Spring Term
(Jump to Fall Term)

Primarily for Undergraduates

ARCH 0033  Discovering the Past: Introduction to Archaeology and Prehistory (ANTH 0500)  [Register]
Interested students must register for ANTH 0500 S01 (CRN: 26655).
This course is an introduction to the biological origins and cultural developments of mankind over the past 4 millions years. In particular we shall address the following: human evolution, the methods and aims of archaeological research, human dispersal throughout the world, first from Africa to Eurasia, and from there to North and South America, Australia and the Pacific. We will look into hunting and fishing and gathering lifeways. We will study the beginnings and results of settled life, agriculture, and animal domestication, the evolution of complex societies and rise (and fall) of Civilization. MWF 10:00-10:50. Instructor: Douglas Anderson

ARCH 0150  Introduction to Egyptian Archaeology and Art   [Register] [Course Website]
An introductory survey of the archaeology, art and architecture of ancient Egypt, ranging in time from the prehistoric cultures of the Nile Valley through the period of Roman control.  While the course will examine famous features and characters of ancient Egypt (pyramids, mummies, King Tut!), it will also provide a wide-ranging review of the archaeology of this remarkable land. MWF 12:00-12:50. Instructor: Laurel Bestock

ARCH 0302   Object Histories: The Material Culture of Early America (HIST 0980D)   [Register]
Interested students must register for HIST 0980D (CRN: 27118).
History is not just about people; it is also about things! Come explore the world of early America through the lens of objects--boats, dresses, plows, houses, wagons, watches, silver cups, wigs, blankets, land, gardens, hammers, desks--and the cultures that produced and consumed them. As a sophomore seminar (firsts years also welcome), this course is designed to engagingly introduce students to the basic concepts of historical study. Over the course of the semester we will explore local historical resources and take several field trips to historical sites, both on and off campus. Enrollment limited to 20 first and second year students. Instructor: Linford Fisher

ARCH 0305  Glass from the Past: Glimpses into the History, Technology, and Artistry of Molten Material Culture  [Register] [Course Website]
Glass is unquestionably a fundamental part of modern life, but what is the story of glass and what makes it special? We will trace the 5000-year history of glass, from its discovery in the third millennium BC to its mass production in the 19th-20th centuries, exploring themes like technology, innovation, and craft. Archaeological and art historical evidence will be combined with anthropological and ethnographic approaches, including discussions with artisans, museum visits, and trips to the RISD “hot shop” to see glassblowers in action. TTh 9:00-10:20. Instructor: Carolyn Swan

ARCH 0311  Death and the Afterlife in the Ancient World (RELS 0750)   [Register]
Interested students must register for RELS 0750 (CRN: 26409).
This course focuses on the evolution of beliefs and rituals related to death in and around the Roman Empire, including Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Near Eastern cultures. Using an interdisciplinary approach, we combine methodologies from Anthropology, Classics, and Religious Studies. Topics include myths of the afterlife; books of the dead, magic, and death rituals; divinization, heaven, hell, and Last Judgment; and the impact of Christianization on Roman understandings of death. T 4:00-6:20. Instructor: Nicola Denzey Lewis

ARCH 0315  Heritage In and Out of Context: Museum and Archaeological Heritage   [Register] [Course Website]
We understand the past in part through a complex blend of artifacts, monuments, and landscapes. Yet each of these categories poses major issues regarding their preservation, conservation and curation, and how we use them to educate and to indoctrinate. This course will not preach any specific line, but encourage students to debate these highly complicated issues. Case studies will include the international diaspora of antiquities from the Enlightenment to the present, the impact of war and revolution, and numerous aspects of museum practice. MWF 2:00-2:50. Instructor: Carrie Murray

ARCH 0522  Roman Art and Architecture: Spectacles and Entertainment (HIAA 0320)
CANCELLED.

