Bi8778 Anthropology and Archaeology of Australia and Oceania

Faculty of Science
Autumn 2012
Extent and Intensity
2/0. 2 credit(s) (plus 2 credits for an exam). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Ladislav Nejman, PhD. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Jiří Svoboda, DrSc.
Department of Anthropology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: Ladislav Nejman, PhD.
Supplier department: Department of Anthropology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Timetable
Wed 18:00–19:50 Bp1
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 11 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The main goal of this course is to introduce the archaeological and anthropological record of Australia, with some mention of the Pacific region in general. In the absence of written records, archaeology has played a crucial role in deciphering Australia’s prehistory. By the end of this course, the student is expected to have a basic understanding of Australian archaeology and anthropology, the cultural diversity, the antiquity of human occupation and the scientific methods employed to reconstruct the human past of this region.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction to the course. The first people to colonize the Pacific, Australia and New Zealand, examples of the major oldest archaeological sites, the important role of absolute dating techniques in deciphering the archaeological context, deconstruction of populist myths about Aboriginal culture (e.g. ‘the longest continuous culture’, ‘the world’s oldest culture’, ‘changeless society’), pre-European and European contacts.
  • 2. Biological anthropology of the Australian Aborigines: how do we explain the extreme variability in Australian phenotypes. Phenotypic characteristics of Australian populations throughout the 50,000 year occupation, genetic studies, explain the controversies and debates regarding extreme phenotypic variability of Australian Aboriginal populations.
  • 3. Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions. Explain the controversies surrounding the debates about extinction of Australian megafauna, give examples of sites, outline extinction models, describe Cuddie Springs. Introduction to Optically Stimulated Luminescence method, outline the role it has played in dating human occupation of Cuddie Springs.
  • 4. The history of occupation of Tasmania: the world’s most geographically isolated society. Early occupation of Tasmania, explain the process of geographic isolation and the resultant effects of genetic and cultural isolation on a single population. Introduction to dating methods used to interpret chronology, role of the radiocarbon technique.
  • 5. Holocene coastal and inland economies. Diversity of foraging techniques employed by Aboriginal people in different ecological zones (mainland coastal, offshore islands, inland), the ‘mystery’ of the Anadara shell mound building.
  • 6. Human adaptations to the arid zone. Models of desert culture, diversity of arid zone adaptations, tool types, settlement patterns.
  • 7. Aboriginal art and its antiquity. The types of art (engravings, paintings, portable art), antiquity of Aboriginal art, case study - Burrup Peninsula – the world’s largest art site.
  • 8. Social identity and interaction during the Holocene. Models of social change, Holocene intensification, the link between rock art and social systems, cosmology.
  • 9. Ethnographic issues and change in the last millennium. How ethnographic evidence is used for modeling past cultures and the associated pitfalls. The dynamic nature of Australian Aboriginal cultures.
Literature
  • Hiscock P. (2008): Archaeology of Ancient Australia. London: Routledge.
  • Mulvaney J., Kamminga J. (1999): Prehistory of Australia. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press.
  • Curnoe, D. (2009) Possible causes and significance of cranial robusticity among Pleistocene - Early Holocene Australians. Journal of Archaeological Science 36:980-990.
  • Habgood, P. J., Franklin, N. R. (2008) The revolution that didn't arrive: A review of Pleistocene Sahul. Journal of Human Evolution 55:187-222.
Teaching methods
lectures
Assessment methods
final written test
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2011, Autumn 2011 - acreditation, Spring 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2012, recent)
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