ANT637 - THEORETICAL APPROACHES ON MORTUARY PRACTICES

Course Name Code Semester Theory
(hours/week)		 Application
(hours/week)		 Credit ECTS
THEORETICAL APPROACHES ON MORTUARY PRACTICES ANT637 1st Semester 3 0 3 8
Prequisites-
Course languageTurkish
Course typeElective 
Mode of DeliveryFace-to-Face 
Learning and teaching strategiesLecture
Discussion
Preparing and/or Presenting Reports
 
Instructor (s)Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ali Metin Büyükkarakaya 
Course objectiveTeaching and discussing mortuary behavior and the main motivations affecting it, and current theoretical perspectives on the issue. 
Learning outcomes
  1. At the end of the course students will be able to ? Have knowledge on mortuary behavior of mankind from prehistoric times. ? Explain different ways of disposal of the dead. ? Describe grave, relationship between grave and corpse and burial characteristics. ? Have an information about bioarchaeological, archaeothanatological and taphonomical approaches.
  2. ? Have an idea about sociocultural context related to the mortuary behavior. ? Know about various new theoretical perspectives on archaeology of death. ? Have an information on mortuary practices in the ancient Near East.
Course ContentSociocultural diversity in the mortuary behavior, new perspectives and methods on examining of treatments to the deceased are discussed. 
ReferencesMartin, D.L., Harrod, R.P. & Pérez, V.R. (2013).Bioarchaeology: an Integrated Approach to Working with Human Remains
Tarlow, S. & Stutz, L.N. (Eds.) (2013). The oxford handbook of the Archaeology of death and burial. Oxford University Press. Oxford.
Duday, H. (2009). The archaeology of dead, Lectures in archaeothanatology. Oxbow books, Oxford.
Gowland, R. and Knüsel, C. (2009). Social archaeology of funerary remains. Oxbow boks, Oxford.
Robben, A.C.G.M. (2004). Death, mourning and burial. Blackwell Publishing. Oxford.
McHugh, F. (1999). Theoretical and quantitative approaches to the study of mortuary practices. BAR Initernational Series 785.
Carr, C. (1995). Mortuary practices: their social, philosophical-religious, circumstantial, and physical determinants. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory 2 (2): 105-200.
Croucher, K. (2012). Death and dying in the Near East.Oxford University Press, Oxford. 

Course outline weekly

WeeksTopics
Week 1Death and the perception of death
Week 2Biological and social death and ethnographies on funerals
Week 3Disposal of the dead
Week 4Grave and human remains: characteristics of burial
Week 5Bioarchaeological approaches and ethical considerations
Week 6Archaeothanatological approaches
Week 7Taphonomic factors and other analysis
Week 8Mortuary remains in sociocultural context
Week 9Studies on archaeology of death I
Week 10Studies on archaeology of death II
Week 11Prehistory of death and death in Ancient Near East
Week 12Presentations
Week 13Presentations
Week 14General evaluation
Week 15
Week 16The final exam

Assesment methods

Course activitiesNumberPercentage
Attendance00
Laboratory00
Application00
Field activities00
Specific practical training00
Assignments260
Presentation220
Project00
Seminar00
Midterms00
Final exam120
Total100
Percentage of semester activities contributing grade succes080
Percentage of final exam contributing grade succes020
Total100

WORKLOAD AND ECTS CALCULATION

Activities Number Duration (hour) Total Work Load
Course Duration (x14) 14 3 42
Laboratory 0 0 0
Application000
Specific practical training000
Field activities000
Study Hours Out of Class (Preliminary work, reinforcement, ect)14342
Presentation / Seminar Preparation21530
Project000
Homework assignment23570
Midterms (Study duration)000
Final Exam (Study duration) 133
Total Workload3359187

Matrix Of The Course Learning Outcomes Versus Program Outcomes

D.9. Key Learning OutcomesContrubition level*
12345
1. Based on the anthropology master program requirements, students gain awareness of the human, cultural and population diversity.     X
2. Students acquire the skills of evaluating social and cultural phenomena in local and global contexts.    X 
3. Students obtain knowledge about different populations, cultures and traditions around the world.    X 
4. Students develop their analytical skills and the ability to express themselves in oral and written modes.    X 
5. Students become able to conduct field study.  X   
6. Students master the methods and techniques used in the reconstruction of ancient populations.   X  
7. Students gain experience in the identification of scientific issues, designing and executing projects, and filing data reports.    X 
8. Students become able to combine knowledge from their field with knowledge from other disciplines in order to create new study subjects.    X 
9. Students acquire values of science ethics and abide by them.     X
10. Students can apply subject fields such as health and disease, violence, aging, migration, education, ecology and the environment, local cultures and customs, cultural heritage to living and extinct populations.  X   
11. Students are able to convey a scientific experience or study.    X 
12. Students obtain knowledge on the biocultural history and the diversity of the human being.  X  
13. Students gain knowledge regarding the various fields of application of anthropology.    X 

*1 Lowest, 2 Low, 3 Average, 4 High, 5 Highest