Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World Course Offerings 2010-2011
Spring Term
(Jump to Fall Term)
Primarily for Undergraduates
ARCH 0030 Art in Antiquity: An Introduction [Register] [Course Website]
Examines the art of Greece and Rome for its significance to the modern world and in the context of the diversity of the parent cultures. Includes monuments of antiquity from the pyramids of Egypt to the Athenian Parthenon, the Pantheon in Rome to the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. Explores Pompeian frescoes and recent archaeological discoveries. A foundation for study of almost any branch of Western humanism. MWF 11:00-11:50. Instructor: Jeffrey Becker.
ARCH 0310 Death in the Ancient World
CANCELLED. See ARCH 1770.
NEW! ARCH 0320 Media in Archaeology, or Archaeology in Media? [Register] [Course Website]
Indiana Jones, Lara Croft, the Discovery Channel: media has, to an unprecedented degree, shaped public perceptions of the discipline of archaeology, its practices and its values. This course will build critical awareness of how the media uses archaeology and how archaeologists use the media, for good and ill. Students will create digital narratives from their own research, and become competent ambassadors for presenting archaeological research and work in a scientific and engaging way. MW 1:00-2:20 pm. Instructor: Meg Watters.
ARCH 0332 Classic Mayan Civilization (ANTH 0520) [Register]
Interested students must register for ANTH 0520.
Examines the history, culture, and society of the Classic Maya, with special emphasis on Preclassic precursors, dynasties, environmental adaptation, imagery, architecture, urban form, and the Maya Collapse. TTh 10:30-11:50. Instructor: Stephen Houston.
NEW! ARCH 0360 East Meets West: Archaeology of Anatolia [Register] [Course Website]
The crossroads between East and West in the ancient Mediterranean, Anatolia (modern Turkey) gave rise to the great Hittite Empire, the legendary kings Croesus and Midas, and was the scene of battles between Greeks, Persians, Romans, Byzantines, and Turks for world supremacy. In this course, we survey the archaeological history of human settlement in Anatolia from the Ice Age to the Middle Ages, tracing changes in art, economy, landscape, and religion. MWF 10:00-10:50. Instructor: John Marston.
ARCH 0475 Petra: Ancient Wonder, Modern Challenge
CANCELLED
ARCH 0523 Roman Art and Architecture: Julius Caesar to Hadrian (HIAA 0340) [Register]
Interested students must register for HIAA 0340.
An introduction to the major monuments in Roman art at the point when the Empire emerged up to the time of the creation of the Pantheon. No prior background required. MWF 11:00-11:50. Instructor: Rebecca Molholt.
NEW! ARCH 0600 Archaeologies of the Muslim World [Register] [Course Website]
Muslim societies are built upon a rich archaeological heritage that spans a region from Spain to China. Since the spread of Islam in the 7th century, its legacy of cities, monuments, and artifacts trace more than a millennium of cultural transformations among the various peoples and traditions of the Mediterranean, Middle East and beyond. Through discussion of major sites and hands on work with a collection of artifacts this course explores that heritage for what it can tell us about the social practices and historical processes that have formed the Muslim world. MWF 12:00-12:50. Instructor: Ian Straughn.
ARCH 666 Cult Archaeology: Fantastic Frauds and Meaningful Myths of the Past
CANCELLED
ARCH 0801 Alexander the Great and the Alexander Tradition (CLAS 0810A) [Register] [Course Website]
Interested students must register for CLAS 0810A.
This course focuses on a single historical figure, Alexander the Great, using him as a point of departure for exploring a wide range of problems and approaches that typify the field of Classical Studies. How knowledge of Alexander has been used and abused provides a fascinating case study in the formation and continuous reinterpretation of the western Classical tradition. MWF 1:00-1:50. Instructor: John F. Cherry.
For Undergraduates and Graduates
NEW! ARCH 1160 The World of Museums: Displaying the Sacred [Register] [Course Website]
This course will examine critically the collection and display of ancient objects, especially those of a sacred nature. Through functional, historical, material and aesthetic lenses an analysis of the relationships between the cultural contexts of objects will be examined. Case studies, guest lectures and site visits (virtual and real) will be used to demonstrate evolving theory, practice, and ethical implications of displaying archaeological objects. F 1:00-3:20. Instructor: Claudia Moser.
