Module description
This course has two aims. First,to introduce students to the nature of the archaeological record; the methodologies used in its study,together with the conceptual/theoretical frameworks within which prehistoric societies may be studied. Second, the illustration and testing of archaeological concepts within the compass of a rapidly evolving data base over a span of some four millennia. This approach will be essentially thematic with special emphasis on the study of social systems as reflected in the changing pattern of subsistence, settlement, burial and ritual set against a background of environmental change from the later Mesolithic to the close of the Iron Age.

Learning outcomes
Students will have:
- command over a body of knowledge in the field of British prehistoric archaeology
- an understanding of the nature of the archaeological record; methodologies used in its acquisition and study; and the conceptual frameworks within which prehistoric societies may be studied.
- an ability to analyse and reflect critically on a range of archaeological material within the context of fieldwork procedures, both pre- and post-excavation.
- an ability to develop and sustain a theoretical framework for the study of the past through its material remains.
- an ability to work independently and to participate in group discussions.