Sydamerikas arkeologi: Amazonas och Inka och deras föregångare

Archaeology

What were the prehistoric cultures of South America? What were the similarities in their history and culture and how did they differ? How did the people of the different cultures live? What was their social structure, cities, buildings and countryside like? What was their religion and what role did it play in their daily lives? What was the relationship between society and the environment? With these questions as a starting point, the course aims to provide a broad orientation on the archaeology of prehistoric cultures, overall social changes and people's living conditions up to the time of contact with Europeans around 1500. The course provides a general introduction to the cultural development of South America, and then delves into the prehistory of the Andes and the Amazon.

Modules

1. The Incas and their Predecessors, 10 credits

2. The Prehistory of Amazonia, 5 credits

Knowledge and understanding

demonstrate basic knowledge of the main features of South American archaeology and the historical development of prehistoric cultures

- describe and analyze pre-Columbian cultural phenomena in their chronological and spatial contexts with an emphasis on comparative perspectives

- demonstrate knowledge and understanding of basic archaeological concepts and methodology

Skills and abilities

- relate independently and critically to archaeological sources and literature, and different scientific explanatory models

- discuss archaeological phenomena in accordance with current standards for scientific argumentation and, where appropriate, academic writing

Valuation skills and approach

- relate to and reflect on archaeological representations of social and cultural phenomena and processes

- reflect on the relationship between past and present, global and local, and the ethical and moral issues raised by different forms of historiography

Teaching is through lectures, compulsory seminars and group exercises. Language of instruction: Swedish

Lectures in English may occur.

The course is examined through continuous written and oral tests. A minor part of the examination may consist of group assignments.

The course is given one of the grades Pass with distinction (VG), Pass (G) and Fail (U). To pass the entire course, at least a grade of G is required on both modules. For a grade of VG on the entire course, VG on module 1 is required.

Teachers of the course are responsible for systematically collecting students' views through written course evaluations at the end of the course and that the results of these are communicated to the students and form the basis for the course's continued development work. The results and any changes to the course structure must be communicated both to the students who carried out the evaluation and to the students who will start the course.