Institute of Archaeology

MSc Computational Archaeology:

GIS, Data Science and Complexity

Handbook 2018–2019

Coordinator: Dr Mark LakeRoom 115, tel. 020 7679 1535, ext. 21535, mark.lake@ucl.ac.uk

The following information should be read in conjunction with theUCL Student Handbook and the Institute’s MA/MSc Handbook

Contents

1 Introduction 5

2 Aims, objectives and learning outcomes of the degree 5

3 Programme structure 63.1 Core courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63.2 Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73.3 Dissertation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83.4 Prerequisites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

4 Teaching schedule 8

5 Teaching methods 9

6 Dyslexia and other disabilities 9

7 Degree assessment 9

8 Coursework 98.1 Method of assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98.2 Originality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108.3 Presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108.4 Word Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118.5 Submission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118.6 Late Submission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128.7 Granting of Extensions and reasonable adjustments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138.8 Grading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138.9 Return of Coursework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138.10 Re-submission of Coursework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

9 Oral examination 14

10 Communication 14

11 Attendance 14

12 Libraries and other facilities 1512.1 Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1512.2 Archaeological GIS and Computing Laboratory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

13 Health and safety 15

14 Feedback 15

15 Staff 16

4 MSc Computational Archaeology Handbook 2018–2019

16 Recommended reading 16

This document and other resources are available from the degree programme website:https://moodle-1819.ucl.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=10955

Handbook 2018–2019 MSc Computational Archaeology 5

1 Introduction

Welcome to the MSc MSc Computational Archaeology: GIS, Data Science and Complexity, theInstitute of Archaeology and University College London. This handbook outlines the aims andobjectives, structure and content of the degree, and includes outlines of the core courses andthe most relevant options available this year.

This Handbook should be used alongside the general MA/MSc Handbook (also availableon the Institute student Moodle pages at https://moodle-1819.ucl.ac.uk/course/view.

php?id=9992#section-3), which contains information about all MA and MSc degrees, andoptions within them, being taught this year. You should consult that handbook if you needinformation about an option outside those normally offered within the present programme. TheInstitute of Archaeology MA/MSc Handbook gives essential information on a range of topics,from enrolment to guidance on the dissertation, so students should ensure that they read itcarefully. Distributed along with the MA/MSc Handbook are maps of the College precinct andsurrounding area of London, the complete MA/MSc teaching timetable and the list of DegreeCoordinators and Personal Tutors to MA and MSc students.

In addition, important information relating to the writing and submission of courseworkis also available on the Institute web-site at https://moodle-1819.ucl.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=9992#section-1.

Other important information for students is provided on the UCL website (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/students/). If you have queries about the organisation, objectives, structure, con-tent or assessment of the degree, you should consult the Degree Coordinator.

2 Aims, objectives and learning outcomes of the degree

Leading archaeological researchers and heritage professionals use a raft of computational meth-ods including GIS, data mining, web science, ABM, point-process modelling and network anal-ysis. To impress employers you need the flexibility to learn on the job, leverage open dataand program open source software, and increasingly these are also essential skills for doctoralresearch. This MSc draws on UCL’s unparalleled concentration of expertise to equip you forfuture research, or to significantly enhance your employability.

The aim of this degree is to help you become a theoretically aware and technically proficientend-user of a range of quantitative and computational tools that are available for archaeologicalresearch and heritage management. The principal objectives are that having completed theprogramme you will be able to:

• Critically assess research publications and reports which report on the use of quantitativeand computational methods;

• Determine whether the assumptions that underly the use of particular methods (such asGIS algorithms, prospection methods, data mining techniques, agent based modelling,etc.) are appropriate to a particular problem;

• Make informed decisions about the collection and acquisition of data for quantitativeanalysis and undertake that analysis using a strong inferential framework;

• Make competent practical use of a variety of computational tools provided by bothindustry-standard and open-source software;

6 MSc Computational Archaeology Handbook 2018–2019

• Undertake some programming to extend existing or create new functionality for archaeo-logical purposes.

In meeting these objectives you will also be able to demonstrate the following generic learningoutcomes:

• An understanding of the importance of scale, agency and causal flow in explanation;

• An understanding of the effective use of models for scientific inference;

• The ability to use quantitative data to support an argument;

• The ability to formulate and carry through a research design;

• The application of acquired knowledge;

• The ability to solve technical problems;

• Oral presentation skills;

• Independence in learning.

3 Programme structure

The programme of study for this degree is intended to help you meet the objectives outlinedabove, and also to provide an opportunity for you to achieve any additional personal objectives.It comprises two compulsory core courses worth 15 credits each, four courses whichstudents choose from a range of options (worth 15 credits each), and a dissertation(worth 50% of the degree).

Each course addresses a specific subject and has its own coordinator (who may or may notbe the Degree Coordinator). Note also that each course has its own—more detailed—handbook,which may be found on the Institute website (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology/study/graduate-taught/courses) and by following the link to the relevant courses on the MSc Com-putational Archaeology Moodle site (https://moodle-1819.ucl.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=10955). Note that the 2017/18 handbooks may not appear on these websites until theweek of 1st October. Please consult the Degree Coordinator if you are unable to access the MScComputational Archaeology Moodle site.

