Method and Theory in Archaeology

Prof. Anthony P. Andrews
Office: College Hall 212
Office Hours: Wednesday, 1-3
andrews@ncf.edu

Fall 2005
Anthropology Lab
Tues & Fri: 12:30-1:50
http://faculty.ncf.edu/andrews






In this seminar we will survey the basic field and analytical methods of archaeology and examine the theoretical approaches to topics which are of major concern to the discipline. Special emphasis will be placed on the following subjects: structure and history of the discipline, development of a theoretical framework, approaches to temporal and behavioral reconstructions, and an examination of current issues of archaeological inquiry. The seminar will also focus on several case studies and specialized subjects, such as paleoecology, prehistoric trade, human osteology, and historical archaeology, conservation archaeology, professional ethics, and the destruction and preservation of the cultural heritage.

Requirements

Evaluation of performance will be based on class participation, as well as three written assignments. Effective class participation will require a careful reading of all assignments. The five required texts contain most of the readings; additional materials will be placed on reserve. As this is an advanced seminar focusing on a large body of literature, the written assignments will focus on the readings and the class discussions of them, as follows: 1) a short essay discussing the history of archaeology -- 5 pages, due Sept. 23; 2) a short essay presenting a summary and critical assessment of two of the assigned readings on methodology BB 6 pages, due Oct. 21; 3) a term paper that evaluates the application of one of the theoretical approaches from the course in a specific archaeological case study -- 10 pages, due December 2. The papers should be printed double-spaced, approx. 250 words to a page.

Texts

Leone, Mark P. (ed.)

1972     Contemporary Archaeology: A Guide to Theory and Contributions. Southern Illinois University Press, Carbondale.

Patterson, Thomas C.

1995     Toward a Social History of Archaeology in the United States. Harcourt Brace, Orlando.

Preucel, Robert W., and Ian Hodder (eds.)

1996     Contemporary Archaeology in Theory. A Reader. Blackwell Publishers, Oxford and Malden.

Renfrew, Colin, and Paul Bahn

2004     Archaeology. Theories, Methods, and Practice. 4th edition. Thames & Hudson, New York.

Whitley, David (ed.)

1998     Reader in Archaeological Theory. Post-Processual and Cognitive Approaches. Routledge, London & New York.

On Reserve

The above texts and the volumes listed below have been placed on reserve at the Circulation Desk at the Library. Other assigned articles have been placed on electronic reserve, (ER) or are available online, as indicated. In most instances, we also have the journals in which assigned articles appear, so two copies of many assigned articles are available. If you read the articles in the journals, please return the issues to their proper place in the journal stacks.

Flannery, Kent V. (ed.)

1976     The Early Mesoamerican Village.

Sharer, Robert J., and Wendy Ashmore

2003     Archaeology: Discovering our Past. 3rd Edition.

Willey, Gordon R., and J.A. Sabloff

1993     A History of American Archaeology. 3rd edition.

Rowan, Yorke, and Uzi Baram (eds.)

2004     Marketing Heritage. Archaeology and the Consumption of the Past.

Zimmerman, Larry J., K.D. Vitelli, and J. Holowell-Zimmer (eds.)

2003     Ethical Issues in Archaeology.

SCHEDULE OF TOPICS AND READINGS

Week 1: Introduction

Readings:

Renfrew & Bahn: Introduction and Chap. 13

Preucel & Hodder: Prologue

Week 2: History of Archaeology

Readings:

Renfrew & Bahn: Chap. 1.

Preucel & Hodder: Chaps. 20 (Gero and Root), 21 (Arnold), 23 (Trigger)

Patterson: Entire book.

Optional:

Willey, Gordon R., and J.A. Sabloff

1993     A History of American Archaeology (3rd edition).

Week 3: Past and Present Theoretical Approaches

Readings:

Leone: Chaps. 8 (Klukhohn), 10 (Binford), 3 (Taylor), and 11 (Flannery) Read in that order.

Preucel & Hodder: Chap. 13, or Whitley: Chap 2 (Flannery & Marcus)

Whitley: Chaps. 3 (Leone), 4 (Shanks & Hodder).

Shanks, Michael, and R. McGuire

The Craft of Archaeology. American Antiquity, 61(1): 75-88. [Available online]

Week 4: Field Methods

Readings:

Renfrew & Bahn: Chaps. 2 and 3.

Flannery, Kent V

The Early Mesoamerican Village. Read Chaps. 1-2; skim Chaps. 3-5. [On reserve at Circulation Desk]

Loubser, Johannes

2003     Peeling Off Layers. In Archaeology: The Comic: 43-69. (ER)

Week 5: Temporal Analysis

Readings:

Renfrew & Bahn: Chap. 4.

Leone: Chap. 33 (Deetz & Dethlefsen).

Taylor, R.E.

