INTRODUCTION TO ARCHAEOLOGY
CRN 39222 / ANTH 103A /3 credits
Spring 2010/ T & Th, 3:30-4:45 pm / DON 206
Instructor: Lance M. Foster, M.A., M.L.A.
E-mail: lancemfoster@yahoo.com
Academic Web Site: N/A
Office Hours/Location: By Appointment (Home phone: 422-5911)
Course Description
Archaeology is the study of the human past through the remains of their material culture. Archaeology uses many different approaches and tools to study and explain how people lived in the distant and not-so-distant past. Artifacts, sites, settlements, and landscapes may be studied to help reveal how people lived, how they saw themselves and their world, what the environment was like, and how these factors interrelated and changed through time. In this class you will gain an overview of what archaeology is, how archaeology is done, and what it can tell us about our world, past, present and perhaps even a glimpse of our future. This course is intended to be an introductory survey of archaeology for undergraduate students, either as an elective or as a foundation for further studies in archaeology. There are no prerequisites for this course.
Course Outcomes
Students who participate fully in this class will:
• Students will be able to describe the scientific approach to archaeological investigation and ethics, and how this differs from popular misunderstandings about the discipline
• Students will be able to trace the historic origins and key thinkers of archaeology
• Students will able to discuss a basic understanding of archaeological cultures in Montana and the practice of archaeology in the state
• Students will be able to define and discuss the key terms and concepts used in archaeology, from artifacts and features, through excavation and analysis
• Students will be able to identify and discuss a basic outline of major archaeological cultures at the national and international levels
• Students will be understand and compare diverse interests in the past
• Students will be able to describe the concepts of archaeological ethics and stewardship
• Students will learn to apply the lessons of archaeology as applied to contemporary developments in society today
Required Texts
Ashmore, Wendy, and Robert J. Sharer
2000 Discovering Our Past: A Brief Introduction to Archaeology. 3rd edition. McGraw-Hill.
Diamond, Jared
2005 Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. New York: Penguin Books.
Feder, Kenneth L.
2005 Frauds, Myths, and Mysteries: Science and Pseudoscience in Archaeology. 5th Edition. McGraw-Hill.
Course Grading and Expectations
A. ATTENDANCE: Attendance will be taken for every scheduled class; students are responsible for making sure they sign the sign-in sheet themselves which is passed out at the start of every class. The student should also attend the entire class and not duck out early. This is because if students are having trouble in class it is often because they miss too many classes. In addition, if the student is failing, we are required to tell the administration the last day the student attended class, which may also affect some funding sources. Every full class the student attends is worth 5 points.
The only exceptions will be for documented medical situations. Please get the notes from other students if you have to miss a class. The professor will not provide copies of his lecture notes to students. Makeup exams will only be given for documented medical situations.
B. PARTICIPATION: Classes include lectures, discussions, and videos. Assigned readings must be done IN ADVANCE so you can DISCUSS the material in class. Lectures include material beyond that in your texts for which you will be responsible on exams, so note-taking and attendance are required. You are encouraged to bring in articles from the current news media to discuss. Class participation is expected and will count positively towards your final grade.
C. EXAMS: There will be two exams, a midterm and a final. Both are made up of fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice and matching, with short essay-type questions. Each will cover assigned readings for that time period as well as lectures and other class materials. The final will be cumulative to a small degree in that you will need to know the basic concepts of archaeology to interpret the record of prehistory and early history. There will be NO makeup exams except in fully documented serious circumstances. A makeup exam must be taken within one week of the missed exam, and will consist of all essay questions.
D. There is a Special Project worth 50 points which will be discussed in a later class.
Also, be sure and read the “Academic Integrity” statement from UM-Helena below; students will be held strictly accountable to this statement.
