Archaeological Landscapes

• Credit value: 30 credits at Level 6
• Convenor: Dr Tim Reynolds
• Assessment: a 1000-word source study (20%) and 3000-word essay (80%)

Landscape can mean different things to different people in various contexts. On this module we explore archaeological approaches to landscape and examine theoretical debate alongside applied case studies and site visits to explain human experiences of associated spaces. We will explore landscapes as created through:

• literature and art
• archaeological endeavour
• experiencing humanly defined space in site visits.

There will be a site visit to the World Heritage Site around the Tower of London and an optional visit to a medieval townscape in Ely, Cambridgeshire.

Indicative syllabus

• What is landscape?
• Landscapes of England
• Management of historic landscapes and World Heritage landscapes
• Town and cityscapes
• Waterworlds
• Ritual landscapes
• Communication
• Landscapes of conflict
• Personal and invisible landscapes
• Site visit: Tower of London

By the end of this module, you will:

• be familiar with major theoretical orientations to landscape within archaeology, history and material culture studies
• have a grasp of the conceptual challenges to ‘reading’ space in archaeological records
• have a sound basis for research into archaeological landscapes
• have a broad knowledge of the archaeology of landscapes
• understand the interpretative models for archaeological landscapes
• understand the interplay between archaeological evidence, method and theory
• be able to critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the archaeological sources for archaeological landscapes.