Please note that all UCL course codes have changed for the 2018/19 session.

3.1 Core courses

Effective use of quantitative and computational methods requires a combination of backgroundknowledge, theoretical understanding and technical ability. Consequently you are expected toparticipate in the following two core courses:-

ARCL0160 (was ARCLG338): Archaeological Data Science introduces principles of in-formation science and its application to archaeology. The areas covered include databasemanagement and design, basic principles of computer languages and scripts, use of compu-tational modelling methodologies in archaeological problems, crowd sourcing, and basicdesign of broader computer applications and apps for smart phones and other devices.The course is intended to provide a basic understanding in core principles and practicalapplication on how emerging technologies and methods can be applied to archaeologicalproblems.

Handbook 2018–2019 MSc Computational Archaeology 7

ARCL0161 (was ARCLG339): Complexity, Space and Human History will provide anoverview of concepts and techniques that underpin a model-based approach to the studyof spatial organisation and long-term unfolding of human history. The course will willcover scales of analysis, structure and causality in complex socionatural systems, networkanalysis, evolutionary approaches to the study of cultural change, the role of simulationin contemporary science and modern approaches to spatial patterning. (15 credits, 1/12of the degree).

3.2 Options

You must take a further four optional courses (collectively worth a total of 60 credits or 4/12of the degree). There is considerable flexibility, but students should choose at least two of thefollowing:-

ARCL0094 (was ARCLG090): GIS in Archaeology and History provides training in therepresentation and manipulation of spatial information using GIS (15 credits, 1/12 of thedegree).

ARCL0095 (was ARCLG091): GIS Approaches to Past Landscapes This course buildson the prerequisite module GIS in Archaeology and History (ARCL0094) to provide stu-dents with a theoretical grounding and practical experience in advanced uses of GeographicInformations Systems for archaeological purposes. There is a strong emphasis on the ma-nipulation of raster data and we consider landscape geomorphometry, viewshed analysis,cost surface analysis, hydrology, as well as 2.5D and 3D modelling, and Internet GIS.

ARCL0103 (was ARCLG117): Spatial Statistics, Network Analysis and Human His-tory further investigates the properties of spatial data and provides the skills required todraw reliable conclusions from spatial analysis (15 credits, 1/12 of the degree).

Students may take one or two courses from other 15 credit course available from otherMasters degree programmes taught in the Institute of Archaeology (see the MA/MSc Handbookat https://moodle-1819.ucl.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=9992#section-3).

It is also possible (subject to the availability of places) to take one 15 credit option courseprovided by another Department at UCL, or one of the other Colleges of the University ofLondon. In recent years students at the Institute of Archaeology have taken courses offeredby the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering and the Department ofInformation Studies, notably:-

CEGE0043 (was CEGEG077): Web and Mobile GIS. See the CEGE module descriptionfor details and recommended preparation: https://sp.cege.ucl.ac.uk/study/Pages/

Module-Guide.aspx?ModileCd=CEGEG077.

You should discuss your option choices with the Degree Coordinator and you must confirmyour initial choice of options on Portico by Friday 5th October (you may be able to change yourchoices up until the end of October—see your Degree Coordinator).

Subject to space and the agreement of the course coordinators involved, you are welcometo attend courses in addition to those for which you are formally registered (you may hear thisreferred to as ‘sitting in’ on courses).

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3.3 Dissertation

The dissertation of up to 15,000 words is a report on research, the topic chosen being approvedas being relevant within the general area covered by this degree (it should include a practicalcomponent). Soon after arrival, you should discuss your area of research interest with yourdegree coordinator, who will help you to focus your ideas for your dissertation, or refer you toanother member of staff who will be able to provide more specific advice, and will probably beappointed to be your Dissertation Supervisor. They will help the you define your dissertationtopic, and provide guidance through the main stages of the work. The dissertation provides afurther opportunity to define and achieve a your own particular objectives. It might be usedto apply newly learned approaches to an archaeological problem that has long been of interest,or to gain greater experience with particular spatial analytic methods. If you are studyingpart-time while working in the field, you might choose to analyse a data set derived from yourown work, or to assess the potential of computer-based spatial analytic methods for your work.You can treat the dissertation as a one-off research project, as a pilot study for a PhD project,or use it to showcase your skills to potential employers.

The dissertation should be submitted by Friday 13th September 2019. Guidelines for re-searching, writing and producing the dissertation are included in the general MA/MSc Hand-book.

Advice on the preparation of the dissertation will be provided at sessions at regular intervalsthrough the year, starting on the second Induction Day (Friday 28th September, 3pm–5pm,Darwin Lecture Theatre (endter via Malet Place); meet outside the Institute of Archaeologybeforehand or use the location map at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/maps).

3.4 Prerequisites

One of the MSc Computational Archaeology courses has prerequisites: ARCL0095: GIS Ap-proaches to Past Landscapes requires that students have taken or are taking ARCL0094: GISin Archaeology and History, or have acquired equivalent knowledge and skills by other means.Part time students should pay attention to these prerequisites when choosing which courses totake in the first year.