E. FINAL GRADE CALCULATION:
Attendance 30 classes = 5 points each = 150 points
Midterm (closed book) 50 points
Final (closed book) 50 points
Special Project/Presentation 50 points
300 points possible, divided by 3 = final score
100-90 points = A
80-89 points = B
70-79 points = C
60-69 points = D
Late policy/penalties: Assignments are due in HARDCOPY at the beginning of class on the day they are assigned; papers will be dropped one full grade for each day they are late.
Students with physical, cognitive, or psychological disabilities are encouraged to meet with the Director of Disability Services, Cindy Yarberry, in the ACCESS Center, to discuss possible accommodations. She can be reached at 444-6897 or at yarberryc@umhelena.edu. All information will be kept confidential. If a student requires testing accommodations, it is the student's responsibility to ask me to send a copy of the test to the ACCESS Center at least 24 hours in advance of the test
Academic Rigor
Based on the UM-H Academic Rigor Value Statement, here what you should expect from me:
1) that I communicate the course expectations to you and have them summarized on this syllabus;
2) that I come to class prepared, and that I give you useful feedback on your assignments in a timely manner;
3) that I am available to you outside of the classroom;
4) that you can collaborate with your classmates on writing assignments as long as the products of those assignments are truly your work;
5) that the assignments are relevant, meaningful and challenging;
6) that I approach guiding your learning in ways geared to your diverse talents and abilities;
7) that I reduce, if not eliminate, your perceived need to plagiarize, and that I challenge plagiarism should it occur.
Based on the UM-H Academic Rigor Value Statement, here is what I expect from you:
1) that you will set high expectations for yourself along with a strong sense of collegiate purpose; that you come to class prepared, and complete and submit assignments by the deadlines;
2) that you make the most of your time with me in and out of class;
3) that you treat fellow students and the classroom with respect, and participate in our process;
4) that you manage your time so that you can treat college and this course as real work with real value;
5) that you participate with complete honesty and integrity; and finally
6) that you accept responsibility for learning and the grades you earn.
Academic Integrity
The University of Montana-Helena adheres to high standards of academic integrity. A single instance of the following violations will result in an F grade for that assignment; a subsequent violation will result in an FX grade for the course (see Catalog), and in both cases I will report the violation to the academic dean:
• Plagiarism: submitting the words, work or ideas of others without properly crediting them; this includes tracing/copying the artistic work of others, including sources from the Internet
• Using work generated in another class, by you or someone else, for credit in this class without permission from the instructor.
Misc.
This syllabus is subject to change. Please turn off cell phones during class.
Students with unique learning needs are encouraged to see me to discuss course requirements and approved accommodations. Students who seek information about disability services should contact Disability Services Director Judy Hay, located in the Access Center, at 444-6897, or at hayj@hct.umt.edu.
Class Schedule
*IMPORTANT: Guest speakers are invited and 1-2 field trips are planned; due to weather considerations, etc., when they occur, the schedule will be adjusted accordingly.
WEEK ONE
Jan. 19 T First day of class; class introductions, class syllabus, standards and expectations; the required texts and other materials.
Reading assignments for next class: Ashmore and Sharer, Chapter 1: “Introduction,” pp. 1-24; Feder, Chapter 1: “Science and Pseudoscience,” pp. 1-16
Jan. 21 Th What Archaeology is—and what it is not. Archaeology defined; ethics and misuses of archaeology; archaeology as science, as history and as anthropology; archaeology as a profession.
Reading assignment for next class: Ashmore and Sharer, Chapter 2: “Archaeology’s Past”, pp. 25-38; Ashmore and Sharer, Chapter 3: “Contemporary Approaches to Archaeology,” pp. 39-60.
WEEK TWO
Jan. 26 T The History of Archaeology: Origins, development, and the contemporary scene. The (sub)culture of archaeologists and archaeology.
Reading assignment for next class: Feder, Chapter 2: “Epistemology: How You Know What You Know,” pp. 17-43 and Chapter 3, “Anatomy of an Archaeological Hoax”, pp. 44-63,
Jan. 28 Th Epistemology (how you know what you know), critical thinking, and scientific archaeology. The Cardiff Giant: frauds and hoaxes in archaeology.
