This course offers an introduction to the sites and material culture of Bronze Age Europe. In particular, we focus on aspects of the archaeological record and current research on ancient human remains that offers new ways of thinking about mobility and cultural contact. We will consider evidence for fluidity of the social and cultural life of Bronze Age people, explore the range of archaeological evidence and critically engage with interpretations put forward for Bronze Age mobility and cultural contact. Our coverage will include burial evidence, material cultures (such as the Bell Beakers), human remains, cultural transmission and identities. We will also explore the techniques archaeologists use to record and document Bronze Age mobility, assess varying interpretations and work towards a nuanced understanding of the study of Bronze Age lifeways. We contextualise our coverage with a one-day field trip to the British Museum where we will seek evidence for Bronze Age cultural contact across time, place, museum galleries and cultures.
Bronze Age Europe: New Insights into Mobility and Cultural Contact
This is an In-person course which requires your attendance to the weekly meetings which take place in Oxford.
Overview
Programme details
Course starts: 20 Jan 2025
Week 1: Course Introduction: Europe in the Bronze Age
Week 2: Mobility: Current Thinking on Bronze Age Migration
Week 3: Cultural Contact: Connectivity in Bronze Age Europe
Week 4: The Science of Mobility: How to Read the Bronze Age Body
Week 5: Material Connections: Fieldtrip Preparation
Week 6: Observing Cultural Contact
Week 7: No Class Monday 3rd March.
Instead, fieldtrip to The British Museum on Saturday 8th March:
Meet at the British Museum in London at 10:30. The trip will end between 15:00-15:30.
*Full details will be given*
Week 8: Understanding Bronze Age Europe: Review of Fieldtrip
Week 9: Reflection: New Interpretations
Week 10: Course Summary: European Bronze Age Mobilities and Cultural Connections
Recommended reading
All weekly class students may become borrowing members of the Rewley House Continuing Education Library for the duration of their course. Prospective students whose courses have not yet started are welcome to use the Library for reference. More information can be found on the Library website.
There is a Guide for Weekly Class students which will give you further information.
Certification
To complete the course and receive a certificate, you will be required to attend at least 80% of the classes on the course and pass your final assignment. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course Fee | £285.00 |
| Take this course for CATS points | £30.00 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Tutor
Ms Fay Stevens
Fay Stevens is an award winning and experienced lecturer. She has wide experience of teaching in UK and International Universities and is currently completing a PhD in archaeology. Her expertise is in theoretical and landscape archaeology, material culture studies and pedagogy in education. Fay currently teaches at Oxford University Department of Continuing Education on a range of programmes, is Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Notre Dame (U.S.A.) in London, Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries London and Director of the Oxford Berkeley Programme, University of Oxford (2024).
BA (Hons), MA, PGCTLL, FSA
Course aims
The course offers a foundation in the archaeology of mobility and cultural contact in Bronze Age Europe.
Course Objectives:
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To familiarise students with the archaeological evidence of mobility and cultural contact in Bronze Age Europe.
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To contextualise their archaeological understanding of key issues and approaches to Bronze Age archaeology.
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To encourage and equip students with the skills and resources required to explore their own interests in mobility and cultural contact in Bronze Age Europe.
Teaching methods
The course will be taught using a range of teaching strategies and methods. This includes lectures, question and answer sessions, discussion, practical sessions, a field trip, as well as encouraging reflection, independent study and coursework participation. You will be inspired and encouraged to develop the ability to process and apply information through discussion as well as through written work, in order to cultivate skills in critical thinking, as well as your own interests in the subject through independent study.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course students will be expected to:
- demonstrate introductory knowledge of the distinct archaeological record of Bronze Age Europe
- possess critical awareness of the key issues relevant to the study of mobility and cultural contact in Bronze Age Europe
- be aware of how archaeological analytical techniques and interpretations can be used to understand mobility and cultural contact in Bronze Age Europe.
Assessment methods
Assessment will be both formative and summative.
Formative: You have the option of submitting a short piece of writing for feedback. This is not a graded assignment but an opportunity to obtain feedback and direction in your scholarly work. It might, for example, be on the thinking behind an essay, or a book review that might form the basis of one of the three short written pieces. This work should be submitted mid-way through the term.
Summative: Submission of work for feedback and grading. You have a choice as to the assessment format and there are two options.
- A collection of three several short written pieces (e.g. book/site/artefact reviews of 500 words each, totalling c.1500 words) that can be spread throughout the term or submitted as a portfolio of works at the end of the course.
- An essay or field trip review (c.1500 words). The tutor will provide a list of topics, although you may select your own relevant topic. Guidance will be provided throughout the term.
Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work to the required standard.
Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form
Application
To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.
Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an Enrolment Form (Word) or Enrolment Form (Pdf)
Level and demands
The Department's Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, i.e. first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.
Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)
To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.
Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.