ARCH 0680  Water, Culture, & Power   [Register] [Course Website]
Water is the source of life. In the midst of global climate change, environmental crises over water resources, and increasingly ubiquitous political debates over water, we are beginning to recognize humans' complete dependence on water. This course investigates our long-term attachment and engagement with water using archaeology, environmental history, and visual, literary and historical sources. From sacred spaces around springs to ancient cities by the sea, we will explore the cultural and political aspects of water beginning with the Last Ice Age and ending with late antiquity. MWF 11:00-11:50. Instructor: Omur Harmansah

For Undergraduates and Graduates

ARCH 1053  Global Origins of Plant and Animal Domestication (ANTH 1670)   [Register]
Interested students must register for ANTH 1670 S01 (CRN: 26839).
A seminar providing the basic information on the prehistory of the Circum Artic of Northern Fenno Scandinavia, Russia, and North America. Not open to first year students. MWF 2:00-2:50. Instructor: Douglas D. Anderson

ARCH 1101  Age of Augustus: Topography, Architecture, and Politics (CLAS 1120T)   [Register]
Interested students must register for CLAS1120T-S01 (CRN: 26947).
Augustus Caesar boasted that he had found Rome a city in brick, but left it in marble. This course explores the transformation of Rome from an unadorned village to the capital of an empire. Was Rome's first emperor trying to fashion himself a Hellenistic monarch on the model of Alexander and his successors? Was he simply operating within republican traditions, which had been established through centuries of aristocratic competition at Rome? Our source materials will include ancient works of art and architecture, literary accounts, maps, and critical urban theory. MWF 11:00-11:50. Instructor: Lisa M. Mignone

ARCH 1163  The Art of Curating (MCM 1700R)   [Register]
Interested students must register for MCM 1700R (CRN: 24029).
It is sometimes said in contemporary art circles that curators are the new artists. Curating involves a wide range of activities, including research, selection, commissioning, collaboration with artists, presentation, interpretation, and critical writing. This production seminar considers curatorial practice as a form of cultural production, paying particular attention to questions of audience, ethical responsibility, and institutional context. Students give presentations, develop exhibition proposals, and curate exhibitions. Visiting curators present case-studies on recent projects. Readings include Douglas Crimp, Hans-Ulrich Obrist, and Nicholas Bourriaud. Enrollment limited to 40. T 1:00-3:50. Instructor: Mark A. Tribe

ARCH 1164  Methods in Public Humanities (AMCV 1550)   [Register]
Interested students must register for AMCV 1550-S01 (CRN: 23577).
A survey of the skills required for public humanities work. Presentations from local and national practitioners in a diverse range of public humanities topics: historic preservation, oral history, exhibition development, archival and curatorial skills, radio and television documentaries, public art, local history, and more. Enrollment limited to 50. TTh 10:30-11:50. Instructor: Anne M. Valk

ARCH 1214  The Viking Age (HIST 1031)   [Register]
Interested students must register for HIST 1031 S01 (CRN: 27356).
For two centuries, Viking marauders struck terror into the hearts of European Christians. Feared as raiders, Norsemen were also traders and explorers who maintained a network of connections that stretched from North America to Baghdad and who developed a complex civilization that was deeply concerned with power and its abuses, the role of law in society, and the corrosive power of violence. This class examines the tensions and transformations within Norse society between AD 750 and 1100 and how people living in the Viking world sought to devise solutions to the challenges that confronted them as their world expanded and changed. TTh 10:30-11:50. Instructor: Jonathan Conant

ARCH 1236  Maize Gods and Feathered Serpents: Mexico and Central America in Antiquity (ANTH 1640)   [Register]
Interested students must register for ANTH 1640-S01 (CRN: 26861).
Mexico and Central America are the cradles of one of the world's most enduring cultural traditions. The modern identity of the region was forged in these ancient traditions and their influence is apparent the world over, particularly in the area of agricultural domesticates (corn, chocolate, and chilies). Their cities (Teotihuacan, Monte Alban, Chichen Itza, etc.) rank among the greatest of the ancient world. This course offers a survey of Pre-Columbian Mexico and Central America, from the early monumental centers of the Olmec to the great Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, and explores how anthropologists and archaeologists investigate Middle America's indigenous past. MW 3:00-4:20. Instructor: Andrew K. Scherer

ARCH 1436  The Archaeology of Jerusalem (JUDS 1390)   [Register]
Interested students must register for JUDS 1390 (CRN: 27058).
Jerusalem constitutes one of the most important archaeological sites connected to the origins of Judaism, Christianity and Early Islam. In this class we will explore the material remains of the city beginning with David's conquest in ca. 1000 BC through the end of the Ottoman Period in 1917. The contemporary literary sources as well as the more recent scholarly debates and discoveries help us understand the material remains of the relevant periods. F 3:00-5:20. Instructor: Katharina M. Galor

