval, Tudor, Georgian and Victorian buildings in the British Isles, and some of the examples from the continent which owe their existence to, or show evidence of, the landscape of conflict. This module adopts a chronological and thematic approach for the study of the landscapes of conflict and its effect on the British landscape. We will look at issues and debates around heritage, conservation and tourism relating to the landscapes and buildings of 'conflict'. It will generally, although not exclusively, deal with fortifications and other works of different periods, together with their ancillary structures, set within the wider landscapes in which they were sited, rather than with the sites of battles whose relationship with the landscape were usually temporary and might not always have been significant. Students will explore current ideas such as the medieval castle set within designed landscapes as 'pleasure gardens'. This module is taught by lectures and seminars.

Surveying for Archaeologists

The purpose of this module is to equip students with the practical skills relevant to the workplace. Surveying skills are fundamental to the laying out and recording of archaeological sites. This module builds on the introductory surveying elements completed at Level 1. Processes commonly used in field archaeology and the principles and procedures that underpin such processes are reviewed. The principles and procedures are consolidated through practical activity, involving choice of appropriate equipment for the context, the measurement and recording of angles, distances and heights using typically available equipment. Students are required to set out grids and excavation trenches and carry out building survey. Students will be required to record their results to a professional standard. Both manual and computer-aided plotting techniques will be used and students will be required to produce cartographic details from survey information. The surveying activity requires students to work as part of a wider team and to recognise the requirements of other group members in achieving a professional survey.

Estates, Parks and Gardens in the English Countryside

This module increases the student's understanding and knowledge of the evidence available, which shows the impact, use, and development of estates and parks on the English landscape. The context and relationship of the landscape to the location and function of estates and parks is related to the broader pattern of settlement. A detailed treatment of the chronology and economics of parks and estates looks at the development of their style, location, use, change, and the regional variations between them. Students are given an understanding of how to interpret the components of estates and parks and their location in the context of present and past landscapes. Within the framework of current research, the student will be enabled to interpret accurately the impact of parks and estates upon the broader pattern of settlement and the landscape, together with their development, expansion and contraction. The complexity and difficulties involved in trying to identify the events and causes giving rise to change in estates and parks is examined, taking into consideration socio-economic, political, and technological changes.