Reading assignment for next class: Ashmore and Sharer, Chapter 4: “How Archaeology Works,” pp. 61-86.
WEEK THREE
Feb. 2 T Archaeological data, deposition and site transformation processes, research design; archaeological research projects.
Reading assignment for next class: Ashmore and Sharer, Chapter 5: “Fieldwork,” pp. 87-124 and Feder, Chapter 10, “Good Vibrations: Psychics and Dowsers,” pp. 261-277.
Feb. 4 Th Archaeology in the field: Survey, excavation, data processing, classification.
Reading assignment for next class: Ashmore and Sharer, Chapter 6: “Analyzing the Past,” pp. 125-156.
WEEK FOUR
Feb. 9 T Archaeology in the laboratory: Analysis of artifacts, ecofacts, and features.
Reading assignment for next class: Ashmore and Sharer, Chapter 7: “Dating the Past,” Pp. 157-178.
Feb. 11 Th
Archaeology in the laboratory: Chronology, seriation, sequence comparison, stratigraphy, geochronology, obsidian hydration, floral and faunal analysis, radiometry, archaeomagnetism, limited/experimental methods.
Reading assignment for next class: Ashmore and Sharer, Chapter 8: “Reconstructing the Past,” Pp. 179-211.
WEEK FIVE
Feb. 16 T Archaeological Interpretation: Analogy and the abuse of analogy, Identifying activities in space and time
Reading assignment for next class: Ashmore and Sharer, Chapter 9: “Understanding the Past,” Pp. 212-237 and Chapter 11, “Old Time Religion – New Age Visions,” pp. 278-310.
Feb. 18 Th Archaeological Paradigms: Culture History Approach, Processualism, Post-Processual and Emergent Interpretations, Multiple Approaches, Alternative Archaeologies
Reading assignment for next class: Ashmore and Sharer, Chapter 10: “Archaeology Today,” pp. 238-254 and Feder, Chapter 12, “Real Mysteries of a Veritable Past,” pp. 311-333.
WEEK SIX
Feb. 23 T Contemporary Issues in Archaeology: Ethics, looting and antiquities collecting; destruction in the name of progress; Cultural Resource Management (CRM); nationalism. colonialism and war; working with descendant communities; the responsibilities of archaeology.
Reading assignment for next class: None, as there will be an exam that class
Feb. 25 Th Contemporary Issues in Archaeology (continued); Midterm Exam Review
WEEK SEVEN
Mar. 2 T MIDTERM EXAM
Mar. 4 Th Discussion of Exam. Reading assignments for next class: Feder, Chapter 7, “Lost: One Continent – Reward,” pp. 177-206.
WEEK EIGHT
Mar. 9 T Outline of Old World Archaeology: Hominids: The Peopling of the World (Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas); DNA and archaeological evidence.
Reading assignment for next class: Feder, Chapter 4, “Dawson’s Dawn Man: The Hoax at Piltdown,” pp. 64-90 and Chapter 9, “Mysterious Egypt,” pp. 234-260.
Mar. 11 Th Outline of Old World Archaeology: Agriculture and the Great Civilizations; Internationally-significant archaeological sites/landscapes of the Old World.
Reading assignment for next class: Chapter 8, “Prehistoric E.T.: The Fantasy of Ancient Astronauts,” pp. 207-233.
WEEK NINE
Mar. 16 T New World Archaeology: The Peopling of the Americas; Controversies and Native American views.
Reading assignment for next class: Feder, Chapter 5, “Who Discovered America?,” pp. 91-145 and Chapter 6, “The Myth of the Moundbuilders,” pp. 147-176.
Mar. 18 Th New World Archaeology: Agricultural Societies and New World Civilizations; Internationally-significant archaeological sites/landscapes of the New World.
