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This resource delves into teaching and learning theories vital for archaeology education, exploring cognitive changes, analytical approaches, and the interpretation of archaeological evidence. By integrating key frameworks such as The New Archaeology and Post-Processual Archaeology, it emphasizes effective assessment strategies and the context of technological manufacture and use. The overview aims to foster critical thinking among students, bridging qualitative and quantitative analysis of archaeological data, while addressing essential concepts that shape our understanding of past societies.
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Teaching and Learning Theory • Anthony Sinclair, • SACE, University of Liverpool
We want students to ........ • Cognitive change • the development of key interpretive questions • the nature of key analytical approaches • how to interpret archaeological evidence in a theoretically informed manner • ‘Affective / psychomotor’ changes
The Manufacture & Use of Technology • Archaeological assemblage • classification • core / flake / blade • tool type / debitage • tool function • tool type / debitage type • archaeological culture • toolkit / gear • task • tool function • tool use life • task planning • curation and expediency • risk • scarcity, ............... and another 8 more concepts to be able to think with
Teaching frameworks • The Historical Approach • Antiquarianism • Culture History • The economic approach of Graham Clark • The New Archaeology • Post-Processual Archaeology • Current Themes • gender • landscape and being • agency • evolutionary approaches
Teaching Frameworks • The thematic approach • how to interpret • ‘diet’ • ‘trade and exchange’ • ‘the organisation of space’ • ‘the structure of time’ • ‘social relationships’ • e.g. ‘ranking’ • ‘material culture’ • ‘multi-vocality’
Forms of Assessment • the essay and its question • the data set
The essay & its question “Monuments are better understood from the inside in phenomenological terms than from the outside in New Archaeological or Marxist terms. Do you agree with this?” • can sometimes work well • reveals development of thought chains • But, how much do you really like to re-read • Renfrew and Bahn, Hodder, Johnson?
The Data Set “What factors might be relevant for interpreting the % of obsidian at ‘x’ ?” • has some good elements • theory <-------> data • adding the problem of qualitative / quantitative data analysis
The Data Set “The Office Culture” What makes an office? .....desk, telephone, office chair, filing cabinet, computer....
“The Office Culture” • ‘financial’ reasons (wealth) • ‘social’ reasons (social class) • ‘functional’ reasons (tasks) • ‘environmental’ reasons • ‘historical’ reasons
Some Problems • reading about, understanding and digestion of theory takes time • sources: • basic texts or articles • are we clear about what students need to know? • can we be sure that students understand theory? • do we need to think about a ‘curriculum’? • what would a curriculum look like?
Renfrew & Bahn: What shall we explain? • artifacts • what was this tool used for, how was it made? • events • how was Stonehenge made, why was this animal eaten? • classes of events • how did agriculture start, why did people make monumental buildings? • general cultural change • how did societies become more unequal?
David Clarke: • The archaeologist at work
Ian Hodder • The Archaeological Process
The Concept • to understand data sets you need to be clear about the concepts that ‘inform’ data. • classificatory concepts • define a grouping • correlational concepts • link ‘facts’ - evolution • theoretical concepts • entities that cannot be seen • some concepts may be • threshold concepts • a theory curriculum? • doorways to understanding?