If you wish to change your programme, or the courses in which you indicated an interest inyour application, you should discuss this with the relevant degree and course coordinators.

In some cases, depending on your previous background, it may be recommended that youalso attend (but will not be assessed for) a parallel undergraduate lecture course, to ensure thatyou have the background to get the most out of the Masters level seminars.

4 Teaching schedule

Taught courses are normally timetabled in the first two terms, although assessed work may bescheduled for submission in the third term, depending on which options have been selected.Full details of the timetable for each course are included in the relevant course handbook. Youare expected to use the remaining months to work on their dissertation.

Students studying for the degree on a part time basis will be expected to take at leastthree courses (which should include two core courses) in the first year and the remainder inthe second. Part time students must agree their choice of courses with the degree coordinator.They may start work on their dissertation at the same time as full-time students, or they maywish to start later; either way they should consult the degree coordinator.

Handbook 2018–2019 MSc Computational Archaeology 9

Term 1

Wed. 09:00-12:00 IoA 501 GIS in Archaeology and HistoryThu. 10:00-12:00 IoA 322C Archaeological Data ScienceThu. 14:00-16:00 IoA 410 Complexity, Space and Human History

Term 2

Mon. 10:00–13:00 IoA 322C GIS Approaches to Past LandscapesMon. 14:00-16:00 IoA 322C Spatial Statistics, Network Analysis. . .Wed. 09:00–11:00 Web and Mobile GISThu. 11:00–13:00 Web and Mobile GIS

5 Teaching methods

The core and option courses for this degree programme generally use a mix of lectures, seminarsand laboratory-based practicals. Lectures and seminars help students grasp the principles ofspecific methods which they will then explore in laboratory-based practical classes.

6 Dyslexia and other disabilities

If you have dyslexia or any other disability, please make your lecturers aware of this. Pleasediscuss with them whether there is any way in which they can help you. Students with dyslexiaare reminded to indicate this on each piece of coursework.

7 Degree assessment

The Board of Examiners normally meets in Late October or early November. At that timestudents who have completed all elements may be recommended for the award of a degree.Degree results will be graded as a Distinction, Merit, Pass or Fail. The requirements foreach grade are described in the Institute of Archaeology’s MA/MSc Handbook available athttps://moodle-1819.ucl.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=9992#section-3.

The options open to a candidate who fails to pass in one or more elements (course ordissertation) are also described in the Institute of Archaeology’s MA/MSc Handbook.

Each 15 credit course contributes 1/12 of the overall mark, while the dissertation contributes6/12.

8 Coursework

Detailed guidance on the production and submission of coursework can be found in the printedMA/MSc Handbook and also online at https://moodle-1819.ucl.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=9992#section-1. The most important points are also summarised here.

8.1 Method of assessment

This varies from course to course, but is always set out in the relevant course handbook. Each15 credit course is normally assessed by means of a total of circa 4000 words of coursework (or itsequivalent in other forms of assessment). The nature and deadlines of individual assessments aredefined in the course outline documents for the individual courses, available from the relevant

10 MSc Computational Archaeology Handbook 2018–2019

course coordinator, or on Moodle (https://moodle-1819.ucl.ac.uk). If you are unclear aboutthe nature of an assignment, you should contact the course coordinator. The course coordinatorwill be willing to discuss an outline of your approach to the assessment, provided this is plannedsuitably in advance of the submission date.

8.2 Originality

All work submitted as part of the requirements for any examination (which includes all assessedwork) of University College London must be expressed in your own words and incorporateyour own ideas and judgements. Plagiarism is defined as the presentation of another person’sthoughts or words as though they are one’s own. Plagiarism constitutes an examination offenceunder the University Regulations and students found to have committed plagiarism may beexcluded from all further examinations of the University and/or College. All direct quotations nomatter how long or short MUST appear within inverted commas and they MUST be accompaniedwith precise citation of the source and page number. To omit the inverted commas, even if theprecise source is given, is plagiarism. The concept of plagiarism also includes self-plagiarism,which is the submission of identical or very similar work in more than one piece of courseworkassessed as part of the degree without full citation of the location of its first submission.

To avoid charges of plagiarism or collusion, you must always ensure that your submit-ted work is your own and that the sources of all information are appropriately cited. Youshould not lend essays or essay drafts to other students because you might be penalised ifthe other student copies the work and submits it as their own. If you are unclear about thedefinition of plagiarism, you should review the information provide provided in the MA/MScHandbook (also at https://moodle-1819.ucl.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/620928/mod_folder/

content/0/Plagiarism.pdf?forcedownload=1), which includes notes on plagiarism and ex-amples of good and bad practice with respect to sources. You may also consult your DegreeCoordinator or Personal Tutor.

Although each course is assessed independently of other courses, it is taken to be a principleis that students should not receive credit for the same work twice. You should take care toensure that the same or very similar work is not submitted for assessment more than onceduring your study for this degree: failure to do so could result in a reduction of your overallmark. If you are in any doubt, you should seek advice from the Degree Coordinator, or therelevant course coordinator.