Reading assignment for next class (after Spring Break): Begin reading Jared Diamond’s “Collapse”, Prologue pp. 1-23, and further, to get a head start).
WEEK TEN
Mar. 22-26 SPRING BREAK – No Classes; College Open
WEEK ELEVEN
Mar. 30 T Montana Archaeology Overview: Prehistoric Archaeology in Montana; the Historic Indian tribes of Montana; Historic Archaeology in Montana: Mining, ranching, timber, industrial.
Reading assignment for next class: Diamond, “Part One: Modern Montana; Chapter 1: Under Montana’s Big Sky,” pp. 25-75.
Apr. 1 Th Lessons from Archaeology: Montana in Jared Diamond’s “Collapse.”
Reading assignment for next class: Diamond, “Part Two: Past Societies”: “Chapter 2: Twilight at Easter” (pp. 79-119) and “Chapter 3: The Last People Alive: Pitcairn and Henderson Islands” (pp. 120-135).
WEEK TWELVE
Apr. 6 T Lessons from Archaeology: “Collapse”: Easter Island and the Polynesians
Reading assignment for next class: Diamond, “Part Two: Past Societies”: “Chapter 4: The Ancient Ones: The Anasazi and Their Neighbors” (pp. 136-156) and “Chapter 5: The Maya Collapses” (pp. 157-177).
Apr. 8 Th Lessons from Archaeology: “Collapse”: The Anasazi and the Maya
Reading assignment for next class: Diamond, “Part Two: Past Societies”: “Chapter 6: The Viking Prelude and Fugues” (pp. 178-210) and “Chapter 7: Norse Greenland’s Flowering” (pp. 211-247).
WEEK THIRTEEN
Apr. 13 T Lessons from Archaeology: “Collapse”: The Vikings, Part I
Reading assignment for next class: Diamond, “Part Two: Past Societies”: “Chapter 8: Norse Greenland’s End” (pp. 248-276) and “Chapter 9: Opposite Paths to Success” (pp. 277-308.
Apr. 15 Th Lessons from Archaeology: “Collapse”: The Vikings, Part II
Reading assignment for next class: Diamond, “Part Three: Modern Societies”: “Chapter 10: Malthus in Africa: Rwanda’s Genocide” (pp. 311-328) and “Chapter 11: One Island, Two Peoples, Two Histories: The Dominican Republic and Haiti” (pp. 329-357).
WEEK FOURTEEN
Apr. 20 T Lessons from Archaeology: “Collapse”: Modern Societies: Africa and the Caribbean
Reading assignment for next class: Diamond, “Part Three: Modern Societies”: “Chapter 12: China, Lurching Giant” (pp. 358-377) and “Chapter 13: ‘Mining’ Australia” (pp. 378-416.
Apr. 22 Th Lessons from Archaeology: “Collapse”: Modern Societies: Asia and the Pacific
Reading assignment for next class: Diamond, “Practical Lessons”: “Chapter 14: Why Do Some Societies Make Disastrous Decisions?” (pp. 419-440) and “Chapter 15: Big Businesses and the Environment: Different Conditions, Different Outcomes” (pp. 441-485).
WEEK FIFTEEN
Apr. 27 T Lessons from Archaeology: “Collapse”: Practical Lessons: Societies, Businesses and the Environment
Reading assignment for next class: Diamond, “Practical Lessons”: “Chapter 16: The World as a Polder: What Does It All Mean to Us Today?” (pp. 486-525).
Apr. 29 Th Lessons from Archaeology: “Collapse”: Practical Lessons: “What Does It All Mean to Us Today?”
LAST DAY FOR SPECIAL PROJECTS PRESENTATIONS
WEEK SIXTEEN (LAST WEEK OF CLASS)
The Final Exams are scheduled as a whole by the college. To avoid conflicts and allow for extra length of some finals; as soon as I know the schedule for our final exam, I will inform the students. The other class will be a field trip.
May 4 T -Flex-
May 6 Th -Flex-
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