Professors: Chandler, S. Johnson
Associate Professors: Adams, Munson (Coordinator)
Assistant Professor: Knauth
Archaeology is the study of the human past through material remains. This interdisciplinary major provides students with a strong foundation in the major concepts, methods, and theories of the field, and allows them to focus on past cultures and societies in the Americas and the Mediterranean world (Ancient Near East, Classical Mediterranean, or early Medieval Europe). Students majoring in archaeology can also choose topics and specialty areas of particular interest to them, with opportunities for collaboration with ongoing excavations and other forms of supervised field research. Beyond a career in archaeology, students also translate the skills and knowledge they acquire in archaeology into museum curation, historic preservation, cultural resource management, education, and antiquities trade law enforcement, among many other career pathways.
The major consists of twelve courses, at least three of which must be at the 300-level or above, plus a non-credit Colloquium and a Practical Experience, as follows:
Take two courses from the same Culture Area list, one of which must be an ARCH course. Take one additional course from either of the Culture Area lists or ARCH/ANTH/REL 401.
Other Art History or Studio Art courses by Academic Standards Committee appeal if not already counted.
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- ARCH 403 Laboratory Methods in Archaeology
- ASTR 333 Ancient Astronomy
- BIO 222 Genetics
- BIO 224 Ecology
- BIO 225 Plant Sciences
- BIO 338 Human Anatomy
- CHEM 219 Organic and Biochemistry
- CHEM 222/223 Organic Chemistry I / Organic Chemistry Laboratory I
- CHEM 224/225 Organic Chemistry II / Organic Chemistry Laboratory II
- CPTR 125 Introduction to Computer Science
- DSCI 101 Introduction to Data Science
- ENV 200 Introduction to Geology
- ENV 215 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
- ENV 220 Environmental Biology
- MATH 130 Modelling with Matrices
- MATH 123 Introduction to Statistics
- MATH 214 Multivariable Statistics
- SOC 212 Contagion
- SOC 312 Social Networks
Capstone Requirements
The capstone experience consists of the following three components:
1) Senior Seminar: complete ARCH 447, including design and presentation of a substantial independent Research Project using archaeological data.
2) Practical Experience: participate in an approved archaeological field school, survey, or field research project, or complete a relevant internship. This need not be for credit, but these experiences typically involve at least 140 hours in the field, and students must keep and submit a journal documenting the experience. Optional credit may be earned as ARCH/ANTH/REL 401 Field Archaeology, ARCH/ANTH 403 Laboratory Methods, or ARCH/ANTH/ARHI/ART/HIST 470 Internship.
3) Colloquium Presentation: give a presentation in ARCH 448, normally based on the seminar research project and/or practical experience, presenting significant independent research relating to archaeology.
Minor Requirements
A minor in Archaeology consists of five courses, including ARCH 105 and 200; one culture-specific Archaeology course ARCH/REL 226, ARCH 227, ARCH 231, or ARCH/ANTH 331; one additional ARCH course; and one additional course from ARCH, ANTH, or ENV 215.
105
HISTORY FROM THINGS
An introduction to basic archaeological methods as traditionally and currently practiced in the
Mediterranean region, ancient Near East, and Europe, integrated with a diverse series of case studies,
to learn how archaeologists reconstruct history from things. Emphasis is placed on the integration and
interplay of archaeological, historical, art historical, and scientific approaches, ranging from basic survey
and excavation techniques to analysis of contemporary inscriptions and artistic depictions, in conjunction
with analysis of architectural features and material culture. A practical lab component provides students
with hands-on opportunities to practice some of the techniques most commonly utilized in the field. Fulfills Global Cultural Diversity Requirement.
200
ARCHAEOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES
An introduction to the major concepts and principles of archaeological research and the techniques used to study the human past through the retrieval, analysis, and interpretation of material remains. Includes a practical laboratory component.
