ECTS credits ECTS credits: 3
ECTS Hours Rules/Memories Student's work ECTS: 51 Hours of tutorials: 3 Expository Class: 9 Interactive Classroom: 12 Total: 75
Use languages Spanish, Galician
Type: Ordinary subject Master’s Degree RD 1393/2007 - 822/2021
Departments: Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, History
Areas: Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Archaeology
Center Faculty of Geography and History
Call: First Semester
Teaching: With teaching
Enrolment: Enrollable | 1st year (Yes)
Similar to present environments, any past environment (i.e. palaeoenvironment) has to be considered as a dynamic system of emergent complexity, product of the interactions between Earth’s subsystems (lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere), playing human transformations an increasing role in environmental change. This complexity demands an interdisciplinary approach. Thus, this subject tries to introduce to the students the key concepts on how palaoenvironmental studies are done, the available techniques in different disciplines, and to show the complex relationship between human activities and environmental transformations.
The specific objective are:
- Introduce the theoretical concepts on environmental change and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction, using a systemic approach
- Introduce the main techniques of absolute dating and methods to establish chronologies in environmental archives
- Present the methodological aspects related to sampling and sample conservation, as well as briefly describe some of the analytical techniques that can be used in archaeological contexts
- Provide a synthesis of the nature and evolution –at different time scales- of the Earth’s climate system
- Introduce the Earth Sciences disciplines that can be of application to the archaeological record: sedimentology, geomorphology, pedology, geochemistry
- Introduce the biological disciplines related to the environmental and archaeological records
- Introduce the applications of the Osteoarchaeology to study past societies
- Introduction to palaeoenvironmental reserach: palaeoenvironment, environmental archives, environmental proxies, palaeoenvironmental reconstruction, palaeoenvironment and archaeology
- Chronology: introduction to absolute dating techniques, radiocarbon dating, calibration, dendrochronology, thermoluminescence
- Introduction to sampling and sample analysis: sampling, sample conservation, sample preparation, frequently used analytical techniques
- Earth Sciences and Archaeology: sedimentology, geomorphology, pedology, and geochemistry applied to archaeological contexts
- Palaeoclimatology: the climate system, climate changes
- Palaeobotany: Palinology, anthracology, carpology, phytoliths
- Osteoarchaeology: the human body, palaeodiet, diseases, genetics, mobility
- Human activity and landscape transformation: the study case of NW Spain ¿a cultural landscape?
Basic
BUTZER, K.W. 1982. Archaeology as human ecology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
BUXÓ, R. y PIQUÉ, R. 2008. Arqueobotánica. Los usos de las plantas en la Península Ibérica. Barcelona: Ariel Prehistoria.
BUXÓ, R., Arqueología de las plantas. La explotación económica de las semillas y los frutos en el marco mediterráneo de la Península Ibérica, Barcelona, 1997.
CAMPILLO, D. 2001. Introducción a la paleopatología. Barcelona: Bellaterra arqueología
CRIADO BOADO, F.; MARTÍNEZ CORTIZAS, A. 2005. O modelo de formación dun xacemento arqueolóxico. F. Criado Boado & E. Cabrejas Domínguez (coords.). Obras públicas e patrimonio. Estudo arqueolóxico do Corredor do Morrazo. TAPA 41, p. 89-95. Santiago de Compostela: CSIC.
DINCAUZE, D. 2006. Environmental Archaeology. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, UK.
HARRIS, E.C. 1979. Principles of archaeological stratigraphy. Academic Press, London, UK.
MARTÍNEZ CORTIZAS, A. y MOARES DOMÍNGUEZ, C. 1995. Edafología y Arqueología. Estudio de yacimientos arqueológicos al aire libre en Galicia. Santiago de Compostela: Xunta de Galicia.
SCHIFFER, M.B. 1987. Formation processes of the archaeological record. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press.
Complementary
CHAIX, L y MÉNIEL, P. (2005). Manual de Arqueozoología. Barcelona
DAVIS, S. J. M. 1987. La arqueología de los animales. Barcelona: Ediciones Bellaterra.
HOLLIDAY, V. 2004. Soils in Archaeological Research. Oxford University Press. New York, USA.