ARCH 1200I Material Worlds: Art and Agency in the Near East and Africa
CANCELLED.
ARCH 1120L Archaeology of Feasting (CLAS 1120L)
CANCELLED. See ARCH 0801.
ARCH 1201 Mosaics in the Greek and Roman World (HIAA 1200C) [Register]
Interested students must register for HIAA 1200C.
Mosaics survive in huge quantities from nearly every corner of the Roman Empire. Despite their prevalence and their often excellent state of preservation, however, mosaics are only beginning to attract the volume of scholarly attention lavished on other media, such as sculpture, architecture and paintings. We will study floor mosaics, wall mosaics and ensembles of opus sectile from across the Mediterranean, considering questions of narrative and contextual display as well as abstraction and medium specificity. Discussions of Medieval, Renaissance and contemporary mosaic art are also welcome. F 3:00-5:20. Instructor: Rebecca Molholt.
ARCH 1213 The Medieval Monastery (HIAA 1440B) [Register]
Interested students must register for HIAA 1440B.
The seminar examines the medieval and early modern monastery as a research problem. The course examines the development of the monastery, and investigates the religious and functional aspects of monastic architecture. We will explore historical, art historical and archaeological approaches to monasticism. Instructor permission required. Enrollment limited to 20. M 3:00-5:20 pm. Instructor: Sheila Bonde.
NEW! ARCH 1250 Minoans and Mycenaeans: Greece in the Bronze Age [Register] [Course Website]
This class offers an introduction to the archaeology and art of the civilizations that arose on mainland Greece, Crete, the Aegean and Cyprus in the third and (especially) the second millennium B.C. The principal emphasis is on understanding the rise and collapse of palatial/state-level societies in these regions, with consideration of their sociopolitical, ideological and economic organization, and their interactions with neighboring cultures. TTh 10:30-11:50. Instructor: Kevin Fisher.
ARCH 1441 Ancient Synagogues, Churches, and Mosques in Palestine (JUDS 1440) [Register]
Interested students must register for JUDS 1440.
Reviews the discoveries and related scholarship of ancient synagogues, churches, and mosques in ancient Palestine. Focuses on their architectural and decorational as well as their spiritual and religious characteristics, and examines how those institutions influenced each other throughout their history of development. T 4:00-6:20. Instructor: Katarina Galor.
ARCH 1482 Power, Profit, and Pillage: The Rise and Fall of Trading Kingdoms in Asia (ANTH 1540) [Register]
Interested students must register for ANTH 1540.
A course survey of the pre- and protohistoric archaeology of the eastern half of Asia. Topics include the origins and evolution of agricultural societies, the emergence of village and urban life, and the rise of states and kingdoms. The early states were often characterized and even reinforced by elaborate symbolic and religious systems expressed through ritual, art, and architecture-topics also covered by the course. MWF 2:00-2:50 pm. Instructor: Douglas D. Anderson.
ARCH 1483 Arts of Imperial Song (HIAA 1040A) [Register]
Interested students must register for HIAA 1040A.
Art and power share a long reciprocal relationship in imperial China. In this history, Song (960-1279) emperors stand out because of their massive collections and their personal practice of calligraphy and painting, as well as their great patronage of contemporary art and material culture. The Song emperors literally created the Chinese national heritage by amassing and, if necessary, manufacturing the great works of the past. As Imperial artists and calligraphers, sometimes working with surrogates and collaborators the emperors and their empresses produced art in unprecedented quantities. We explore these achievements and the processes that produced them in this course. Enrollment limited to 15. Instructor permission required. Th 4:00-6:20 pm. Instructor: Roberta Bickford.
ARCH 1484 Attachment to Objects in Chinese Literature (EAST 1950P) [Register]
Interested students must register for EAST 1950P.
A seminar investigating interactions between objects and literary composition in China of the 12th to 16th century, exploring 3 core issues: 1st, what do writers about objects reveal about notions of literary art and artifice? 2nd, in what ways are material artifacts endowed with aesthetic and personal meaning? 3rd, what literary and extra-literary factors shaped exchanges of poetry and gift-giving as linked forms of social intercourse? Readings in English translation. Instructor permission required. T 4:00-6:20 pm. Instructor: Kathryn A. Lowry.
