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Communicating Archaeology - ARC00053I

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  • Department: Archaeology
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. James Taylor
  • Credit value: 10 credits
  • Credit level: I
  • Academic year of delivery: 2022-23
    • See module specification for other years: 2021-22

Module summary

How do we communicate archaeology and to who? This module will provide students with the skills they need to communicate archaeological research to a variety of audiences. Each skills-based lecture will introduce the students to a critical aspect of communicating archaeology. Each week students will engage with multimedia creation as they learn to present archaeological research.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Autumn Term 2022-23

Module aims

This module aims to encourage students:

  • To critically examine media creation in Archaeology

  • To develop skills in archaeological interpretation and dissemination through media

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module the students will be able to:

  • Demonstrate the use of images to effectively communicate archaeological concepts

  • Use social media to disseminate archaeological concepts

  • Create basic maps

  • Understand the variety of media available for archaeological communication

  • Assess various audiences for archaeological communication

  • Use digital media to communicate archaeology

Module content

The Communicating Archaeology module will take students through the history of visual interpretation and dissemination in archaeology, examining illustration, photography, map making, and more up-to-date methods in digital archaeology. Students will critically examine representations of archaeology and create their own visual media. We will look at best practices for multiple audiences and consider challenges in ethics, accessibility, and technology. Students will be encouraged to rethink and improve the messages that archaeologists are transmitting, to academic and general audiences.

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Video Presentation		 N/A 100

Special assessment rules

None

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Video Presentation		 N/A 100

Module feedback

Formative: The marker will share written feedback with you and you will have the opportunity to ask further questions about how to improve your work before your summative assessment.

Summative: Written feedback sheets will be uploaded to your e:vision account (your personal University of York online services account) within 20 working days of the submission deadline, along with your overall mark for the module. If you have any questions about your mark and/or your written feedback, you will be able to sign up for office hours with the marker.

Indicative reading

Bonacchi, C. (2017). Digital media in public archaeology. In Moshenska G. (Ed.), Key Concepts in Public Archaeology (pp. 60-72). London: UCL Press. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1vxm8r7.9

James, S., 2015. “Visual competence” in archaeology: a problem hiding in plain sight. Antiquity, 89(347), pp.1189–1202.

Detailed reading for the module will be available via YorkShare (the University's virtual learning environment). When you have enrolled on a module, you will be able to access the full reading list.


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.