210
TALKING TRASH: ARCHAEOLOGY OF EVERYDAY LIFE
Examines the material remains and built environments that are the product of people’s everyday life. Focusing on the household as a central analytical unit, students investigate the residential spaces and things that people produce and consume in domestic contexts in order to study past demographic patterns, social interactions and status, subsistence practices, divisions of labor, as well as group ideology and communal practices in ancient human societies. Case studies drawn from ethnography and archaeology examine the patterns of everyday life in the ancient Near East, Mediterranean, and the Americas. Cross-listed as ANTH 210. Fulfills Global Cultural Diversity Requirement. Alternate years.
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220
SPECIAL TOPICS IN ARCHAEOLOGY
Study of selected archaeological topics. May be repeated for credit with consent of instructor when topics are different. Credit may not be earned for both ARCH 220 and 320 on the same topic.
226
ARCHAEOLOGY OF ANCIENT ISRAEL AND ITS NEIGHBORS
A brief introduction to basic archaeological method as currently practiced in the eastern Mediterranean region and an in-depth study of the typological development of architecture, mortuary practices, artifacts and material culture of ancient Israel and Canaan (the land of the Bible) from representative excavations through different historical periods. Special attention is given to the role of archaeology in reconstructing the world in which biblical literature originated, along with archaeological results that help illuminate or clarify the biblical text. Cross-listed as REL 226. Fulfills Global Cultural Diversity Requirement. Alternate years.
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227
BUILDING MEDITERRANEAN EMPIRES
From Alexander the Great to Constantine, from Charlemagne to the Crusades, empires were not just “conquered,” they were built – with city planning and infrastructure, public architecture, and establishment of cultural expectations for religion, language, production and trade, patronage, education, law, athletics, art and theatre. Students examine the archaeology, art, and architecture of the Hellenistic, Roman, and Early Medieval eras of the Mediterranean region, to uncover significant trends in the typological development of ancient material remains of various categories within their historical and cultural contexts. An interdisciplinary approach considering a variety of lines of material evidence is used to reveal ancient methods of building and projecting power in these slices of ancient history, and how this affected the lives of ordinary people who lived there. Fulfills Global Cultural Diversity Requirement. Alternate years.
231
MESOAMERICAN CULTURES AND SOCIETY
An overview of the Olmec, Maya, and Aztec societies, and other native peoples of Mexico and Central America, including the chronological development of cultures and related key topics. Emphasis on the variability and interactions among individuals and groups by age, gender, ethnicity, class, and polities during pre- and post-conquest times. Fulfills Global Cultural Diversity Requirement. Alternate years.
233
ARCHAEOLOGY OF RITUAL
In-depth cross-cultural study of the archaeological remains of ancient ritual practices. While the meaning of ancient rituals is not directly accessible to us today, archaeologists study the spaces, objects, actors, and material residues of past ritual practices to understand their role and significance in past societies. Case studies drawn from the ancient Near East, Mediterranean, and the Americas. Cross-listed as ANTH 233 and REL 233. Fulfills Global Cultural Diversity Requirement. Alternate years.
311
POWER AND PRESTIGE IN THE PAST
In-depth analysis of the development and operation of state-level societies from anthropological and archaeological perspectives. Topics include the emergence of social inequality, definitions of state and power, political organization, collective action, and the role of ideology in complex societies. Case studies drawn from the ancient Near East, Mediterranean, and the Americas. Cross-listed as ANTH 311. Prerequisite: One 4-credit ANTH course or junior or senior standing. Fulfills Global Cultural Diversity Requirement. Alternate years.
320
SPECIAL TOPICS IN ARCHAEOLOGY
Study of selected archaeological topics, theorists, or methods. Sample topics include household archaeology, archaeology of power, archaeology of ritual, origins of social inequality, and ceramic analysis. Prerequisite: ARCH 200 or consent of instructor. May be repeated for credit with consent of instructor when topics are different. Credit may not be earned for both ARCH 220 and 320 on the same topic.