ARCH 1623 Ancient Egyptian Art and Architecture (EGYT 1500) [Register] [Course Website]
Interested students must register for EGYT 1500.
Ancient Egyptian art and architecture had a long history, and much that was produced is remarkably well preserved. This course will examine Egyptian art from the Predynastic period through the Middle Kingdom (c. 4500-1640 BC). We will focus not only on changes in art over this time but also on the social, political and religious contexts of art; materials and technologies of production; and issues of Egyptian art in the modern museum, such as conservation, display, education and cultural patrimony. M 3:00-5:20. Instructor: Laurel Bestock.
NEW! ARCH 1635 The Great Heresy: Egypt in the Amarna Age [Register] [Course Website]
At the height of Egypt’s power in the New Kingdom, King Amenhotep IV initiated a religious revolution that affected all aspects of Egyptian high culture. Declaring the sun-disc, Aten, to be the sole god, this king changed his name to Akhenaten and moved the capital city to a new site at Amarna. Along with this move came massive shifts in everything from temple worship to art, international relations to funerary religion. This course will set the Amarna period in its context, examining remains from the reign before Akhenaten to the restoration of traditional Egyptian religion under his immediate successors, including King Tutankhamun. TTh 1:00-2:20. Instructor: Laurel Bestock.
NEW! ARCH 1770 Grave Matters: The Archaeology of Death, Decay, and Discovery [Register] [Course Website]
How do archaeologists study coffins, tombs, and human remains to learn about ancient societies? This course will explore the theory and practice of the archaeology of death. Topics will include the inference of social organization from mortuary remains, the experience of death and dying, social memory, identity, and others. Students will learn approaches to mortuary excavation and consider the politics and ethics of conducting burial archaeology globally. TTh 2:30-3:50. Instructor: Allison Davis.
ARCH 1823 From Worlds in Miniature to Miniature Worlds: Theming and Virtuality (HIAA 1890F) [Register]
Interested students must register for HIAA 1890F.
This seminar surveys spaces of consumption that are organized around themes such as theme parks. Miniaturization, in particular, is a prevalent spatial strategy used in themed environments that range in form from historical quarters of cities that are reconfigured as miniature museum-cities to the culturally-themed hyperreal representations that emerge in multi-user virtual environments such as Second Life. What are the different kinds of experience these spaces offer to visitors immersed in their exhibitions? What are the appeals of themed environments and virtual reality technologies they employ? Posing such questions, this seminar explores theming and virtuality both historically and globally. Enrollment limited to 20. T 4:00-6:20. Instructor: A. Ipek Tureli.
NEW! ARCH 1855 Archaeology and Craft: Experimental Archaeology and the Materials Science of Ancient Technologies [Register] [Course Website]
How did people in the past make the things that archaeologists find today? How can archaeologists learn about processes of design, engineering, and technological change from ancient objects? Students will approach production questions cross-culturally through firsthand involvement with craft processes and materials analysis - from raw materials to finished objects. Practicums will range from participation in blacksmithing and kiln design to learning about pyrotechnology, mechanical properties, and archaeometric techniques. The final class project will be an exhibit affiliated with the Haffenreffer Museum. Enrollment is limited to 15. W 3:00-5:20. Instructor: Krysta Ryzewski.
ARCH 1860 Engineering Material Culture: An Introduction to Archaeological Science
CANCELLED. See ARCH 1855.
ARCH 1883 Global Environmental Remote Sensing (GEOL 1330) [Register]
Interested students must register for GEOL 1330.
Introduction to physical principles of remote sensing across electromagnetic spectrum and application to the study of Earth's systems (oceans, atmosphere, and land). Topics: interaction of light with materials, imaging principles and interpretation, methods of data analysis. Laboratory work in digital image analysis, classification, and multi-temporal studies. One field trip to Block Island. Recommended preparation courses: MATH 0090, 0100; PHYS 0060; and background courses in natural sciences. T Th 1:00-2:20 pm. Instructor: John F. Mustard.
ARCH 1902 Material Culture Practicum (ANTH 1621) [Register]
Interested students must register for ANTH 1621.
