ARMEPW2: The Edge of the Pleistocene World: The Lower Palaeolithic Archaeology of Europe

Module code: ARMEPW2

Module provider: Archaeology; School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science

Credits: 20

Level: 7

When you’ll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Dr Rob Hosfield , email: r.hosfield@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2025/6

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 3 April 2025

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module aims to provide you with a comprehensive knowledge of the Lower Palaeolithic of Europe (c. 1.6mya-250,000 BP), in terms of its chronology, hominins, material culture, key sites, spatio-temporal variability (including settlement histories) and the other evidence for hominin behaviour. You will also develop an understanding of the relationships between data resolution and past/current research questions, and the mapping of different analytical approaches and methods onto specific archaeological data sets. The challenges of curating the Palaeolithic record, within the context of development-led archaeology, are also emphasised within this module. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that you will be able to: 

1. Demonstrate a systematic and comprehensive understanding of key sites, hominins, material culture, and other changes and events in the colonisation of Europe and/or the archaeological record of the Lower Palaeolithic in this region; 
2. Critically assess the Lower Palaeolithic record through a DBA (desk-based assessment) and propose methodological approaches for curating the Lower Palaeolithic resource through a WSI (written scheme of investigation); 
3. Independently undertake critical reviews of the subject literature, and to present and debate your conclusions through written coursework and oral presentation; 
4. Independently organise material and to articulate your arguments clearly through written coursework and oral presentation. 

Module content

The module focuses upon key themes in current studies of Lower Palaeolithic archaeology and hominins in Western Europe, including the earliest occupation of the region, settlement histories, hominin skeletal morphology and life history, the re-interpretation of traditional lithic industries (e.g. the Acheulean and the Clactonian), subsistence strategies, and the development of behavioural models for the period. In exploring these themes the module stresses the varied geological contexts of the archaeological data, and the imposed relationships between the structure of the data and the different questions that can be addressed. Regional and site-based data and specific examples from France (e.g. the River Somme Basin and Soucy), Spain (e.g. Atapuerca), Germany (e.g. Schöningen and Bilzingsleben) and the UK (e.g. Boxgrove, the Solent River Basin, the River Thames Basin, and the Bytham River) will be investigated. 

The archaeology of this period is characterised by a mixture of unique spatial and chronological scales, and analyses vary from single knapping scatters to intra-regional comparisons across north-western Europe, and from individual butchery events to glacial/interglacial climatic cycles. The module is therefore also focused upon understanding and assessing the resulting archaeological challenges, examining different methodological approaches and interpretive frameworks, and highlighting the connections between archaeological data, geological contexts, research agendas, specific questions, and resultant behavioural models for Middle Pleistocene hominins. The curation of the Palaeolithic record within the context of development-led archaeology is explored specifically through a DBA and WSI assessment. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

A thematic programme is delivered through a series of discussion seminars and introductory lectures, artefact-based practical sessions, and two field trips (museum artefact-handling, and a fieldtrip to Pleistocene landscape remnants). Independent reading is required and discussion seminars will be based around reading assignments. Students will write one assessed Palaeolithic DBA (Desk-Based Assessment) & WSI (Written Scheme of Investigation) and one assessed essay. Written feedback will be provided, with opportunities for individual oral feedback. 

As a 20 credit module, The Edge of the Pleistocene World: The Lower Palaeolithic Archaeology of North-West Europe should involve 200 hours of study time: attending lectures, seminars, practicals and field trips; general background reading; preparing for seminars; reading for your Palaeolithic DBA & WSI and your essay; and coursework writing. You should therefore expect the following sort of workload: 

• 42 hours: Contact hours in formal teaching sessions (lectures, seminars, practicals and field trips); 
• 58 hours: General background reading and note-taking from key texts for each week’s seminar topic(s), i.e. 5 hours per week; 
• 60 hours: Reading for, preparation of, and writing your essay; 
• 40 hours: Reading for, preparation of, and writing your Palaeolithic DBA & WSI. 

Study hours

At least 42 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: /cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Formative feedback on general seminar contributions will be provided during the discussion seminars. 

Reassessment

Additional costs