Archaeological theory and interpretation
ARC00061M
Aims
- To review key theoretical frameworks deployed in Archaeology during the 20th and 21st centuries, their contrasting strengths and weaknesses and implications of their use
- To review the historical, political and international contexts that have shaped the development of archaeological theory during the 20th and 21st centuries
- To examine specific case studies from contrasting theoretical perspectives
Learning outcomes
By the end of this module students will be able to demonstrate:
- Familiarity with the full range of theoretical perspectives in contemporary archaeology
- Ability to identify the key tenets of different theoretical positions and to critically evaluate within a historical, political and international context the application of these approaches
- Capacity to use oral communication to describe and discuss conflicting theoretical constructs
