Accessibility statement

Making the Nation - ARC00022M

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  • Department: Archaeology
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. Caitlin Kitchener
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: M
  • Academic year of delivery: 2022-23

Module summary

This module will examine the making of the modern world through changes that took place in society, economy, and culture over the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It will explore the rural landscape and improvement, social identities, the materiality of domestic life, poverty, and the urban environment as markers of modernity. There will be a strong thread of British material which will establish a context for globalisation and colonialism, but this will be placed within the context of the developing Atlantic world.  

Students have said that this module made them re-evaluate their understanding of the period and that it provided an excellent foundation for their other studies and their dissertations. They found it intellectually stimulating and that it allowed them to develop their own ideas through reading and discussion.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Autumn Term 2022-23

Module aims

  • To critically explore the themes of the rural and urban life and death, landscape, settlement and poverty over the long eighteenth century.

  • To understand the development of historical archaeology as a sub-discipline, its aims, objectives and social relevance.

Module learning outcomes

Upon completion of this module students should:

  • Be able to critically evaluate landscape change and its impact on rural life.

  • Have a good understanding of the different ways in which economy and consumption are studied.

  • Knowledge of case studies from Britain and around the world relating to different social classes and rural and urban environments.

  • Understanding of the methods, theories and approaches commonly applied in historical archaeology.

  • Knowledge of the development of historical archaeology as a sub-discipline.

  • Have developed their writing skills through assessed essays.

  • Have presented their research through seminar contributions.

Module content

This module will examine the making of the modern world through changes that took place in society, economy, and culture over the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. We start by understanding the transformation of the rural landscape and society through the drive for improvement, which laid many of the social and economic foundations for colonialism and urban growth. A wide range of methodologies, evidence types, and social contexts will be considered with which to investigate themes of the rural landscape and improvement, urbanism and social identities, domestic life and death as markers of the 'modern' age.

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Essay - 3500 words		 N/A 100

Special assessment rules

None

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Essay - 3500 words		 N/A 100

Module feedback

Feedback will be available within 6 weeks

Indicative reading

Finch, J. 2008, 'Three Men in a Boat: biographies and narratives in the historic landscape', Landscape Research, vol. 33, no. 5, pp. 511-530.

Hall, M. and Silliman, S.W. 2006 'Introduction: Archaeology of the Modern World'. In Martin Hall and Stephen Silliman (eds.), Historical Archaeology. Blackwell: Oxford, 1–22. 

Hicks, D. and Beaudry, M. C. 2006 'Introduction: The Place of Historical Archaeology'. In Dan Hicks and Mary C. Beaudry (eds.) The Cambridge Companion to Historical Archaeology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1–9.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.