ANT 304: INTRODUCTION TO ARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDIES

Transcription

1 ANT 304: INTRODUCTION TO ARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDIES Lecture: MW 4PM- 5PM CLA Instructor: Shannon Dugan Iverson Instructor s office: SAC Office hours: Mondays 1 pm- 3pm s.dugan.iverson@gmail.com (please see rules) Teaching Assistants/Lab supervisors: William Gblerkpor, Emily Dylla Lab Hours: Unique number 31535: Friday 12-1 pm SAC (Gblerkpor) Unique number 31540: Friday 2-3 pm SAC (Gblerkpor) Unique number 31545: Monday 5-6 pm SAC (Dylla) Unique number 31550: Wednesday 5-6 pm SAC (Dylla) Unique Lab schedules: ***Lab attendance is mandatory. You must show up only to the lab that corresponds to the unique number that you chose when registering. If you change lab hours you must do so by registering for the appropriate lab. No exceptions.*** Archaeology is a subfield of anthropology that studies the human past through its material remains. This class does not provide a comprehensive overview of ancient civilizations, but rather uses case studies to illustrate major topics in archaeology. To study the past, archaeologists make use of a wide variety of lines of evidence (e.g. artifacts, architecture, documents, and art) and employ several different theoretical approaches. This class covers how we know what we know within archaeology, including topics in the methods, theory, and history of the discipline. This course is designed to cover basic developments in archaeological method and theory. At the same time, we will study sites, archaeological cultures, and case- studies that illustrate the theoretical and methodological topics that we cover, as well as major transitions in human history. We also discuss the politics and ethics of archaeology in the present. This course may be used to fulfill the natural science and technology (Part II) component of the university core curriculum and addresses the following four core objectives established by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board: communication skills, critical thinking skills, teamwork, and empirical and quantitative skills.

2 GOALS: 1. Students should come away from the course with a clear idea of how to evaluate claims based on archaeological evidence. 2. Students should have a clear foundation of archaeological method and theory. 3. Students should have a clear grasp of the range of ethical concerns related to archaeology. 4. Students should understand the impact of archaeological claims on modern- day people. 5. Students should understand major transitions in human history. Students with disabilities: Any student with disabilities should talk to me as soon as possible so that we may make arrangements that will make for a better learning experience and that will allow the student to show his or her abilities fully. Students with disability must contact Services for Students with Disabilities at to ensure that reasonable accommodations are provided for them. Other classroom rules: NO laptop computers, ipads, newspapers, or calculators in class. Please turn off your cell phones. Texting is not allowed in class. Academic dishonesty will be dealt with according to University rules. Texts (Available at the University Co- op) Cantwell, Anne- Marie and Diana dizerega Wall (2001) Unearthing Gotham Feder, Kenneth (2013) Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries: Science and Psuedoscience in Archaeology. GRADING: Grading will be based on 3 components: labs, class participation, and exams. Lab attendance is mandatory. Any student who misses more than 3 labs will fail the class, without exceptions. Class Participation: 10% Labs: 35% Exam 1: 15% Exam 2: 20% Exam 3: 20%

3 LECTURE AND EXAM SCHEDULE: WEEK 1: (JANUARY 13 th): Introduction: What is Archaeology? Topics: Introduction to archaeology, science in archaeology Lab: No lab this week. Readings: Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries: Chapters 1-2 WEEK 2 (January 20 th ): Sites and survey NO CLASS MONDAY (Martin Luther King Jr. day holiday) Topics: Introduction to site formation processes, survey techniques, and basic artifact categories. Lab: No lab this week, due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday Readings: Unearthing Gotham, Chapters 1-3 WEEK 3 (January 27 th ): Archaeological Excavation Topics: Overview of field techniques, stratigraphy, seriation, and absolute dating. Lab 1: Introduction to the lab and hypothesis testing assignment. Readings: Frauds, Myths and Mysteries: Chapters 5-7 WEEK 4 (FEBRUARY 3 rd ): Our Earliest Ancestors Topics: Early human beings and the earliest artifacts; early art Lab: Lab 2: Archaeological Survey. Readings: Unearthing Gotham, Chapters 3-5 WEEK 5 (FEBRUARY 10 th ): Foragers Topics: Foragers in the past and today, faunal analysis Lab 3: Film. Werner Herzog, Cave of Forgotten Dreams Readings: Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries, chapters 8-10 WEEK 6 (FEBRUARY 17 th ): Climate Change EXAM 1: MONDAY February 17th Topics: Special Lecture on Climate Change Lab 4: Field methods in archaeology. Readings: Unearthing Gotham, chapters 5-7 WEEK 7 (FEBRUARY 24 th ): Farming and Food Production Topics: The origins of farming, Mesoamerica, North America Lab 5: The African Burial Ground (pt. 1) Readings: Frauds, Myths and Mysteries, Chapters 7-8

4 WEEK 8 (MARCH 3 rd ): Social/Evolutionary typologies Topics: social inequality, archaeological indicators of social inequality, Moundbuilders in North America. Lab 6: Stratigraphy and seriation Readings: Unearthing Gotham, chapters 8-9 (MARCH 10 th ): SPRING BREAK. NO CLASSES. WEEK 11 (MARCH 17 th ): Money, Writing, Religion Topics: The origins of money, writing, and religion. Special lecture: William Gblerkpor Lab 7: Ceramics and archaeological inference Readings: Unearthing Gotham, chapters WEEK 12 (MARCH 24 th ): Explanation in archaeology: Processualism Topics: Archaeological theory, the scientific method, biological and ecological models, Marxism. Lab: Exam Review Readings: Focus on the exam. WEEK 13 (MARCH 31 st ) Empires, Memory **EXAM 2 Monday March 31 st ** Topics: State- level societies, the past of the past in archaeological contexts Lab 8: Archaeological project design. Readings: Unearthing Gotham, chapters WEEK 14 (APRIL 7 th ): Explanation in archaeology: Post- processual archaeology Topics: questioning objectivity in archaeology; archaeologies of gender, sexuality, race; landscape archaeology. Special Lecture: Emily Dylla Lab 9: African Burial Ground, part 2. Readings: Unearthing Gotham, chapters WEEK 15 (APRIL 14 th ): Politics of the Past Topics: Ethics in archaeology Lab 10: Gender in space. Readings: Unearthing Gotham, chapter 16 WEEK 16 (APRIL 21 st ) Historical Archaeology Topics: Capitalism, colonialism, combining the archaeological and historical records. Lab 12: Final Review Readings: Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries, Chapters 11-13

5 WEEK 17 (APRIL 28 th ): Professionalization ***FINAL EXAM ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30 th *** Topics: Cultural resource management, graduate school, national parks, tribes. Lab: No lab this week. Prepare for the final exam. Readings: No readings this week. Prepare for the final exam.