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Introduction to Archaeology
Tuesday 8/23
Thursday 8/25
Tuesday 8/30
Thursday 9/1
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Humans Emerge
Tuesday 9/6
Thursday 9/8
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Stones and Bones: Paleolithic Foraging Societies
Tuesday 9/20
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What Happened during the Mesolithic?
Thursday 9/29
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The End of Innocence: Social and Political Inequality Emerge
Thursday 10/6
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Grits and Bacon: The Origins of Food Production
Tuesday 10/18
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People, People Everywhere: So-Called "Civilizations" Appear
Tuesday 10/25
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Our Immediate Heritage: Historical Archaeology
Tuesday 12/6
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Archaeology! What is it Good For?
Thursday 12/8
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I
ntroductionArchaeology is the study of the material remains of past human behavior. Unlike many popular misconceptions, archaeologists neither wear pith helmets nor pillage valuable artifacts, but are instead multidisciplinary scientists intent on reconstructing past human activities and developing an understanding of the human condition. Although there is nothing quite like the thrill of making an archaeological discovery, much of what archaeologists do involves intensive, goal-oriented research in the field, in the laboratory, and in archives.
Archaeology is part of the larger discipline of anthropology. Although the things we dig out of the ground are often the subject of public fascination, such as what you might experience through a National Geographic article or television show, much of archaeological research is directed towards understanding what makes us human. For example, some archaeologists investigate why human cultures change, while others are interested in how humans interact with the environment or why human societies engage in warfare. Most archaeological research is therefore focused on solving larger anthropological problems, but unlike cultural anthropologists, who study living people, archaeologists study societies that lived in the past.
This course explores the development of humanity beginning millions of years ago, while focusing on the multidisciplinary methods and theories employed in archaeology. We begin with a brief examination of the place of archaeology within the larger discipline of anthropology, and then review basic principles of archaeological research. The bulk of the course explores what archaeologists have discovered about the cultural evolution of our species, beginning with the origins of humans and ending with the archaeology of historic societies. Because our past is so extensive, we can only highlight some of the most important cultural developments. Although the structure of the course focuses on this prehistoric timeline, each section of the course will begin with a day exploring how archaeologists actually reconstruct past human behavior and address anthropological questions.
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equired TextsFagan, Brian
2006 Archaeology: A Brief Introduction. 9th Edition. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. Because the organization of my course is a bit unique, finding a good book on archaeological method and theory has been difficult. The readings in this book are good, but be forewarned that they will not always perfectly mesh with class discussions!
Fagan, Brian
2005 World Prehistory: A Brief Introduction. 6th Edition. Longman Press, NY. This book will provide readings on the major prehistoric developments discussed throughout this course. Readings from this book will provide the necessary background for class discussions, which will explore a select group of issues in greater detail than either of the books provide. As with the first book, some presentations in the book may differ from what you hear in class; in these cases, consider the class presentations as the final authority.
The reading assignments are listed in the schedule below. Because they are both by the same author, readings are listed as either being from AR (Archaeology) or WP (World Prehistory). The pages listed for each day should be read before coming to class.
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nternet and Multimedia
You will be required to provide an email address to the instructor. This will be used for sending an occasional course email newsletter, which features current news items and other additional information relevant to the course. Note that some email accounts, such as Hotmail, may misinterpret incoming group emails as spam and place them in a special folder. In Hotmail, this can be corrected by looking in your Junk Mail folder for one of my course messages and using the "This is not Junk Mail" button. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to make sure that your email account is set up to receive these newsletters!!
Each class session features multimedia material, including imagery, video, and music, that supplements classroom lectures and discussions. Like any other material presented in this course, the multimedia component is included to enhance your understanding of world prehistory and archaeology. As this material is used in the class, it will be made available for you to peruse on this website in the schedule to the left.