Combines theory with hands-on study of material culture in historical archaeology. Students gain skills and experience in identifying, dating, recording, analyzing, and interpreting artifacts and conduct individual or team research projects. Enrollment limited to 15. T 1:30-3:50. Instructor: Patricia E. Rubertone.
Primarily for Graduates
ARCH 2010G Ethical Issues in Archaeology
CANCELLED.
ARCH 2110F Greek Palaeography and Premodern Book Cultures (GREK 2110F) [Register]
Interested students must register for GREK2110F (25309).
Introduction to pre-modern Greek book culture and the study of Greek
literary scripts from classical antiquity to the Renaissance. Students
become acquainted with the history of books, the context and agents of their
production, and the transmission of Greek (classical as well as
postclassical) literature. Training is provided in reading and dating
different scripts and in editing ancient texts. F 3:00-5:20. Instructor: E. Papaioannou.
NEW! ARCH 2145 Technology and Production in Archaeology: Anthropological Foundations and Contemporary Theory [Register] [Course Website]
An intensive focus on theoretical approaches to technology and production that have shaped archaeological thinking over the past century and have formed the basis of many of the contemporary issues in the field. Students will read and critically assess key works about concepts of production and technology in various cross-cultural archaeological contexts. Seminar themes include political economy, specialization, technology transfer, cross-craft production, power dynamics, ritual, and tool use. Th 4:00-6:20. Instructor: Krysta Ryzewski.
NEW! ARCH 2250 Island Archaeology in the Mediterranean [Register] [Course Website]
The Mediterranean is a world of islands, par excellence, and the island cultures that have developed there over the millennia have great archaeological distinctiveness. This seminar will consider the concept of insularity itself, in cross-cultural archeological, anthropological, and historical perspective. We will then turn to the rich, specifically Mediterranean literature on island archaeology (exploring issues of colonization, settlement, interaction). W 3:00-5:20. Instructor: John F. Cherry.
ARCH 2501A Problems in Archaeology: Culture, Contact and Colonialism (ANTH 2500A) [Register]
Interested students must register for ANTH 2500A.
Explores the theoretical discourses shaping anthropological approaches and defining archaeological projects on culture contact and colonialism. Attention will be given to examining colonial encounters between Europeans and indigenous peoples as ongoing processes rather than particular historical moments, and to looking at recent efforts at decolonizing archaeological practice. Th 4:00-6:20 pm. Instructor: Patricia E. Rubertone.
NEW! ARCH 2620 All Italia: City and Country in Ancient Italy [Register] [Course Website]
This seminar approaches the urban and rural landscapes of peninsular Italy from the Early Iron Age until the Gothic Wars, with the goal being to examine key points of intersection (and departure) between the spheres of ‘town’ and ‘country’. Overall the seminar aims to contextualize Italian landscapes across both time and space and to that end we will consider issues pertaining to urbanism, economy, production, infrastructure, administration, architecture, and iconography. T 4:00-6:20. Instructor: Jeffrey Becker.
Additional Spring Courses of Interest
RELS 0410 - Christianity in Late Antiquity
The communal struggles, personal rivalries, and theological conflicts that shaped Christianity in its formative centuries: heresy and orthodoxy, hierarchy and charisma, gender and class, persecution and martyrdom, paganism and classical tradition, creeds and councils, asceticism and the body, church and state, eastern and western Christianity. Focused in the 2nd through 6th centuries A.D. 12:00 pm - 12:50 pm MWF Susan Ashbrook Harvey
HIST 0420 - Introduction to East Asian Civilization: Japan
A broad-based survey that begins with the formation of a distinctive lifestyle in prehistoric times and continues through Japan's emergence to a modern nation today. Particular emphasis is placed on understanding the fundamental cultural values and aspirations of Japanese who lived in various historical periods and analyzing their attempts to create particular political, social, and economic systems that would give life to those dreams and ambitions. Instructor permission required. 11:00 am - 11:50 am MWF Kerry Smith
HIST 1000B - The Shaping of the Classical World: Greeks, Jews, and Romans
Focuses on the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Jews, from 300 B.C.E. to 400 C.E. Covers primarily social, philosophical, and religious areas of contention and accommodation, ending with the late Antique, Christianity, and rabbinic Judaism. 1:00 pm - 2:20 pm TR Kenneth S. Sacks
RELS 1360 - Gnosticism: Studies in Early Christian Diversity
Before the emergence of Christian "orthodoxy," from the second to the fourth centuries, Christianity often adopted unusual modes of expression. This course offers an examination of some of these different forms of Christianity, as Christians attempted to balance issues of self-identity and self-definition with compromise and cultural accommodation. Examining early Christian "heretics" as case-studies, this course will focus on reading second-century texts from the Nag Hammadi Library and learning what we can about the communities that produced them. Prerequisite: one course in New Testament or Christian Origins. If the course is oversubscribed, priority will be given to graduate students and Religious Studies concentrators. Prerequisite: RELS 0400 or equivalent. 4:00 pm - 6:20 pm T Nicola F. Denzey
AWAS 1500 - Ancient Babylonian
Magic and Medicine
A survey of ancient magic and medicine focusing on Mesopotamia (present‐day Iraq, ca.