MARTÍN SEIJO, M.; RICO REY, A.; TEIRA BRIÓN, A. PICÓN PLATAS, I.; GARCÍA GONZÁLEZ, I.; ABAD VIDAL, E. 2010. Guía de Arqueobotánica. Arqueoloxía/Guías Metodolóxicas. Xunta de Galicia
MARTÍNEZ CORTIZAS, A. 2000. La reconstrucción de paleoambientes cuaternarios: ideas, ejemplos y una síntesis de la evolución del Holoceno en el NW de la Península Ibérica. Estudos do Quaternário 3, 31-41.
SCHAETZL R., ANDERSON, S. 2005. Soils. Genesis and Geomorphology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.
Specific competences
CE-1. Elaboration of a PhD report. It implies the knowledge and use, by the students, of the rules to elaborate a PhD report, in the humanities, that is, a correct expression of language, a proper structure and presentation of arguments, the correct use of footnotes to acknowledge scientific contributions, avoiding plagiarism.
CE-2. Preparation and writing of history reports
CE-3. Management of collections and museums
CE-4. Assessment in director plans (“planes directores”), special plans (“planes especiales”), archaeological work, etc.
CE-5. Cultural management
Transversal competences
CT-1. Use of literature and searching tools, including the use of internet resources, analyzing advantages and promoting a critical evaluation of web contents.
CT-2. Optimization of time, organization of available resources, prioritization, alternative solutions, identification of errors in decision making.
CT-3. Promotion of group working, cooperative environments, multidisciplinarity and highly competitive environments
Theoretical lectures will be given to provide the students with basic knowledge, complemented with practical work, seminars and field trips – if feasible. In the lectures, audiovisual resources will be used to support oral exposition.
Continuous evaluation: all activities will be evaluated but none is obligatory
- Follow up of the work of the students in the classrooms, lab, field trips, seminars and tutoring time.
- Presentation of work, results, reports, etc.
Evaluation of learning:
- Written or oral exams, which may include tests, assays, reasoning questions, theme or short questions, solution of practical cases.
Qualification system: final mark between 0 and 10, base on present legislation (Real Decreto 1125/2003 de 5 de septiembre; BOE 18 de septiembre).
Autonomous study (individual or in group) 30 hours
Recommended lectures 12 horas
Preparation of presentations, debates, etc. 4 horas
Other tasks assigned by the teacher. 4 horas
It is recommended to the students to make use of tutorial time to solve any question related to the subject. Students will have to attend and actively participate in the lectures and tasks assigned. Use of scientific literature is strongly recommended.
With regard to plagiarism or improper use of technologies in the performance of assignments or tests, it must be taken into account that for cases of fraudulent performance of exercises or tests, the provisions contained in the Regulations for the evaluation of academic performance for two students and for the review of qualifications will apply .
The art. 16 of the Regulations for the evaluation of the academic performance of students (DOG July 21, 2011) establishes the following: "The fraudulent performance of any exercise or test required in the evaluation of a subject will involve the qualification of suspension in the corresponding call, regardless of the disciplinary process that if it can be continued against the offending student. It is considered fraudulent, among others, the creation of works plagiarized or obtained from sources accessible to the public without re-elaboration or re-interpretation and without citations to the authors and the sources".
In the case of academic fraud, as defined in Article 42 of the Regulations establishing the rules of coexistence of the University of Santiago de Compostela, and in accordance with the provisions of Article 11. g) of the University Coexistence Law, the sanctions provided by the regulations will be applied. Among the premeditated behaviors aimed at falsifying the results of an exam or assignment are plagiarism and the unauthorized use of Artificial Intelligence tools.
Antonio Manuel Martinez Cortizas
Coordinador/a- Department
- Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry
- Area
- Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry
- Phone
- 881813379
- antonio.martinez.cortizas [at] usc.es
- Category
- Professor: University Professor
Olalla Lopez Costas
- Department
- History
- Area
- Archaeology
- olalla.lopez [at] usc.es
- Category
- Researcher: Ramón y Cajal
| Tuesday | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 09:00-12:00 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Galician, Spanish | Classroom 15 |
| 01.14.2025 09:00-11:30 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Classroom 15 |
| 06.20.2025 09:00-11:30 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Classroom 15 |