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331
MAKING THE MAYA WORLD
A wide-ranging exploration of ancient Maya civilization and of the various ways archaeologists, anthropologists, linguists, historians, and indigenous communities have examined and manipulated the Maya past. From the thrill of decipherment to painstaking and technical artifact studies, from tropes of long-hidden mysteries rescued from the jungle to New Age appropriations of pre-Columbian rituals, students examine how models drawn from archaeology, anthropology, art history, ethnography, political science, and popular culture have shaped current understandings of the ancient Maya world, and how the Maya world has, at times, resisted easy appropriation and defied expectations. Cross-listed as ANTH 331. Fulfills Global Cultural Diversity Requirement. Alternate years.
332
ANCIENT ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY
An exploration of the ancient cultures of the Near East and Mediterranean as elucidated by modern archaeological research, through examination of their art and architecture. Cross-listed as ARHI 332. Fulfills Global Cultural Diversity Requirement.
348
JUNIOR ARCHAEOLOGY COLLOQUIUM
A forum for senior presentations, faculty and outside speakers relating to archaeology, plus occasional outside workshops and events. This course is a prerequisite for ARCH 448. Students considering study abroad in the fall of their junior year should take ARCH 348 in the fall of their sophomore year if possible. 1-2 hours per week. Pass/Fail. Non-credit seminar.
401
FIELD ARCHAEOLOGY
Participation in an approved archaeological dig, survey, or field research program. Includes instruction in excavation or survey techniques, recording and processing of artifacts, and exposure to the wider results of related excavation and research and the use of archaeology as a tool for elucidating historical and cultural changes. This course acquaints students with the basic techniques and procedures used in modern archaeology through intensive hands-on fieldwork. Cross-listed as ANTH 401, and as REL 401 for some Mediterranean and Near Eastern digs with approval. Prerequisite: ARCH 200 or consent of instructor. Special fees apply. May Term or Summer Sessions only.
403
LABORATORY METHODS IN ARCHAEOLOGY
Acquaints students with the basic methods and techniques used to analyze archaeological materials.
Students gain practical experience in the description, inventory, and analysis of artifacts, processing
of specimens, and data documentation. Includes lectures, laboratory, and museum visits. Cross-listed
as ANTH 403. Prerequisite: ARCH 200 or consent of instructor. Special fees apply. May Term or Summer
Sessions.
421
ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELD SUPERVISION
Participation in an archaeological excavation or field school program at the level of assistant supervisor
or above. Includes instruction in on-site supervision of daily digging, record-keeping, and interpretation
of finds, and/or specialized training in excavation project coordination, data processing, or analysis of
specific types of material culture. Research project required. Prerequisite: ANTH/ARCH/REL 401 or
equivalent experience. Special fees apply. May Term or Summer Sessions only.
427
ARCHAEOLOGICAL THEORY AND METHOD
This seminar acquaints the student with the history of archaeological thinking over the past century.
Current archaeological theory is covered in some detail; students learn to identify, examine, and evaluate
specific theories. Prerequisite: ANTH 102, ARCH 200, and one course in ARCH numbered 200 or above; or
consent of instructor.
447
ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH DESIGN
Building on ARCH 427, students design and present a substantial research project that articulates a
research question or hypothesis with a logical plan of data collection and analysis, and uses archaeological
data to address a specific topic or issue. Prerequisite: ARCH 427. Corequisite: ARCH 448.
448
SENIOR ARCHAEOLOGY COLLOQUIUM
A forum for senior presentations, faculty and outside speakers relating to archaeology, plus occasional
outside workshops and events. 1-2 hours per week. Non-credit seminar. Prerequisite: ARCH 348 or consent
of instructor.
470-479
INTERNSHIP
Interns in archaeology usually work in historical museums or art museums under the supervision of a
museum director/curator/archaeologist and a member of the faculty. Course can also be designated
as ANTH, ARHI, ART, HIST, or REL and taken through the relevant department.
N80-N89
INDEPENDENT STUDY
This course represents an opportunity to pursue specific research interests not usually covered in regular
courses. Course can also be designated as ANTH, ARHI, ART, HIST, or REL and taken through the relevant
department.
490-491
INDEPENDENT STUDY FOR DEPARTMENTAL HONORS