ANTHRO 207
Coming of the Maori: Archaeology of Aotearoa (New Zealand)
Please note: this is archived course information from 2018 for ANTHRO 207.
Description
In this course we use archaeological evidence to investigate the origins and prehistory of Māori, beginning in the ancestral homeland of East Polynesia and continuing through to the early Māori-European contact period (c. 1840).
We consider ongoing debates about when and how New Zealand was first settled, the challenges faced by tropical Polynesians adapting to a temperate environment and other aspects of Māori settlements, subsistence economy, material culture and sociopolitical life over time. The course emphasises how archaeological techniques can be used to understand cultural dynamics in the past, and in particular those relevant to Aotearoa New Zealand’s early human history.
Learning Outcomes:
A student who successfully completes this course will have the opportunity to:
- Acquire knowledge of the archaeological history of Aotearoa New Zealand and pre-European Māori origins and lifeways
- Understand and carry out library research and critical analysis
- Acquire skills in academic literacy, critical thinking and cross-cultural perspective
Availability 2018
Semester 2
Lecturer(s)
Coordinator(s) Dr Ben Davies
Reading/Texts
Tangata Whenua: An Illustrated History, Atholl Anderson, Judith Binney, Aroha Harris, 2014. Auckland: Bridget Williams Books
Assessment
Coursework only; no exam
Points
ANTHRO 207: 15 points
Prerequisites
60 points passed
Restrictions
ANTHRO 365