FF:AEB_A02 Method and Theory - Course Information

AEB_A02 Archaeological Method and Theory

Extent and Intensity

2/0/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching

Teacher(s)

prof. Mgr. Jiří Macháček, Ph.D. (lecturer)

Guaranteed by

prof. Mgr. Jiří Macháček, Ph.D.
Department of Archaeology and Museology – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Jitka Šibíčková
Supplier department: Department of Archaeology and Museology – Faculty of Arts

Prerequisites (in Czech)

AEB_A01 Introduction to Archaeology
Nutno nejdříve absolvovat Úvod do studia archeologie (AEB_A01)

Course Enrolment Limitations

The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with

there are 9 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display

Course objectives

The course is targeted at topical methods and theories in archaeology. It forms the foundations of the Archaeology programme in Bachelor’s degree studies. Students will be familiarised with basic problems of archaeological research and their possible solutions. They will apply the new knowledge in further studies, above all in the degree thesis. The teaching will be based on standard methodological works of Czech and foreign archaeology. The topics addressed: basic terminology, theoretical frame, analysis of archaeological sources, synthesis of formal and spatial structures and their interpretation with the help of theoretical models, research methodology, practical examples, case studies, interdisciplinary approach in archaeology, problems of interdisciplinary cooperation, the role of archaeology in society, social responsibility of archaeologists.

Learning outcomes

After completion of the course, student will be able to:
- define the basic theoretical concepts in archaeology
- describe the specifics of archaeological sources
- explain the paradigmatic evolution in archaeology
- enumerate and describe individual stages of the archaeological method
- understand the problems associated with interpretation of archaeological sources
- take part in intra- and interdisciplinary communication
- apply the acquired knowledge to particular research tasks
- rationalize the importance of archaeology to present-day society

Syllabus

• 1) Introduction to the problem. Basic literature for study.
• 2) Theoretical thinking in archaeology – development and perspectives. Cognition in science as a general problem: hypothetically-deductive method x progressive induction
• 3) Archaeological sources and their specifics. Artefacts, ecofacts and naturefacts. General characteristic of archaeological method.
• 4) Transformations in archaeology and middle-range theory
• 5) Analysis in archaeology I: analytical methods of field research (survey, excavation, find unit, stratigraphy), laboratory analysis (laboratory methods and their application in archaeology)
• 6) Analysis in archaeology II: emergence of archaeological data (description, databases)
• 7) Synthesis in archaeology I: archaeological structures (structures x events), regularity and entropy in archaeological data (archaeological type, phase, absolute and relative chronology, style, social structures) synchronic and diachronic aspects of archaeological structures
• 8) Synthesis in archaeology II: methods of archaeological synthesis (multivariate statistics), validation of structures
• 9) Space in archaeology: methods (polygons, GIS) and spatial structures (chorology)
• 10) Interpretation in archaeology: interpretation models and methods of their creation (system theory, analogies, simulations). Categories of living culture: practical function, social significance, symbolical meaning)
• 11) Leading archaeological theories of today – examples (theory of settlement areas; theory of central places; archaeology and time: longue durée, structural time of conjunctures, historical time of events; theory of identities and habitus)
• 12) Event archaeology. Possibilities of studying the events by archaeological methods (migrations, collapses,…
• 13) Archaeology and society. Ideologisation of archaeology (archaeology and national socialism, Marxism, feminism, post/colonialism, postprocessualism, etc.). The meaning of archaeology.

Literature

required literature
• Archeologie pravěkých Čech/1. Pravěký svět a jeho poznání. Edited by Martin Kuna. Praha: Archeologický ústav AV ČR, 2007. 163 s. ISBN 9788086124759.
• KVĚTINA, Petr, Jaroslav ŘÍDKÝ, Markéta KONČELOVÁ, Pavel BURGERT, Radka ŠUMBEROVÁ, Ivan PAVLŮ, Hana BRZOBOHATÁ, Olga TROJÁNKOVÁ, Petr VAVREČKA and Jiří UNGER. Minulost, kterou nikdo nezapsal. Červený Kostelec: Pavel Mervart, 2015, 656 stran. ISBN 9788074651731. info
• NEUSTUPNÝ, Evžen. Metoda archeologie. Plzeň: Aleš Čeněk, 2007, 206 s. ISBN 9788073800758. info
• Archeologie, historie, minulost. Translated by Zdeněk Vašíček. 1. české vyd. Praha: Karolinum, 2006, 157 s. ISBN 8024611619. info
• BAHN, Paul G. Archaeology : theories, methods, and practice : with over 550 illustrations. Edited by Colin Renfrew. 2nd ed. London: Thames and Hudson, 1996, 608 s. ISBN 0500278679. info

recommended literature
• NEUSTUPNÝ, Evžen. Teorie archeologie. Plzeň: Aleš Čeněk, 2010, 318 s. ISBN 9788073802448. info
• Archaeology : the key concepts. Edited by Colin Renfrew - Paul G. Bahn. 1st pub. London: Routledge, 2005, xiv, 298. ISBN 0415317584. info
• EGGERT, Manfred K. H. Prähistorische Archäologie: Konzepte und Methoden. Tübingen: A. Francke Verlag, 2001, xvii, 412. ISBN 3-8252-2092-3. info
• GOJDA, Martin. Archeologie krajiny : vývoj archetypů kulturní krajiny. Vyd. 1. Praha: Academia, 2000, 238 s. ISBN 8020007806. info
• BERNBECK, Reinhard. Theorien in der Archäologie. Tübingen: A. Francke Verlag, 1997, 404 s. ISBN 3772022545. info

Teaching methods

Lectures and discussions with students on the topics treated

Assessment methods

Oral exam
Requirements for the exam: knowledge of the topic area and relevant literature

Language of instruction

Czech

Further Comments

The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.

• Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  
• Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2025/AEB_A02