ARCH 1475  Petra: Ancient Wonder, Modern Challenge   [Register]
The rose-red city of Petra in southern Jordan is a movie star (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade). It is a tourist mega-hit (over half a million visitors annually). It was recently voted one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. This class will explore the history and archaeology of Petra and debate how best to present and preserve the site, as well as discussing (and planning!) Brown's ongoing fieldwork at this beautiful, but fragile, place. Enrollment limited to 15. W 3:00-5:20. Instructor: Susan E. Alcock

ARCH 1542   Cultural Heritage, Curation and Creativity (AMCV 1904L)  [Register]
Interested students must register for AMCV 1904L S01 (CRN: 27372).
The course examines current theories and practices in cultural heritage work from various international perspectives and places them in dialogue with practices, theories and critical perspectives from the contemporary arts. It offers students the opportunity to participate in a practical and creative cultural heritage project, realizing a curated experience/event/experience within the urban environment of Providence. Questions of material and form; the relationship between language and vision; the role of description in interpretation; and what constitutes learning through visual experience will be considered. Following readings in cultural heritage theory, curatorial studies and critical theory, the course will engage students both intellectually and practically through individual & group curatorial projects. W 6:00-8:20. Instructor: Ian Russell.

ARCH 1570  Cold Hard Cash: The Materiality of Money in Ancient and Modern Finance   [Register] [Course Website]
Now more than ever we are in need of new perspectives on the value and meaning of money. This course examines the origins of a metal-based financial system in ancient Mesopotamia and the development of finance over time, exploring how specific kinds of objects can be invested with financial value. We will prioritize archaeological, ethnographic, historical and anthropological case-studies as ways to offer time depth, cross-cultural comparison, and insight into today's troubled financial climate. MWF 1:00-1:50. Instructor: Christoph Bachhuber

ARCH 1600  Archaeologies of the Near East   [Register] [Course Website]
Writing, urbanism, agriculture, imperialism: the ancient Near East is known as the place where earliest agriculture flourished, cities were developed and writing was invented. This course offers a detailed examination of the region's archaeological history and current archaeological practice, in connection with its political engagements including Western colonialism and the formation of nation states. The social and cultural history of the Near East from prehistory to the end of Iron age (300 BC) will also be discussed. TTh 2:30-3:50. Instructor: Omur Harmansah

ARCH 1606   Imagining the Gods: Myths and Myth-making in Ancient Mesopotamia (AWAS 1100)   [Register]
Interested students must register for AWAS 1100 S01 (CRN: 26392).
Creation, the Flood, the Tower of Babel--well-known myths such as these have their origins in ancient Mesopotamia, the land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Using both ancient texts in translatioin and archaeology, this course will explore categories of Mesopotamian culture labeled "myth" and "religion" (roughly 3300-300 BCE), critically examining the ancient evidence as well as various modern interpretations. Topics will include myths of creation and the flood, prophecy and divination, death and the afterlife, ritual, kingship, combat myths and apocalypses, the nature and expression of ancient religious experience, and representations of the divine. TTh 1:00-2:20. Instructor: Matthew Rutz

ARCH 1618   Barbarians, Byzantines, and Berbers: Early Medieval North Africa, AD 300-1050 (HIST 1977F)   [Register]
Interested students must register for HIST 1977F S01 (CRN: 27358).
This class explores the transition from antiquity to the Middle Ages through the lens of western North Africa. Divided internally by theological disputes and inter-communal violence, and subjected to repeated conquests and reconquests from the outside, in this period North Africa witnessed the triumph of Islam over Christianity; the rise and fall of ephemeral kingdoms, empires, and caliphates; the gradual desertion of once-prosperous cities and rural settlements; the rising strength of Berber confederations; and the continuing ability of trade to transcend political boundaries and to link the southern Mediterranean littoral to the outside world. Enrollment limited to 20. Not open to first year students. Th 4:00-6:20. Instructor: Jonathan Conant