2500‐300 BCE), with an emphasis on beliefs about the body, health, illness, and the causes
of disease, such as witchcraft or angry gods. Topics will include the training of healers,
exorcists, and herbalists; concepts of contagion and plague, modalities of treatment,
incantations, prayers, and empirical remedies like prescriptions; ancient perceptions of
problems like sexual dysfunction, the perils of pregnancy, tooth decay, epilepsy, and mental
illness. Readings will be drawn from ancient texts (in translation), archaeology, and
parallels with ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, and the Bible. W 3‐5:20.
Matthew Rutz
HIST 1590 - Beyond Hindu, Muslim: Recovering Early South Asia
This course will examine the recovery of early South Asia through history, archaeology and art, from the discovery of the Indus valley civilization to the establishment of Mughal rule, paying particular attention to colonial and post-colonial constructions and contestations over 'antiquity' and the making of Hindi, Buddhist and Muslim civilizations. 9:00 am - 9:50 am MWF Vazira F-Y Zamindar
CLAS 1750L - Erotic Desire in the Premodern Mediterranean
Erotic desire may be a universal human phenomenon. How we explain, depict, express, or experience desire is, however, not a universal, uniform matter. The premodern Mediterranean (from roughly the fifth century BCE to the fifteenth century CE) gives us a variety of forms of sexual experience and expression. We will study the history of these forms through texts, images, and objects: from Platonic love or eros to Roman tales of romance, from Judeo-Christian mysticism to Islamic literature, from sexual diets to erotic amulets. Enrollment limited to 25 students. 10:30 am - 11:50 am TR Efstratios Papaioannou
RELS 2200P - Esotericism in the Ancient Mediterranean and Earliest Christianity
This seminar will investigate the literary and other secret and revelatory practices of various groups as a context for understanding similar esoteric practices in early Christianity. The literature considered will include Orphic, Pythagorean, later Platonist, and Jewish examples and practices such as allegorical reading, symbolic interpretation and literary prophecy. Open to graduate students only. 3:00 pm - 5:20 pm W Stanley K. Stowers
Fall Term
(Jump to Spring Term)
Primarily for Undergraduates
ARCH 0033 Discovering the Past: Introduction to Archaeology and Prehistory (ANTH0500) [Register]
Interested students must register for ANTH0500 S01.
ARCH 0162 Introduction to Chinese Art and Culture (HIAA 0040) [Register]
Interested students must register for HIAA 0040 S01.
ARCH 0201L Who Owns the Classical Past? (CLAS 0210 L) [Register] [Course Website]
Interested students must register for CLAS 0210 L.
This course offers a forum for informed discussion of a variety of difficult questions about access to the classical past, and its modern-day ownership and presentation, seen primarily from the perspective of material culture (archaeology, art, museum displays, etc.). Enrollment limited to 20 first year students. FYS. TTh 1:00-2:20. Instructor: J. F. Cherry.
