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How do archaeologists investigate and understand ancient sites and civilisations? Interpreting archaeological evidence accurately and methodically is the key to obtaining a critical perspective on the development of the human race. This album provides an introduction to archaeology and its methodologies for excavation of sites that can be more than 12000 years old. Like piecing together a jigsaw puzzle but without a picture guide, archaeologists can establish how cities and civilisations developed, why humans started farming, and how empires formed and collapsed. This material forms part of The Open University course A251 World archaeology.
By: The OpenLearn team (The Open University,)
- Duration 1 hour
- Updated Tuesday 13th April 2010
- Posted under History & The Arts, History
Track 1: World Archaeology
A short introduction to this album.
© The Open University 2008
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Tracks in this podcast:
Track | Title | Description |
---|---|---|
1 | World Archaeology | A short introduction to this album. Play now World Archaeology |
2 | The importance of archaeology | The discipline of archaeology and its methodology. Play now The importance of archaeology |
3 | Pompeii: reconstructing the urban past | The challenges of studying the cultural development of urban settlements, including Pompeii. Play now Pompeii: reconstructing the urban past |
4 | The origins of agriculture | Why did humans start farming? Play now The origins of agriculture |
5 | Interpreting the remains of early cities | Archaeologists discuss early Meso-american and South Asian cities and how they reveal different forms of social organisation. Play now Interpreting the remains of early cities |
6 | The challenge of defining a city | What evidence do we need to define archaeological remains as a city? Play now The challenge of defining a city |
7 | Understanding empires | Archaeologists discuss the formation of empires and how to interpret archaeological evidence left by them. Play now Understanding empires |
8 | Excavating empires | Exploring the development and function of empires, looking at Mayan, Aztec, Roman, and Chinese societies. Play now Excavating empires |
9 | Studying human development | Exploring how humans have developed by looking at the remains they have left. Play now Studying human development |
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Publication details
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Originally published: Tuesday, 13th April 2010
Copyright information
- Body text - Content : Copyright The Open University
- Audio/Video tracks: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 The Open University 2008
- Image 'World Archaeology' - Copyright: The Open University 2008
- Image 'Birmingham celebrates the Rugby World Cup 2015' - Tony Hisgett under CC-BY licence under Creative-Commons license
- Image 'A view of planet Earth from space' - Copyright: Igor Kovalchuk | Dreamstime.com
- Image 'Front cover of Nonsense Songs ' - Copyright: The Open University
- Image 'Manuscript from Cider With Rosie' - Copyright: The Open University
- Image 'Nine little husky puppies sitting in a wicker basket on a turquoise background' - Copyright: © Melektaus83 | Dreamstime.com
- Image 'Reading' - Copyright: Used with permission
- Image 'manuscript from Swallows and Amazons ' - Copyright: The Open University
- Image 'Outside the Book' - Copyright: The Open University
- Image 'Red Rebel Brigade in St Ives' - Image by Gazamp. under Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0 license
- Image 'Studying the arts and humanities' - Copyright: Used with permission
- Image 'Caroline Norton image' - Copyright free: Public Domain
- Image 'Glasgow 19 F1' - Copyright: Wikimedia
- Image 'National identity in Britain and Ireland, 1780–1840' - Copyright: © Victoria & Albert Museum/Bridgeman Images
- Image 'A Statue of the Trung sisters is Ho Chi Minh City' - Amore Mio under CC-BY-SA3.0 licence under Creative-Commons license
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Publication details
-
Originally published: Tuesday, 13th April 2010
Copyright information
- Body text - Content: Copyright The Open University
- Audio/Video tracks: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 The Open University 2008
- Image 'World Archaeology' - Copyright: The Open University 2008
- Image 'Birmingham celebrates the Rugby World Cup 2015' - Tony Hisgett under CC-BY licence under Creative-Commons license
- Image 'A view of planet Earth from space' - Copyright: Igor Kovalchuk | Dreamstime.com
- Image 'Front cover of Nonsense Songs ' - Copyright: The Open University
- Image 'Manuscript from Cider With Rosie' - Copyright: The Open University
- Image 'Nine little husky puppies sitting in a wicker basket on a turquoise background' - Copyright: © Melektaus83 | Dreamstime.com
- Image 'Reading' - Copyright: Used with permission
- Image 'manuscript from Swallows and Amazons ' - Copyright: The Open University
- Image 'Outside the Book' - Copyright: The Open University
- Image 'Red Rebel Brigade in St Ives' - Image by Gazamp. under Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0 license
- Image 'Studying the arts and humanities' - Copyright: Used with permission
- Image 'Caroline Norton image' - Copyright free: Public Domain
- Image 'Glasgow 19 F1' - Copyright: Wikimedia
- Image 'National identity in Britain and Ireland, 1780–1840' - Copyright: © Victoria & Albert Museum/Bridgeman Images
- Image 'A Statue of the Trung sisters is Ho Chi Minh City' - Amore Mio under CC-BY-SA3.0 licence under Creative-Commons license
- Image 'Making sense of art history' - Copyright: Used with permission
- Image 'Flowers at Princess Diana's funeral' - Flowers for Princess Diana's Funeral / CC BY 2.0 under Creative-Commons license
- Image 'The steam powered gondola yacht on Coniston Lake, Lake District' - Rosscophoto [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0], via Flickr Creative Commons under Creative-Commons license
- Image 'Reading Shakespeare's As You Like It' - Copyright: MatiasEnElMundoi/Stock/Getty Images Plus
- Image 'Iain Banks ' - Copyright:
The Open University
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