It is important that you reference your sources of information as accurately and as fullyas possible. If you summarise another person’s ideas or judgements, or reproduce their figuresor diagrams, a reference must be made in the text (using the Harvard convention) and allworks referred to must be documented in full in a bibliography. The Institute of Archaeologyreferencing styles are described online at https://moodle-1819.ucl.ac.uk/pluginfile.php/620928/mod_folder/content/0/Referencing%20Guidelines.pdf?forcedownload=1.

8.3 Presentation

.Essays and other assessed work must be word-processed (unless otherwise specified). If you

have access to a duplex printer, work should be printed on both sides of the paper in orderto save paper. The main body of text should be printed using 1.5-line spacing, bibliographiesmay be in single line spacing. Adequate margins should be left for written comments by theexaminer. You are encouraged to use diagrams and/or tables where appropriate. These shouldbe clearly referred to at the appropriate point in the text, and if derived from another source,

Handbook 2018–2019 MSc Computational Archaeology 11

this must be clearly acknowledged. You should adhere to word limits on essays; they areintended to help ensure equality of workloads between courses as well as to encourage the usefultransferable skills of clearly structured arguments and succinct writing. College regulationsrequire the imposition of penalties for overlength work: see below.

UCL has published guidelines on the use of non-discriminatory language which apply to stu-dents as well as staff (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/staff/resources/non-discrim-lang/). Youare reminded, in particular, to avoid the use of gender-biased terms in your written work.

8.4 Word Length

Essay word-lengths are normally expressed in terms of a recommended range. Penalties willonly be imposed if you exceed the upper figure in the range. There is no penalty for usingfewer words than the lower figure in the range: the lower figure is simply for your guidance toindicate the sort of length that is expected. Not included in the word count are the bibliography,appendices, tables, graphs, captions to figures, tables, graphs. You must indicate word length(minus exclusions) on the cover sheet. Exceeding the maximum word-length expressed for theessay will be penalized in accordance with UCL penalties for over-length work. In the 2018-19session penalties for over-length work will be as follows:

• For work that exceeds the specified maximum length by less than 10% the mark will bereduced by five percentage marks, but the penalised mark will not be reduced below thepass mark, assuming the work merited a Pass.

• For work that exceeds the specified maximum length by 10% or more the mark will bereduced by ten percentage marks, but the penalised mark will not be reduced below thepass mark, assuming the work merited a Pass.

8.5 Submission

All coursework must normally be submitted both as hard copy and electronically. (Most ex-ceptions are bulky portfolios and lab books which are normally submitted as hard copy only.).The procedures are as follows:

• You should staple the appropriate colour-coded IoA coversheet (available in the IoA libraryand outside room 411a) to the front of each piece of work and submit it to the red box atthe Reception Desk (or room 411a in the case of Year 1 undergraduate work)

• All coursework should be uploaded to Turnitin by midnight on the day of the deadline.This will date-stamp your work.

• You must upload the whole of each piece of coursework, including appendices, images andbibliography (but do not include these in your word count). This is important becausesometimes this is the version that is marked.

Instructions for the use of Turnitin follow. Note that Turnitin uses the term ‘class’ for whatwe normally call a ‘course’.

1. Ensure that your essay or other item of coursework has been saved as a Word doc., docx.or PDF document, and that you have the Class ID for the course (available from thecourse handbook) and enrolment password (this is ‘IoA1819’ for all courses this session- note that this is capital letter ‘I’, lower case letter ‘o’, upper case ‘A’, followed by thecurrent academic year).

12 MSc Computational Archaeology Handbook 2018–2019

2. Click on http://www.turnitinuk.com/en_gb/login.

3. Click on ‘Create account’.

4. Select your category as ‘Student’.

5. Create an account using your UCL email address. Note that you will be asked to spec-ify a new password for your account—do not use your UCL password or the enrolmentpassword, but invent one of your own (Turnitin will permanently associate this with youraccount, so you will not have to change it every 6 months, unlike your UCL password).In addition, you will be asked for a “Class ID” and a “Class enrolment password” (seepoint 1 above).

6. Once you have created an account you can just log in at http://www.turnitinuk.com/

en_gb/login and enrol for your other classes without going through the new user processagain. Simply click on ‘Enrol in a class’. Make sure you have all the relevant “class IDs”at hand.

7. Click on the course to which you wish to submit your work.

8. Click on the correct assignment (e.g. Essay 1).

9. Double-check that you are in the correct course and assignment and then click ‘Submit’.

10. Attach document as a “Single file upload”.

11. Enter your name (the examiner will not be able to see this).

12. Fill in the “Submission title” field with the right details: It is essential that the firstword in the title is your examination candidate number (e.g. YGBR8 In whatsense can culture be said to evolve?).