ARCH 0270 Troy Rocks! Archaeology of an Epic [Register] [Course Website]
What do Brad Pitt, Julius Caesar, Dante, Alexander the Great, and countless sports teams have in common? The Trojan War! This course will explore the Trojan War not only through the archaeology, art, and mythology of the Greeks and Romans but also through the popular imaginings of cultures ever since, to figure out what "really" happened when Helen ran off and Achilles got angry and the Greeks came bearing gifts. This is a first-year seminar. Other students may register with the permission of the instructor, which will be given after the first day of class. TTh 9:00-10:20. Instructor: Jeffrey Becker
NEW! ARCH 0335 Archaeology of the Andes [Register] [Course Website]
This course provides a survey of the archaeology of the Andean region of South America (parts of modern-day Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, Colombia, and Argentina). From the arrival of the first Americans to the transformation of indigenous societies under Spanish rule, the course will introduce vital 'new World' civilizations such as the Moche and Inka. The course will also explore the politics and practice of archaeological research in the region today. MWF 2:00-2:50. Instructor: Allison Davis.
ARCH 0420 Archaeologies of the Greek Past [Register] [Course Website]
From Bronze Age palaces to the Acropolis in Athens and on the trail of Alexander the Great, this course explores the ancient Greek world through archaeology—using art, architecture, and everyday objects to learn about ancient Greek society, from the mysterious to the mundane. It also considers how we experience ancient Greece today, including questions about archaeological practice, the antiquities trade, and cultural heritage. MWF 1:00-1:50. Instructor: Kevin Fisher
ARCH 0423 Monuments and Monsters: Greek Literature and Archaeology (COLT 0811H) [Register]
Interested students must register for COLT 0811H.
Surveys Greek archaeology from the Bronze Age to the Hellenistic period, and reads Greek literature roughly contemporary with the archaeological period surveyed, with an emphasis on epic and drama. No previous knowledge or prerequisites needed. MWF 9:00-9:50. Instructor: Molly Ierulli.
ARCH 0600 Introduction to Islamic Archaeology
NOW OFFERED IN SPRING
For Undergraduates and Graduates
NEW! ARCH 1150 Urbanism in the Archaeological Record [Register] [Course Website]
This course investigates ancient cities in the comparative context of
several archaeological regions. Considering contemporary approaches to urban
space, we will explore urbanism in the ancient Near East, Egypt, and Aegean
with comparative examples from pre-hispanic Mexico and China. We will
explore the spatial and socio-economic structuring of cities in relation to
festivals, state spectacles, monumental building projects, and other
commemorative practices, investigating layered urban topographies saturated
with collective pasts. TTh 2:30-3:50. Instructor: Jeffrey Becker.
ARCH 1233 Ancient Maya Writing (ANTH 1650) [Register]
Interested students must register for ANTH 1650.
Nature and content of Mayan hieroglyphic writing, from 100 to 1600 CE. Methods of decipherment, introduction to textual study, and application to interpretations of Mayan language, imagery, world view, and society. Literacy and Mesoamerican background of script. MWF 11-11:50. Instructor: Stephen Houston.
ARCH 1437 The Archaeology of Palestine [Register]
Interested students must register for JUDS 1400.
Traces the prehistory of Palestine (modern Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan) from its beginnings in the Paleolithic to the end of the Byzantine period. Surveys history of archaeological research in this area, emphasizing significant excavations and their artifacts. Develops an understanding of the art, architecture, and modes of life of humankind from age to age, the changes introduced from one period to another, and causes and effects of those changes.
ARCH 1443 Pilgrimage and Sacred Travel in the Lands of Islam (RELS 1520 ) [Register]
Interested students must register for RELS 1520 .
ARCH 1637 Egypt After the Pharaohs: Archaeology and Society in the Coptic and Early Islamic Periods (EGYT1470) [Register] [Course Website]
Interested students must register for EGYT1470.
The history of Egypt may be famous for the tombs, pyramids and mummies of the Pharaonic periods. This course, however, offers a vision of a different Egypt, a later Egypt: one that evolved from the traditions of the past but was infused by Christianity, Islam, Arabic, and the emergence of one of the world's great cities: Cairo. Students will experience the heritage of Egypt that is contained in the mosque of al-Azhar, the monasteries of the Egyptian desert, and the pageantry and ritual of a new set of ruling elites. At the same time they will understand the continuities of this land which Egyptians refer to as Umm al-Duniya "Mother of the World". TTh 9:00-10:20. Instructor: Ian Straughn
ARCH 1800 Contemporary Issues in Archaeological Theory [Register]
CANCELLED
ARCH 1817 Ancient Christianity and the Sensing Body (RELS 1300) [Register]
Interested students must register for RELS 1300.
