Semiotics in archaeology- an introduction

Timetable

1. Introduction: What is Semiotics? Key concepts
2. Founding figures of semiotics (Ferdinand de Saussure & Charles Sanders Peirce) and their legacy
3. Signs and symbols in archaeology and prehistory: an introduction
4. Towards a semiotic archaeology
5. Semiotics in the archaeology of religion and ritual
6. Review of selected case studies
7. The potential of semiotics in the study of the past: summary & final discussion

Module aim (aims)

The aim of the course is to demonstrate the potential of semiotics as a theory and research tool that can be useful in archaeology. The student will become familiar with key concepts in semiotics, prominent scholars, and their ideas. The course will cover when and how interest in semiotics emerged in archaeology and will present examples of its application to archaeological materials.

Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences (where relevant)

The course is intended for students with an intermediate level of English. No prior knowledge of semiotics or archaeology is required.

Syllabus

Reading list

Reading list:

Preucel, Robert 2006 Archaeological Semiotics. Blackwell Press, Oxford.

Preucel, Robert, & Bauer, Alexander.2001  ‘Archaeological Pragmatics’, Norwegian Archaeological Review 34:85-96.

Preucel, R.,  Mrozowski, S.A., (eds.). 2010 Contemporary Archaeology in Theory. The New Pragmatism (Second edition). Willey Blackwell, Oxford.

Sebeok, T. A. 2001.   Signs: An Introduction to Semiotics. University of Toronto Press, Toronto.

Swenson, E., &Cipolla, C. N. 2020. Representation and materiality in archaeology: A semiotic reconciliation. World Archaeology, 52(3), 313-329.

Tamm, M., Preucel, R. W. 2023. Semiotics in History and Archaeology. Bloomsbury Semiotics Volume 3: Semiotics in the Arts and Social Sciences, 3, 49.