13. Click “Upload”. When the upload is finished, you will be able to see a text-only versionof your submission.

14. Click on “Submit”.

If you have problems, please email the IoA Turnitin Advisers on mailto:ioa-turnitin@

ucl.ac.uk, explaining the nature of the problem and the exact course and assignment involved.One of the Turnitin Advisers will normally respond within 24 hours, Monday-Friday during

term. Please be sure to email the Turnitin Advisers if technical problems prevent you fromuploading work in time to meet a submission deadline - even if you do not obtain an immediateresponse from one of the Advisers they will be able to notify the relevant Course Coordinatorthat you had attempted to submit the work before the deadline.

8.6 Late Submission

Late submission is penalised in accordance with UCL regulations, unless formal permission forlate submission has been granted. The UCL penalties are as follows:

1. The marks for coursework received up to two working days after the published date andtime will incur a 10 percentage point deduction in marks (but no lower than the passmark);

Handbook 2018–2019 MSc Computational Archaeology 13

2. The marks for coursework received more than two working days and up to five workingdays after the published date and time will receive no more than the pass mark (40% forUG modules, 50% for PGT modules);

3. Work submitted more than five working days after the published date and time, butbefore the second week of the third term will receive a mark of zero but will be consideredcomplete.

8.7 Granting of Extensions and reasonable adjustments

Please note that there are strict UCL-wide regulations with regard to the granting of extensionsto coursework deadlines. You are reminded that Course Coordinators are not permitted togrant extensions. All requests for extensions must be submitted on a the appropriate UCLform, together with supporting documentation, via Judy Medrington’s office and will then bereferred on for consideration. Please be aware that the grounds that are acceptable are limited.

Those with long-term medical or mental health difficulties should contact UCL StudentDisability Services who will then advise what reasonable adjustments should be made.

Extenuating circumstances applications must be submitted on the EC application formwithin one week. Meeting this deadline is important: UCL will only consider late applicationsif it can be shown that ongoing circumstances meant that the student was ‘unable’ to file atimely application as it was ‘impossible’ to do so. UCL enforces these conditions and rejectslate applications that do not meet these criteria. Unless it is genuinely impossible to do so,it is therefore imperative to submit the EC form on time. Students should not wait for thesupporting evidence to become available before submitting their EC claim. UCL’s extenuatingcircumstances policy clarifies that “If a student is unable to obtain the necessary evidence withinthe deadlines . . . they should still submit their form on time and indicate that their evidence isto follow”.

Please see the Institute of Archaeology MA/MSc Handbook for further information aboutboth extensions and Statements of Reasonable Adjustment (see also https://moodle-1819.

ucl.ac.uk/mod/folder/view.php?id=447482)

8.8 Grading

The grading system for coursework is set out in the MA/MSc Handbook and also available onlineat https://moodle-1819.ucl.ac.uk/mod/resource/view.php?id=447497. The mark givenby the initial examiner (prior to return) is a provisional assessment for your guidance, and maybe modified after assessment by the second internal examiner or by the External Examiner.

8.9 Return of Coursework

You should receive your marked coursework within one month of the submission deadline. Ifyou do not receive your work within this period, or a written explanation, notify the AcademicAdministrator. When your marked essay is returned to you, return it to the Course Co-ordinatorwithin two weeks. You must retain a copy of all coursework submitted.

8.10 Re-submission of Coursework

You are not normally permitted to re-write and re-submit essays in order to try to improve yourmarks. However, in exceptional circumstances and with the approval of their degree coordinator,

14 MSc Computational Archaeology Handbook 2018–2019

you may if you wish, submit an additional piece of coursework (on a new topic) to substitutefor the first piece of written coursework submitted for your degree.

9 Oral examination

All Master’s students are required to attend an oral examination, normally as part of theirDisssertation assessment. This will normally be held in late May or early June. You mustsubmit to your Dissertation Supervisor and degree programme coordinator a single sheet of A4summarising the proposed research design of your dissertation to which you will speak. Theoral examination will be conducted by the degree coordinator and the Dissertation Supervisor(s)and will normally last for c. 20 minutes (inclusive of the student presentation and a questioningsession). This may be organised with a group students giving their presentations with their peerspresent. In such cases, following the presentation the each student will have a meeting withtheir Dissertation Supervisor to discuss further their Presentation and Dissertation programme.No marks are awarded for the oral examination; the assessment is satisfactory or unsatisfactory.In the event of a problem being identified by the examiners of the Dissertation, you may beinvited to attend a formal viva voce examination with the External Examiner for the degreealso in attendance. Part-time students and students on two-year MA programmes will normallybe required to give a Dissertation presentation (viva) in the year in which they are examinedin the Dissertation.

10 Communication

The primary channel of communication within the Institute of Archaeology is e-mail. If youwish to be contacted on your personal or work e-mail address, please arrange for e-mail sentto your UCL address to be forwarded to your other address, since staff and other students willexpect to be able to reach you through your College e-mail, which they can find on the UCLweb-site. You must consult your e-mail regularly, as well as the student pigeon-holes in theBasement Common Room for written communications. Please also ensure that you keep yourcontact details (especially your telephone number) up to date on Portico, in case you need tobe contacted.