1995/96 Radiocarbon Dating: The Continuing Revolution. Evolutionary Anthropology, 4 (5): 169-81. (ER)

Week 6: Classification and Artifact Analysis

Readings:

Sharer, Robert J., and Wendy Ashmore

2003     Archaeology: Discovering our Past. Read chapters 8 and 10.

Renfrew & Bahn: Chap. 5

Whitley: Chaps. 5 (Hosler)

Knudson, Ruthann

1979     Inference and Imposition in Lithic Analysis. In Lithic Use-Wear Analysis (B. Hayden, ed.): 269-81. (ER)

Week 7: Ecological Analysis and Subsistence Patterns

Readings:

Renfrew & Bahn: Chaps. 6 and 7.

Leone: Chap. 20 (Flannery)

Preucel & Hodder: Chaps. 2 (Hastorf & Johannessen), 3 (Mithen).

Marquardt, William

1994     The Role of Archaeology in Raising Environmental Consciousness: An Example from Southwest Florida. In Historical Ecology: Cultural Knowledge and Changing Landscapes (Carole L. Crumley, ed.): 203-21. (ER)

FALL BREAK

Week 8: Social Systems and Gender

Readings:

Renfrew & Bahn: Chap. 5

Leone: Chaps 28 (Hill)

Preucel & Hodder: Chaps. 10 (Clark & Blake), 12 (Yentsch), 17 (Hastorf), and 18 (Spector)

Whitley: Chap. 11 (Watson & Kennedy) and 12 (Knapp).

Week 9: People, Bodies, and Bones: Osteology, Mortuary Practices, and Repatriation

Readings:

Renfrew & Bahn: Chap. 11.

Preucel & Hodder: Chaps. 15 (Barrett), 26 (Vizenor),

White, Christine D., P.F. Healy, and H.P. Schwartz

1993     Intensive Agriculture, Social Status, and Maya Diet at Pacbitún, Belize. Journal of Anthropological Research, 49 (4): 347-75 (Skim). (ER)

Zimmerman, Vitelli & Holowell-Zimmer (eds.)

2003     Ethical Issues in Archaeology. Read chaps.10 (Watkins), 11 (Singleton & Orser), and 14(Smith & Burke). [On reserve at Circulation Desk; Singleton & Orser also on ER]

Week 10: Economics and Trade

Readings:

Renfrew & Bahn: Chap. 9.

Leone: Chap. 31 (Rathje).

Preucel & Hodder: Chaps. 4 (Renfrew), 5 (Kohl), and 6 (Earle)

Andrews, A.P., et al.

1989     The Obsidian Trade at Isla Cerritos, Yucatán, Mexico. Journal of Field Archaeology, 16 (3): 355-63. http://www.jstor.org/view/00934690/ap020062/02a00110/0?frame=noframe&userID=83f79a17@usf.edu/01cc993341005019257a8&dpi=3&config=jstor (also on ER).

Week 11: Historical Archaeology

Readings:

Preucel & Hodder: Chap. 7 (Orser), 22 (Leone & Potter)

Deagan, Kathleen

1982     Avenues of Inquiry in Historical Archaeology. AAMT, 5: 151-77. (ER)

Singleton, Theresa A.

1995     The Archaeology of Slavery in North America. Annual Review of Anthropology, 24:119-40. (ER)

Blakey, Michael

2001     Bioarchaeology of the African Diaspora in the Americas: Its Origins and Scope. Annual Review of Anthropology, 30:387-422. (ER)

Week 12: Post-Processual Archaeology: Current Concerns

Readings:

Renfrew & Bahn: Chaps. 10 and 12

Whitley: Chaps 13 (Whitley) and 14 (McGuire and Saitta)

Flannery, Kent V.

1982     The Golden Marshalltown: A Parable for the Archaeology of the 1980s. American Anthropologist, 84 (2): 265-78. http://www.jstor.org/view/00027294/ap020448/02a00010/0

Week 13-14: Conservation Archaeology, Professional Ethics, and the Protection and Marketing of the Cultural Heritage

Readings:

Renfrew & Bahn: Chap. 14.

Dorfman, John

1997     Getting their Hands Dirty? Archaeologists and the Looting Trade. Lingua Franca, 8 (May/June): 28-36. (ER)

Zimmerman, Vitelli & Holowell-Zimmer (eds.)

2003     Ethical Issues in Archaeology. Read chaps. 2 (Lynott), 3 (Brodie & Gill) and 4 (Hollowell-Zimmer). [On reserve at Circulation Desk]

Rowan, Yorke, and Uzi Baram (eds.)

2004     Marketing Heritage. Archaeology and the Consumption of the Past. Read Chaps. 1 (Baram & Yorke), 4 (Vinson), 7 (Ardren), and 8 (Stark & Griffin). [On reserve at Circulation Desk]