ARCH 1850 Comparative Empires and Material Culture [Register]
CANCELLED
NEW! ARCH 1870 Environmental Archaeology [Register] [Course Website]
How has climate change affected the development of human society? How have people changed or destroyed their environments in the past? What does "sustainability" mean over the long term? Environmental archaeology is the study of these questions and more through the use of scientific techniques to analyze soils, plants, and animal remains from ancient archaeological contexts. A combination of class and hands-on teaching will introduce these methods and how they allow us to interpret human-environmental interactions in the past. TTh 1:00-2:20. Instructor: John Marston.
NEW! ARCH 1880 Geofizz!: Archaeo-Geophysical Data Visualization [Register] [Course Website]
Geophysical survey data act as primary information for locating archaeological sites, and contribute new perspectives when investigating existing sites. This course will develop students’ understanding of basic geophysical processes, through hands-on field-based data acquisition with ground penetrating radar, magnetometry, and resistance survey techniques. We will also experiment with approaches to data management and visualization. The course will conclude with students conducting a comprehensive multi-technique field survey of an archaeological site. T 4:00-6:20. Instructor: Margaret Watters.
ARCH 1900 The Archaeology of College Hill [Register] [Course Website]
A training class in field and laboratory techniques. Topics include the nature of field archaeology, excavation and survey methodologies, archaeological ethics, computer technologies (such as GIS), and site and artifact analysis and conservation. Students will act as practicing archaeologists through the investigation of local historical and archaeological sites in the College Hill area (e.g. the First Baptist Church of America and the John Brown House). This course is restricted to advanced undergraduate students, and permission to register will be given by instructor after the first class meeting. M 3:00-5:20. Instructor: Krysta Ryzewski
Primarily for Graduates
ARCH 2006 Principles of Archaeology (ANTH 2501)
[Register]
Interested students must register for ANTH 2501.
Examines theoretical and methodological issues in anthropological archaeology. Attention is given to past concerns, current debates, and future directions of archaeology in the social sciences. M 3:00-5:20. Instructor: Stephen Houston.
ARCH 2020E Economy and Trade in the Later Bronze Age Aegean and East Mediterranean [Register] [Course Website]
Beginning with an examination of the workings of the Mycenaean palace economy, including the evidence of Linear B documents, this seminar will then turn to a more inclusive consideration of trade and exchange involving Aegean states and their counterparts further east, and of the nature and extent of cultural interaction between them during the later Bronze Age (ca. 1600-1100 BC). W 3:00-5:20. Instructor: John F. Cherry.
ARCH 2040H Imperial Cities [Register] [Course Website]
What does Athens have to do with Jerusalem? Tenochtitlan with London? Beijing with Rome? Cuzco with Persepolis? All are capital cities of imperial systems, each shaping and reflecting the nature of the empire, its ruling ideology, and its social and economic infrastructure. The category of ‘imperial cities’, however, must extend beyond these primate centers, to consider the urban networks in play across each empire’s territorial reach, and beyond. Th 4:00-6:20. Instructor: Susan E. Alcock.
NEW! ARCH 2100 Things! The Material Worlds of Humanity [Register] [Course Website]
This course explores the relationships between people and things. From archaeology to material culture studies, from philosophy to science studies, we will examine a wide variety of approaches to the world of objects, artifacts, and material goods. Perspectives will include materialist approaches, consumption studies (including notions of fetish), phenomenology, social constructivism, cognitive approaches, actor-network-theory, and more. T 9:30-11:50. Instructor: Ian Russell.
ARCH 2511 Circumpolar Archaeology (ANTH 2510) [Register]
Interested students must register for ANTH 2510.
ARCH 2600 Gender and Sexuality in Roman Art [Register]
The study of the body and embodiment in Roman art encourages us to
make use of multiple theoretical models for interrogating both the art
and the bodies involved. Gender and sexuality provide the lenses
through which this course will explore a variety of topics (for
example, the homoerotic gaze, sexualized spectacles of pain, gendered
architectural typologies, and the body in rabbinic imagery) in Roman
imperial art. M 3:00-5:20. Instructor: Natalie B. Kampen.
Additional Resources
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