11 Attendance

Registers will be taken at all classes, and Departments are required to report the attendance ofeach student to UCL Registry at frequent intervals throughout each term. If you are unable toattend a class, please email the course coordinator to explain, in order to ensure that there is arecord of the reasons for your absence.

It is a College regulation that attendance at lectures, seminars and practicals be monitored.A 70% minimum attendance at all scheduled sessions is required (excluding absences due toillness or other adverse circumstances, provided that these are supported by medical certificatesor other documentation, as appropriate).

You should also be aware that potential employers seeking references often ask about atten-dance and other indications of reliability.

Handbook 2018–2019 MSc Computational Archaeology 15

12 Libraries and other facilities

The MA/MSc Handbook contains information about study space, the Institute Library, com-puting resources, collections and photocopying.

12.1 Libraries

In addition to the Library of the Institute of Archaeology (5th floor), other libraries in UCLwith holdings of particular relevance to this degree programme are the Science Library (D.M.S.Watson building on the central UCL site), the Environmental Studies Library in Wates Houseon Gordon Street, and the Department of Geography Map Library (http://www.geog.ucl.ac.uk/maplibrary/). A full list of UCL libraries and their opening hours is provided at http://www.ucl.ac.uk/library/.

The University of London Senate House Library (http://www.ull.ac.uk/) also has hold-ings which may be relevant to this degree programme.

12.2 Archaeological GIS and Computing Laboratory

Most practical sessions will be held in the Archaeological GIS and Computing (AGIS) Labora-tory, located in room 322c on the third floor of the Institute, or in the UCL cluster room (501)on the fifth floor of the Institute. The AGIS laboratory is administered by Allie Uhde withinput from Mark Altaweel, Andy Bevan and Mark Lake.

The laboratory contains 10 networked workstations. These computers have Intel i7-7700KCPUs, nVidia GeForce GTX 1080 GPUs, 64 GB of RAM, and are running Windows 10. Theyhave range of GIS and other software installed. All access filespace on the UCL fileserversand they can also be used to access central UCL Microsoft Windows (Desktop@UCL) and SunMicrosystems SunOS services.

You may use these facilities whenever the Institute building is open (see the MA/MScHandbook) and the laboratory is not required for teaching.

We do not currently archive user filespace which is not mapped to the UCL fileservers, whichmeans that we will not be able to retrieve accidentally deleted work or work lost as a result ofsystem failure if it was stored on the local drives.

13 Health and safety

The Institute has a Health and Safety policy and code of practice which provides guidance onlaboratory work, etc. This is revised annually and the new edition will be issued in due course.All work undertaken in the Institute is governed by these guidelines and students have a dutyto be aware of them and to adhere to them at all times. This is particularly important in thecontext of the laboratory/field/placement work which will be undertaken as part of this degree.

14 Feedback

In trying to make this degree as effective as possible, we welcome feedback during the course ofthe year. You will be asked to fill-in Progress Forms at the end of each term, which the degreecoordinator will discuss with you, which include space for comment on each of your courses.

At the end of each course all students are asked to give their views on the course in ananonymous questionnaire, which will be circulated at one of the last sessions of the course. These

16 MSc Computational Archaeology Handbook 2018–2019

questionnaires are taken seriously and help the course coordinator to develop the course. Thesummarised responses are considered by the degree coordinator, the Institute’s Staff-StudentConsultative Committee, Teaching Committee, and by the Faculty Teaching Committee.

If you are concerned about any aspect of a specific course, we hope you will feel able totalk to the relevant course coordinator, but you they feel this is not appropriate or have moregeneral concerns, you should consult your degree coordinator/personal tutor, or the MastersTutor (Mark Lake in Term I; Kevin MacDonald in Terms II & III). You may also consult theAcademic Administrator (Judy Medrington), the Chair of Teaching Committee (Bill Sillar), orthe Director (Sue Hamilton).

15 Staff

The Degree Coordinator is:

Dr Mark Lake (ML), who is available for consultation in room 115 at the times posted onhis door, or by appointment.

Tel: 020 7679 1535

Ext: 21535

Email: mailto:mark.lake@ucl.ac.uk

The principal contributors to the core courses and most frequently chosen options are:

Prof. Andy Bevan (AB), who is available for consultation in room 108 at the times postedon his door, or by appointment.

Tel: 020 7679 1528

Ext: 21528

Email: mailto:a.bevan@ucl.ac.uk

Prof. Stephen Shennan (SS), who is available for consultation in room 407 at the timesposted on his door, or by appointment.

Tel: 020 7679 4739

Ext: 24739

Email: mailto:s.shennan@ucl.ac.uk

16 Recommended reading

The following books and papers have been selected because they collectively provide an overviewof many of the key topics that will be covered in the MSc Computational Archaeology. Pleasedon’t hesitate to contact Mark Lake mailto:mark.lake@ucl.ac.uk if you would like morespecific readings or guidance.

GIS

Conolly, J. & M. Lake 2006. Geographical Information Systems in Archaeology. CambridgeManuals in Archaeology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. [issue desk ioa con10] [inst arch ak 40 con].

