2011-2012 Academic Year

Prehistory (20005)

Degree/study: Degree in Humanities
Year: 1^st
Term: 2^nd
Number of ECTS credits: 4
Hours of student dedication: 100
Teaching language or languages: Spanish
Teaching Staff: Ana Delgado Hervás and to determinate

1. Presentation of the subject

This Prehistory course seeks to analyse the main evolutionary processes and the morphological, social and cultural changes that took place during a very long period in human history, which goes from the origins of the first hominids (about 6 million years ago) to the birth of the first writing systems (5,000 years ago, approximately), an event that occurs at the same time that the appearance of urban life and the first political state systems.

 

In the subject, we analyse the origins and the evolution of hominids and human beings from a morphological, cultural, social and gender perspective; the birth and expansion of the human species from an anatomical and behavioural point of view; rite, art and symbolism among the first modern humans; the origins of agriculture and livestock farming, and its social and cultural consequences; the first peasant communities and the beginnings of urban life and the first states.

 

This subject has a global and universal perspective. It works specially on recognising the social and cultural diversity of human beings nowadays and all through human history, and the sensitivity towards social and gender issues.

 

No specific knowledge is required. The training and knowledge included in the Batxillerat and ESO periods are presupposed.

2. Competences to be attained

General competences

Specific competences

1.      Analysis and synthesis skills. 2.      Analytical reasoning. 3.      Oral and written communication skills in one's own language. 4.      Group working skills. 5.      Sensitivity towards social and gender issues. 6.      Recognition of social and cultural diversity in human beings nowadays and all through human history. 7.      Sensitivity towards environmental issues.

1.      Information management and processing skills in historical and archaeological contexts. 2.      Understanding of the main social processes and cultural events in Prehistory.   3.      Logical and coherent argumentation on the origins and the evolution of human beings and on the adoption of agriculture and livestock farming and its social consequences. 4.      Recognising the main social processes and cultural events in Prehistory. 5.      Identifying the origins of the social and gender differentiation. 6.      Analysing the development of the first forms of urban life and of the first states.

  

3. Contents

Content block 1: Human Origins and Human Evolution

·         Unit 1: Primates and hominids: our origins

·         Unit 2: The first human beings

·         Unit 3: Origins and expansion of modern human beings

Content block 2: Hunters and gatherers

·         Unit 1: Hunters and gatherers from the European Upper Palaeolithic

·         Unit 2: Hunters and gatherers' art and symbolism

Contents block 3: The beginnings of peasant life

·         Unit 1: The origins of agriculture and livestock farming: a revolution?

·         Unit 2: The first peasant communities from the Middle East

Contents block 4: First cities, first states

·         Unit 1: States and cities in the ancient Mesopotamia

 

 

*The full version with the sections 4. Assessment, 5. Bibliography and teaching resources, 6. Methodology, and 7. Planning of activities is available in the original version.