Availability: Available to external students in second semester. The unit will be available on-line and will use a CD-ROM. Students should indicate to the School Office on enrolment whether they have access to a computer and the Internet for their studies.

Coordinator: Professor Iain Davidson

Residential School: Nil

Online level: 3

Objectives: Students who complete this unit will be able to:

• To distinguish between stone artefacts and non-artefactual stone;
• To identify some common raw material types;
• To understand some of the principles that determine how stone artefacts are made;
• To recognise some common stone artefacts types in Australia;
• To begin a description and analysis of a stone artefact assemblage;
• To understand the organization involved when people used stone artefacts as part of their everyday lives.

Content: This unit is taught online with practical exercises based on artefacts specially made for the unit; it considers the geology and mechanics of making stone artefacts: the use of artefacts among non-humans; the diversity of stone artefacts; Australian stone artefacts; methods of study of stone artefacts; and methods of interpreting stone artefacts.

Assessment: Quiz in practical (10%), On-line test on reading/lectures (30%), Participation in Bulletin Board (10%), Quiz on final results of practical - On-line (50%).

Prescribed Books: None