Handbook 2018–2019 MSc Computational Archaeology 17

Also

Burrough, P. A. & R. A. McDonnell 1998. Principles of Geographic InformationsSystems. Oxford University Press, Oxford. [inst arch ak 40 bur] [geography d 60bur] [engineering d 80 bur].

Chapman, H. 2006. Landscape archaeology and GIS. Tempus, Stroud, Gloucestershire. [instarch ak 40 cha].

Gillings, M. 2012. Landscape phenomenology, GIS and the role of affordance. Journal ofArchaeological Method and Theory 19(4): 601–611.

Parcak, S. H. 2009. Satellite Remote Sensing for Archaeology. Routledge., London. [instarch al 12 par].

Wheatley, D. & M. Gillings 2002. Spatial Technology and Archaeology: The Archaeolog-ical Applications of GIS. Taylor & Francis, New York. [inst arch ak 40 whe].

Data mining, web-scraping and citizen science

Ackland, R. 2013. Web Social Science: Concepts, Data and Tools for Social Scientists inthe Digital Age. SAGE, Los Angeles.

Du, H. 2010. Data Mining Techniques and Applications: An Introduction. Cengage Learning,Andover. Chapters 2–5.

Also

Hey, A. J. G. (ed.) 2009. The Fourth Paradigm: Data-Intensive Scientific Discovery.Microsoft Research, Redmond, Washington.

Harris, T. M. 2012. Interfacing archaeology and the world of citizen sensors: exploringthe impact of neogeography and volunteered geographic information on an authenticatedarchaeology. World Archaeology 44(4): 580–591.

http://crowdsourced.micropasts.org/

Spatial analysis

Bevan, A. & M. Lake (eds.) 2013. Computational Approaches to Archaeological Spaces.Left Coast Press, Walnut Creek, CA. [inst arch ak 30 bev].

Also

Bevan, A. & J. Conolly 2013. Mediterranean Islands, Fragile Communities and Persis-tent Landscapes: Antikythera in Long-term Perspective. Cambridge University Press,Cambridge. [inst arch dag 10 bev]

Diggle, P. J. 2014. Statistical analysis of spatial and spatio-temporal point patterns. CRCPress, Boca Raton, FL, 3rd edition. [mathematics l 102 dig].

18 MSc Computational Archaeology Handbook 2018–2019

O’Sullivan, D. & D. Unwin 2003. Geographic Information Analysis. John Wiley & Sons,Hoboken, N.J. [inst arch ak 30 osu][engineering d 80].

Robertson, E. C., J. D. Siebert, D. C. Fernandez & M. U. Zender (eds.) 2006. Spaceand Spatial Analysis in Archaeology. University of Calgary Archaeological Associationand University of New Mexico Press, Calgary. [inst arch ak 30 rob].

3D modelling

Foster, S. & D. Halbstein 2014. Integrating 3D Modeling, Photogrammetry and Design.Springer, New York. Chapters 1–2.

Reu, J. D., G. Plets, G. Verhoeven, P. D. Smedt, M. Bats, B. Cherrette, W. D.Maeyer, J. Deconynck, D. Herremans, P. Laloo, M. V. Meirvenne & W. D.Clercq 2013. Towards a three-dimensional cost-effective registration of the archaeologi-cal heritage. Journal of Archaeological Science 40(2): 1108–1121.

Programming

Frain, B. 2012. Responsive Web Design with HTML5 and CSS3: Learn Responsive DesignUsing HTML5 and CSS3 to Adapt Websites to Any Browser or Screen Size. CommunityExperience Distilled. Packt Publ, Birmingham. Chapters 1–4.

Hofstedt, P. 2011. Multiparadigm Constraint Programming Languages. Cognitive Tech-nologies. Springer, Heidelberg and New York. Parts 3–5.

Liang, Y. D. 2013. Introduction to Programming Using Python. Pearson, Boston. Chapters1–6.

http://www.pythonlearn.com/

Complexity science

Bentley, R. A. & H. D. G. Maschner (eds.) 2003. Complex Systems and Archaeology.University of Utah Press, Salt Lake City

Beekman, C. S. & W. W. Baden (eds.) 2005. Nonlinear Models for Archaeology andAnthropology. Ashgate, Farnham, UK.

Lansing, J. S. 2003. Complex adaptive systems. Annual Review of Anthropology 32: 183–204.

Also

Holling, C. S. 2001. Understanding the complexity of economic, ecological, and socialsystems. Ecosystems 4(5): 390–405.

Kauffman, S. A. 1993. The Origins of Order: Self-Organisation and Selection in Evolution.Oxford University Press, New York, Oxford.

Lewin, R. 1992. Complexity: Life on the Edge of Chaos. Macmillan, New York.

West, B. J. & J. Salk 1987. Complexity, organization and uncertainty. European Journalof Operational Research 30(2): 117–128.

Wolfram, S. 1984. Cellular automata as models of complexity. Nature 311: 419–424.

Handbook 2018–2019 MSc Computational Archaeology 19

Agent-based modelling and simulation

Cegielski, W. H. and Rogers, J. D.} 2016. Rethinking the role of agent-basedmodeling in archaeology. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 41:283-298.

