Introduction to Archaeology

Anth 2 is an introduction to the methods, goals, and theoretical concepts of archaeology. The field of archaeology is broadly concerned with material culture (combined with textual information when available) that can be employed to generate interpretations about past human societies. The monumental challenge of this social science is to interpret past societies using a fragmentary, but nonetheless complex, data base – the material remains of the archaeological record (artifacts, features, faunal and floral remains, sites, etc.). The course examines current theories and methods employed in the study of the archaeological record. Lecture topics will include 1) implications of archaeology in contemporary society, 2) the history of archaeology, 3) field and dating methods, 4) studies of subsistence, settlement, trade/exchange and mortuary/ceremonial practices, and 5) generating explanations and interpretations about the past. Case studies of survey, excavation, and analytical techniques will be presented that focus on recent or on-going of archaeological sites in different parts of the world.

This class meets the lower division archaeology requirement.