Survey of Archaeology

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

Fall 2008
College Hall 221 
Tues & Fri: 3:30-4:50
http://faculty.ncf.edu/andrews

This course offers an introduction to the subject of archaeology. It is divided into three parts: 1) The Nature and History of Archaeology, 2) Basic Archaeological Approaches, and 3) A Brief Survey of World Prehistory. Given our time limitations, the latter section will focus on a few topics of major interest.

Requirements and Evaluation

The two required texts will provide most of the readings; additional assignments will be placed on reserve.  Evaluation of student performance will be based on class participation and two exams.  Reading assignments will be from the texts, or will be available online in the library electronic course reserves [ER],  or on shelf reserve [SR] at the library circulation desk.  Multiple copies of issues National Geographic will be placed on shelf reserve.   National Geographic, Scientific American, and Smithsonian are also available in the library journal stacks.

 

Texts

 

Thomas, David H., and Robert L. Kelly   Archaeology (3th edition, 2007)

 

Fagan, Brian M.   People of the Earth (12th edition, 2007)

 

 

SCHEDULE OF LECTURES AND READINGS

 

 

WEEKS 1-2:    The Nature and History of Archaeology

 

Aug  29 – Fri:   Fagan:  Chap 1

 

Sept  2 – Tue:  Thomas & Kelly: Chap 1

 

Sept  5 – Fri:    Thomas & Kelly: Chap 2

 

 

WEEK 3:    Theoretical Framework & Current Issues

 

Sep   9 – Tue:  Thomas & Kelly: Chap 3

 

Sep  12 – Fri:  

 

           Kersel, Morag

           2004     The Politics of Being Fair, or Who=s Loosing their Marbles?  In Marketing Heritage: Archaeology and the Consumption of the Past (York Rowen and Uzi Baram, eds.): 41-56. Atlamaira Press, Walnut Creek, CA.

 

           Pringle, Heather

           2006      Hitler’s Willing Archaeologists.  Archaeology, 59 (2; Mar-Apr): 44-49.

           

          Marquardt, William H.

         1994     The Role of Archaeology in Raising Environmental Consciousness:  An Example from Southwest Florida.  In Historical Ecology: Cultural Knowledge and Changing Landscapes (C.L. Crumley, ed.): 202-21, School of American Research, Santa Fe.

 

 

WEEK 4:  Working in Space & Time:  Doing Fieldwork & Reconstructing Time and Space

 

Sep  16 – Tue:  Thomas & Kelley: Chaps 4-7

 

Sep  19 – Fri:    Thomas & Kelley: Chaps 8-9

 

 

WEEK 5:  Reconstructing the Past from Ecofact to Symbol

 

Sep  23 – Tue:  Thomas & Kelley: Chaps 10

 

Sep  26 – Fri:    Thomas & Kelley: Chaps 11


 

WEEK 6:   World Prehistory Transitions, Historical Archaeology, and Conservation

 

Sep 30 – Tue:   Thomas & Kelley: Chap 12

 

Oct   3 – Fri:     Thomas & Kelley: Chaps 13

 

MIDTERM EXAM

 

A Brief Survey of World Prehistory

 

 

WEEK 7:  The Mio-Plio-Pleistocene; The Lower Paleolithic

 

Oct   7 – Tue:   Fagan:  Chap. 2

 

Oct  10 – Fri:    Fagan:  Chap. 3 (up to page 91)

 

                       

FALL BREAK:  Enjoy!

 

 

WEEK 8:  The Middle and Upper Paleolithic

 

Oct  21 – Tue:   Fagan:  Chap. 3: 92-110

 

            Alper, Joe

            2003    Rethinking Neanderthals.  Smithsonian, 34 (3; June): 82-87.

 

Oct  24 -- Fri:   Fagan:  Chap. 4

 

            Clottes, Jean

            2001    Chauvet Cave.  France=s Magical Ice Age Art.  National Geographic, 200 (2; Aug.): 104-21.

 

                                                Morwood, Mike, et al.

                                    2005    The People Time Forgot.  National Geographic, 207 (4; April.): 2-15.

                                   

           Gugliotta, Guy

           2008    The Great Human Migration.  Smithsonian, 39 (4; July): 56-64.

 

                                 

WEEK 9:  Early Americans

 

Oct  28 – Tue:   Fagan:  Chap. 5

 

Oct  31 – Fri:

 

            Claussen, Carl J.

            1979    Little Salt Spring, Florida:  A Unique Underwater Site.  Science, 203 (4381; Feb 16): 609-14.

 

            Dillehay, Tom

           1984    A Late Ice Age Settlement in Southern Chile.  Scientific American, 251 (4; October): 100-09.

 

 

WEEK 10:  The Origins of Agriculture

 

Nov  4 – Tue:   Fagan:  Chaps. 8 and 9

 

Nov  7 – Fri:     Fagan:  Chap. 13

 

 

WEEK 11:  Ancient Civilizations:  Southwest Asia & Egypt

 

Nov 11 – Tue:   Fagan: Chaps. 14 and 15

 

Nov 14 – Fri:     Fagan: Chap. 16

 

            Morell, Virginia

            2001    The Pyramid Builders.  National Geographic, 200 (5; November): 78-99.

 

 

WEEK 12:  Ancient Civilizations:  Mesoamerica

 

Nov 18 – Tue:   Fagan:  Chap. 21

 

Nov 21 – Fri:

 

            Stuart, George E.

            1995     The Timeless Vision of Teotihuacαn.  National Geographic, 188 (6; December): 2-35.

 

            Fash, William

            1989     Copαn.  City of Kings and Commoners.  National Geographic, 176 (4; October): 488-505.

 

 

WEEK 13:  Ancient Civilizations:  The Andes

 

Nov  25 – Tue:  Fagan:  Chap. 22.

 

            Ross, John

                2002       First City in the New World?  Smithsonian, 33 (5; Aug.): 56-64.

 

                Moseley, Michael E., and C.J. Mackey

            1973     Peru's Ancient City of Kings.  National Geographic, 143 (3; March): 318-45.

 

 

Nov  28 – Fri:    Thanksgiving Break

 

 

WEEK 14:  The Collapse of Civilization:  The Maya

 

Dec  3 – Tue:

 

          Demarest, Arthur A.

          1993   The Violent Saga of a Maya Kingdom.  National Geographic, 183 (2; February): 94-111.

 

          Diamond, Jared A.

           2003  The Last Americans - Environmental Collapse and the End of Civilization.  Harper=s Magazine, June 2003: 43-51.

 

FINAL EXAM