Laboratory Archaeology

Recommended Prerequisites

NA

Teaching Methods

The classes will be theoretical-practical and will include a laboratory component whenever possible.

Learning Outcomes

This curricular unit aims to introduce students to the various laboratorial methods available to archaeologists during field work. The student is, thus, expected to acquire basic knowledge of practical and conceptual natures, within the fields of the management and treatment of archaeological data, as well as of the analytical methods from other knowledge areas that are used in archaeological research. Students are expected to acquire the abilities to:
a) critically assess principles and methodologies inherent to archaeological research, as well as their application to specific questions
b) analyze and interpret archaeological information from various sources
c) develop an independent and critical spirit in the execution of a project
d) present, orally or in writing, the results of a work task

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

1. The post-fieldwork
1.1 Recording, processing and managing information
1.2 Production and dissemination of knowledge
2. Archaeological materials and the information they contain
3. Archaeometry
3.1. Ceramics: physical and chemical analyses
3.2 Metals: possible analytical studies
4. Relative and chronometric dating methods
5. Environmental archaeology
5.1. Archaeobotanics
5.2 Archaeozoology
5.3 Bioarchaeology
5.4 Geoarchaeology

Head Lecturer(s)

Pedro Jorge Cardoso Carvalho

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Frequency: 40.0%
Synthesis work: 60.0%

Bibliography

BICHO, N. F. (2018) – Manual de Arqueologia Pré-Histórica. Lisboa: Edições 70.
DAVIS, S. (1987) – The Archaeology of Animals. Londres: Routledge.
GONZÁLEZ, A.; AYÁN, X. (2019) – Arqueología: una introducción al estudio de la materialidad del pasado.
Madrid: Alianza.
KRISTIANSEN, K. (2014) — Towards a New Paradigm? The Third Science Revolution and its Possible
Consequences in Archaeology. Current Swedish Archaeology 22, 11-34.
MATEUS, J. E., MORENO-GARCÍA, M., eds. (2003) — Paleoecologia Humana e Arqueociências. Lisboa: IPA
[Trabalhos de Arqueologia 29].
PEARSALL, D. (2015) — Paleoethnobotany, A Handbook of Procedures. Routledge.
PECCI A., GIORGI G., SALVINI L., CAU M. A. (2013) — Identifying wine markers in ceramics and plasters with
gas chromatography mass spectrometry. Experimental, ethnoarchaeological and archaeological materials.
Journal of Archaeological Science 40, 109-115.
RENFREW, C. E BAHN, P. (1991) — Archaeology. Theories, Methods and Practice. London: Thames and Hudson.