Key facts
UNE unit code: ARPA315
*You are viewing the 2025 version of this unit which may be subject to change in future.
- Not offered in 2025
- Armidale Campus
- Yes
- Yes
- No
- 6
Unit information
Death is a certainty for us all, but the customs, practices and rituals around it vary widely across time and space.
In this unit you will explore the cultural ideas of death and burial as represented by the material remains uncovered in a wide variety of archaeological contexts.
Using a cross-cultural approach, you will examine human burial practices across time and space and use the material remains recovered from burial contexts to explore past behaviour, social structures and belief systems.
You will receive a hands-on introduction to human osteology and learn how analyses of skeletal remains can tell us not only about death, but also about the life of those whose remains we study.
Intensive schools
| Start | Finish | Duration | Attendance | Offerings | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TBA | TBA | 2 days | Non-Mandatory Intensive School | All offerings | The intensive school will incorporate practical work with skeletal remains. dates to be advised. |
Enrolment rules
Notes
Please refer to the student handbook for current details on this unit.
Unit coordinator(s)
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to:
- demonstrate an understanding of the role of culture, ritual and belief systems in death and burial practices cross culturally;
- demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between material remains uncovered in the archaeological record and past behaviour, social structures and belief systems;
- assess the range of archaeological and human skeletal data that may be relevant to reconstructing past societies and transmit knowledge, skills and ideas to others;
- demonstrate competence in critically evaluating the sources, values and validity of information and present a clear, coherent and independent exposition of knowledge and ideas;
- develop a basic knowledge of human skeletal analysis in archaeology; and
- demonstrate well-developed research and writing skills in the planning and execution of unit assessments.
Assessment information
Assessments are subject to change up to 8 weeks prior to the start of the teaching period in which you are undertaking the unit.
| Title | Must Complete | Weight | Offerings | Assessment Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1 | Yes | 10% | All offerings | No. Words: 500
|
| Assessment 2 | Yes | 15% | All offerings | No. Words: 500
|
| Assessment 3 | Yes | 30% | All offerings | Oral presentation and slide show No. Words: 1500
|
| Assessment 4 | Yes | 45% | All offerings | Written assessment No. Words: 2500 |
Learning resources
Textbooks are subject to change up to 8 weeks prior to the start of the teaching period in which you are undertaking the unit.
Note: Students are expected to purchase prescribed material. Please note that textbook requirements may vary from one teaching period to the next.
The Human Bone Manual
ISBN: 9780120884674
Tim D. White, Pieter A. Folkens , Elsevier 2005
Text refers to: All offerings
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