Anthropology | Intro to Archaeology
P200 | 1267 | Sievert
This course will introduce you to archaeology as it applies toward
understanding the cultural history of humankind. Archaeologists are
famous for using other people's garbage as their main source of
information, so this is essentially a course about junk. We will
discuss how archaeologists use various methods to explore ancient food
and eating, trade, politics, world views, and technology. You will
learn how archaeologists research human societies, how they interpret
the remains of material culture, and how they apply their
interpretations to situations in the modern world. In the process we
will be discussing specific ancient time periods like the Neolithic,
cultures like the ancient Mississippians, and phenomena such as the
development of irrigation agriculture. You will gain an understanding
of what we think happened in the past through the lens of the things
people left behind.
Format: There will be illustrated lectures, demonstrations, videos,
and hands-on lab exercises.
Evaluation: Tests, short papers, and a project.
Text: Archaeology by Colin Renfrew and Paul Bahn, plus e-reserve readings.