E There will be two take-home essay exams. The mid-term exam is handed out on Thursday, October 6th and due in class on Thursday, October 13th. The final exam is handed out on the last day of the course, Thursday, December 8th, and due by 4pm on Thursday, December 15th. The exams consist of essay questions that require you to integrate the readings, videos, and class lectures and discussions. A
The course-long assignment is the journal. Approximately once per week, I present you with a question related to the current course topic. You will then be required to write at least 1 single-spaced page or 2 double-spaced pages on the topic. The journal entries are opportunities for you to present your own ideas and explore different opinions on the material. However, you need to support your ideas by refering to class discussions, readings, and even videos. You will be evaluated on your ability to integrate all you are learning in the course!
A few of the journal entries will require you to visit an archaeology-related website that interests you. For these entries, you explore the websites in depth, and for each produce a review essay that answers the questions below:
1) Who prepared the website? Is any information about the author or sponsoring organization available, or are they hiding their identity? Was it prepared as the "official" site of an "official" organization, such as a tribal government's web page or that of a professional organization? Who controls the web site, and what might their agenda be?
2) Is the author knowledgeable about the subject? Does the author possess credentials that affirm his or her authority? How is that reflected in the website? Use some caution here. Material can seem authoritative when it is presented in a "matter-of-fact manner" or when the presentation is "slick." Evaluate the material itself: Are sources given? Is it well-written, spell-checked, and grammatically correct (this is not a sole indicator of quality, but it does show a level of care or concern with quality!)?
3) How recently was the website updated? This may have little to do with quality or accuracy of information, but it does have to do with its currency. Perhaps the site does not reflect new developments in the field. Based on your knowledge of the subject, does the site seem current?
4) Why was the website developed? Is it a personal or "fun" site? If so, it may be less valid in terms of accuracy. Is the site an academic site? If so, it should contain valid and useful information, some of it "peer reviewed," meaning that other experts have evaluated the content.
5) Does the site present issues that seem contentious or debatable? For example, if a site presents issues related to cult archaeology, it may present biased information. This does not necessarily mean that the information is inaccurate; rather, it may simply be one-sided.
6) Finally, given your answers to questions 1-5, would you feel comfortable using data and conclusions from this site in a research paper? Why or why not?
Do NOT simply answer each question one at a time for each website; you MUST write a review of each website that integrates the questions into an essay. Provide the URL and title for each website that you review.
For all journal entries, you are graded on your writing ability, and a style guide will be handed out to assist you in effective written communication. Following the style guide is highly recommended. Journal entries must be typed!
I collect and grade the journals three times! The first time will be on Tuesday, September 20th; the second time is Tuesday, October 25th; and, finally, the completed journal is due on Thursday, December 1st.
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Attendance in all classes is mandatory--no excuses. A sign-up sheet will be sent around at the beginning of each class session, and if you are late, you don't get to sign it. Your final grade for the course will be modified according to your record of attendance: If you miss 4 or fewer classes, there is no punitive effect on your final grade. However, for each additional class session missed, you will lose 5 points off your final grade. For example, if you miss 6 class sessions, you will be docked 10 points off of your final grade, which is essentially one letter grade. The principle here is quite simple: if you miss that many classes, ou are not learning the material, and my obligation as an instructor is to assign the grade that reflects how well you've learned the course material. If you are facing a personal or family crisis that is interfering with your attendance, the appropriate avenue is to seek a hardship withdrawal.
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radingThe final grade for the course is determined as follows:
final = 30%
course journal = 30% (i.e., 10% each time I collect them)
participation = 10%
The participation grade will reflect your willingness to learn the material. I expect all students to attend all of the classes (see attendance policy above) and participate in class discussions. I guarantee you that low attendance correlates highly with extremely pathetic grades on the exams and journal assignment. Also, cell phones going off in class, talking and whispering, and coming in late and leaving early really piss me off, and I will use the participation grade to exact my revenge on such disruptive behavior.
Grades are determined according to the following scale:
A = 90—100%
B = 80—89.9%
C = 70—79.9%
D = 60—69.9%
Note that my policy for any material that is handed in late is to take off a half-grade per half-day past the deadline. Also note that plagiarism on any assignments or exams will result in an "F" for that grade and possible action at the College level!!