Lake, M. W. 2014. Trends in archaeological simulation. Journal of ArchaeologicalMethod and Theory 21(2): 258–287.

Lake, M. 2015. Explaining the past with ABM: On modelling philosophy. InG. Wurzer, K. Kowarik & H. Reschreiter (eds.), Agent-based Modeling and Ar-chaeology, pp. 3–35. Springer, Switzerland.

Also

Gilbert, N. & K. G. Troitzsch 1999. Simulation for the Social Scientist. Open UniversityPress, Buckingham, U.K.

Gimblett, H. R. (ed.) 2002. Integrating Geographic Information Systems and Agent-BasedModeling Techniques for Simulating Social and Ecological Processes. Santa Fe InstituteStudies in the Sciences of Complexity. Oxford University Press, Oxford. [inst arch ak40 gim].

Kohler, T. A., G. J. Gumerman & R. G. Reynolds 2005. Simulating ancient societies.Scientific American 293: 76–84.

Networks

Knappett, C. (ed.) 2013. Network Analysis in Archaeology: New Approaches to RegionalInteraction. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Also

Knappett, C., T. Evans & R. Rivers 2008. Modelling maritime interaction in the AegeanBronze Age. Antiquity 82(318): 1009–1024.

Watts, D. J. 1999. Small Worlds: The Dynamics of Networks Between Order and Random-ness. Princeton University Press, Princeton.

Watts, D. J. & S. H. Strogatz 1998. Collective dynamics of ‘small-world’ networks.Nature 393: 440–442.

Evolutionary archaeology

Mesoudi, A. 2011. Cultural Evolution. University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London.

O’Brien, M. J. & R. L. Lyman 2003. Cladistics and Archaeology. The University of UtahPress, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Shennan, S. 2008. Evolution in archaeology. Annual Review of Anthropology 37: 75–91.

Also

20 MSc Computational Archaeology Handbook 2018–2019

O’Brien, M. & R. Bentley 2011. Stimulated variation and cascades: two processes in theevolution of complex technological systems. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory18(4): 309–335.

Lake, M. & J. Venti 2009. Quantitative analysis of macroevolutionary patterning intechnological evolution: Bicycle design from 1800 to 2000. In S. J. Shennan (ed.), Patternand Process in Cultural Evolution, chapter 10, pp. 147–174. University of California Press,London.

Shennan, S. 2002. Genes, Memes and Human History: Darwinian Archaeology and CulturalEvolution. Thames & Hudson, London. [inst arch bb 1 she].

Approaches to the built environment

Batty, M. 2005. Cities and Complexity: Understanding Cities with Cellular Automata,Agent-Based Models and Fractals. The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA. [town planning a10 bat].

Paliou, E., U. Lieberwirth & S. Polla (eds.) 2014. Spatial analysis and social spaces: interdisciplinary approaches to the interpretation of prehistoric and historic built envi-ronments. De Gruyter, Berlin. [inst arch ak 30 pal].

Also

Batty, M. 2006. Rank clocks. Nature 444(7119): 592–596.

Hillier, B. 1996. Space is the Machine. Cambridge. University Press, Cambridge.

Philosophical and theoretical background

Bedau, M. A. 2008. Alternative views of complexity. In M. A. Bedau & P. Humphreys(eds.), Emergence: Contemporary Readings in Philosophy and Science, pp. 249–258. TheMIT Press, Cambridge, MA. Reprinted from chapter 7 in The Sciences of the Artifical,3rd ed., Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 1996.

Bentley, A. & P. Ormerod 2012. Agents, intelligence, and social atoms. In M. Collard &E. Slingerland (eds.), Creating Consilience: Reconciling Science and the Humanities, pp.205–222. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Kintigh, K. W., J. H. Altschul, M. C. Beaudry, R. D. Drennan, A. P. Kinzig, T. A.Kohler, W. F. Limp, H. D. G. Maschner, W. K. Michener, T. R. Pauketat,P. Peregrine, J. A. Sabloff, T. J. Wilkinson, H. T. Wright & M. A. Zeder2014. Grand challenges for archaeology. American Antiquity 79(1): 5–23. [e-journal].

Also

Castells, M. 1996. The Rise of the Network Society, The Information Age: Economy,Society and Culture Vol. I. Blackwell, Cambridge, MA; Oxford, UK. 2nd edition in 2000.[anthropology e 50 cas] [geography h 92 cas] [public policy hc 79 cas].

Giddens, A. 1990. The Consequences of Modernity. Polity Press, Cambridge. [townplanning g 50 gid].

Handbook 2018–2019 MSc Computational Archaeology 21

Portugali, J. 2006. Complexity theory as a link between space and place. Environmentand Planning A 38: 647–664.

Sorlin, S., S. Van der Leeuw, R. Costanza, S. Aulenbach, S. Brewer, M. Burek,S. Cornell, C. Crumley, J. A. Dearing, C. Downy et al. 2011. Toward anintegrated history to guide the future. Ecology & society 16(4). [e-journal].