Exploring Stone Age Archaeology: The Mysteries of Star Carr (FutureLearn)

On this course you will learn about the excavations of Star Carr, exploring what this site can tell us about where we came from, the origin of everyday things, and how much we have changed.

What topics will you cover?

- The excavations at Star Carr: highlighting how the site was discovered, what has been found and how excavations are undertaken, in order to convey the excitement of discovery.

- The use of stone: how hunter-gatherers used stone to create tools which were required for every aspect of their daily lives (their Swiss Army knife!)

- The use of plants: plants were used for everything from making fires to building houses.

- The use of animals: we explain what animals were in the landscape at that time and how people used them for food, skins for clothing and their bones for artefacts.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

- Identify and understand the methods used on an archaeological excavation

- Evaluate how digital technology, scientific applications and experimental archaeology can be used to investigate the past

- Apply a range of evidence in order to debate how different artefacts might have been used

- Describe the site of Star Carr and the main discoveries made there