Special Topic: Hunter-Gatherer Material Worlds - ARC00102H

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Module summary

This module will enable you to develop an in-depth understanding of the main forms of material culture made, used and deposited by hunter-gatherer communities living in Northern Europe during the Late Upper Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Early Neolithic periods. You will become familiar with a broad range of materials, methods, archaeological contexts (e.g., funerary, domestic) and theoretical approaches. 

Related modules

A directed option - students must pick a Special Topic module and have a choice of which to take

Module will run

Occurrence	Teaching period
A	Semester 2 2025-26

Module aims

Special Topics focus upon the archaeology of a well defined time, space or theme and the modules seek to allow students, in small groups, to focus upon primary source material and to apply to it the theoretical and thematic perspectives learned over your first and second years. The aim is to facilitate the acquisition of deeper knowledge of one aspect of the past than has been possible in more general courses.

Specifically this module aims:

• To examine the scholarly approaches to and range of evidence for Northern European hunter-gatherer material culture dating from the Late Upper Palaeolithic through to the Early Neolithic period.
• To evaluate and critique the challenges surrounding the analysis and interpretation of materials and artefacts, including key theoretical/anthropological approaches
• To develop research, analytical and communication skills.

Module learning outcomes

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

• demonstrate a broad and comparative knowledge of Northern European prehistoric hunter gatherer material culture 
• critically discuss and assess the key theories, methods and debates, and their limitations
• critically evaluate primary data and evidence
• communicate an in-depth, logical and structured argument, supported by archaeological evidence

Module content

In this module we will take a deep dive into the material world of Northern Europe’s prehistoric hunting and gathering communities. From the Late Upper Palaeolithic through to Neolithic hunter-gatherers, we will explore the diverse materials and artefact forms, drawing on case studies, from amber beads to clay masks, from pigments to adhesives, personal ornaments, figurines and implements made from stone, bone, and antler. As well as looking at their variation across time and space and functional “value”, we will investigate the social dimensions surrounding their sourcing, manufacture and use. This includes developing a strong understanding of different types of depositional contexts, including ritual ones, such as burials. We will also critically assess the broad range of state of the art analytical methods that have played an informative role in expanding knowledge of object biographies. Such methods include ZooMS, DNA, pXRF to microwear analysis, 3D imaging and experimental techniques. Key material culture and anthropological perspectives such as animism, sensory archaeology and object agency will underpin much of our discussion, allowing you to become adept at integrating theory with empirical material evidence. This module will therefore be of interest to anyone interested in prehistory and/or artefacts.

Indicative assessment

Task	% of module mark
Oral presentation/seminar/exam	100.0

Special assessment rules

None

Indicative reassessment

Task	% of module mark
Oral presentation/seminar/exam	100.0

Module feedback

Formative: oral feedback from module leaders in class

Summative: written feedback within the University's turnaround policy

Indicative reading

Conneller C. An archaeology of materials: substantial transformations in early prehistoric Europe. Routledge; 2011.

Little A, Needham A, Langley A, Elliott B. Material and Sensory Experiences of Mesolithic Resinous Substances. Cambridge Archaeological Journal. 2022; 1–30.

Petrovic A, Macane A, Strautnieks I, Kalnina L, Holmqvist E, Hunter EM,... Little, A. Stone axes throw new light on Baltic stone age mortuary rites. Sci Rep. 2024;14: 1–13.