Prehistory of Europe I (Palaeolithic and Mesolithic)

compulsory

ARCHAEOLOGY, specialization Prehistoric and Medieval Archaeology

1st cycle

Student gains the basic knowledge of the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods with the special emphasis on the characteristics of these periods on the territory of Europe.

Year 1

Research methods of the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic investigations.

Problems of anthropogenesis.

Divisions and cultural diversification in particular chronological periods.

Transformations of the natural environment and their influence on cultural development of prehistoric societies.

Diversification of inventories of material culture in the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic societies.

Description of subsistence, settlement patterns, symbolic culture and social organization of human groups inhabiting Europe during the Plaistocene and Early Holocene periods.

Bailey G., Spikins P. (red.) 2010 Mesolithic Europe, Cambridge.

Cummings V., Jordan P., Zvelebil M. (red.) 2014 The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology and Anthropology of Hunter-Gatherers, Oxford.

Galiński T., 2002 Społeczeństwa mezolityczne. Osadnictwo, gospodarka, kultura ludów łowieckich w VII-IV tysiącleciu p.n.e., Szczecin.

Gamble C., 1999 The Palaeolithic societies of Europe, Cambridge.

Kozłowski J. K., 2004 Wielka Historia Świata, T. I, Świat przed „rewolucją” neolityczną, Warszawa.

Kobusiewicz M., 1999 Ludy zbieracko-łowieckie północno-zachodniej Polski, Poznań.

Kozłowski J. K., Kozłowski S. K., 1975 Pradzieje Europy od XL do IV tysiąclecia p.n.e., Warszawa.

Kozłowski S. K., 2009 Thinking Mesolithic, Oxford.

Schild R., 1975 Paleolit i mezolit (w:) W. Hensel (red.), Prahistoria Ziem Polskich, T. 1, Wrocław, Warszawa, Gdańsk.

After completing the course student should have

1) the knowledge of:

- the methods of research and interpretations of the basic material data connected with Paleolithic and Mesolithic periods;

- the most important archaeological sites dated to the Pleistocene and Early Holocene;

- basic cultural and chronological differentiations of Lower, Middle, Upper and Late Paleolithic also Mesolithic periods, as well as the criteria applied for defining these differences;

- issues related to lithic and other prehistoric technologies, economic basics , settlement patterns, symbolic culture and other components of habits of the prehistoric societies.

Student 2) gains the understanding of terminology related to Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods; the key issues related to the Stone Age in the Old World; the role of research on Pleistocene and Early Holocene periods and its characteristic features.

Student 3) gains the skills necessary to:

- differentiate and characterize the basic material data

(i.a. lithic, bone and wood artifacts) specific to particular Palaeolithic and Mesolithic cultures;

- interpret archaeological data in the context of research on the different elements of Pleistocene and Early Holocene societies’ existence.

After gaining the fundamental knowledge of the Paleolithic and Mesolithic students should be able to critically evaluate and use analogical data presented in the literature.

Class participation, in-class presentation, exam.