ARCH 1638  Ethnic Identity in Graeco-Roman Egypt (EGYT 1550)   [Register] [Course Website]
Interested students must register for EGYT 1550 S01 (CRN: 27412).
Egypt under Greek and Roman rule (from c. 332 BC) was a diverse place, its population including Egyptians, Greeks, Jews, Romans, Nubians, Arabs, and even Indians. This course will explore the sometimes controversial subject of ethnic identity and its manifestations in the material and textual record from Graeco-Roman Egypt, through a series of case studies involving individual people and communities. Topics will include multilingualism, ethnic conflict and discrimination, legal systems, and gender, using evidence from contemporary texts on papyrus as well as recent archaeological excavations and field survey projects. TTh 9:00-10:20. Instructor: Rachel Mairs

ARCH 1707 The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World (CLAS 1120Q)   [Register]
Interested students must register for CLAS 1120Q (CRN: 26928).
"Everyone has heard of the Seven Wonders of the World," wrote Philo of Byzantium two millennia ago, and it's still true today. But what is a "Wonder"? And why seven of them? Why make such a list anyway, then or now? This class will use ancient texts, explorers' accounts, and archaeological investigations to travel through several thousand years of history in the Mediterranean and Near Eastern world. We will consider how the Seven Wonders captured past imaginations; the aura of technological achievements; the intersections of history, memory, invention, and myth; and how members of one culture view another culture's monuments. MWF 2:00-2:50. Instructor: John F. Cherry

ARCH 1715  Building Big! Supersized Architectural and Engineering Structures From Antiquity   [Register]
Sometimes size does matter. The need and desire to "build big", to create colossal architectural or sculptural things, was a constant feature of antiquity, from temples to portraits, from tunnels to fortifications. Who and what lay behind this apparent architectural megalomania? What practical challenges to construction had to be overcome? And how have such monuments affected our understanding, both of the ancient world and of modern means of self-representation? TTh 10:30-11:50. Instructor: Felipe Rojas

ARCH 1720  How Houses Build People   [Register] [Course Website]
Archaeologists usually worry about how people in the past built houses. This course will flip the question on its head and ask: how do houses build people? Just what is a ‘house’? What is a ‘home’? Making use of an array of regional case studies, from different time periods, we will question how cultural values and norms can be extracted from, and explore the idea of the domestication of humans through, architecture. TTh 1:00-2:20. Instructor: Serena Love

ARCH 1771  Archaeology of Death (ANTH1623)   [Register]
Interested students must register for ANTH1623-S01 (CRN: 26835)
Examines death, burial, and memorials using comparative archaeological evidence from prehistory and historical periods. The course asks: What insight does burial give us about the human condition? How do human remains illuminate the lives of people in the past? What can mortuary artifacts tell us about personal identities and social relations? What do gravestones and monuments reveal about beliefs and emotions? Current cultural and legal challenges to the excavation and study of the dead are also considered. MWF 11:00-11:50. Instructor: Patricia E. Rubertone

ARCH 1772  The Human Skeleton (ANTH 1720)   [Register]
Interested students must register for ANTH 1720-S01 (CRN: 26177).
More than simply a tissue within our bodies, the human skeleton is a gateway into narratives of the past--from the evolution of our species to the biography of individual past lives. Through lecture and hands-on laboratory, students will learn the complete anatomy of the human skeleton, with an emphasis on the human skeleton in functional and evolutionary perspective. We will also explore forensic and bioarchaeological approaches to the skeleton. By the course conclusion, students will be able to conduct basic skeletal analysis and will be prepared for more advanced studies of the skeleton from medical, forensic, archaeological, and evolutionary perspectives. Enrollment limited to 20. Not open to first year students. Instructor permission required. MWF 1:00-1:50. Instructor: Andrew K. Scherer

ARCH 1793  Slavery in the Ancient World (HIST 1080)   [Register]
Interested students must register for HIST 1080 (CRN: 26824).
Examines the institution of slavery in the ancient world, from Mesopotamia and the Near East to the great slave societies of classical Greece and (especially) imperial Rome; comparison of ancient and modern slave systems; modern views of ancient slavery from Adam Smith to Hume to Marx to M.I. Finley. Readings in English. TTh 1:00-2:20. Instructor: John Bodel

ARCH 1794  Questions of Remembrance: Archaeological Perspectives on Slavery in the New World (ANTH 1625)   [Register]
Interested students must register for ANTH 1625 (CRN: 27442).
Archaeology of slavery, and particularly that of enslaved African-American communities in what came to be the United States, has been one of the fastest growing areas of archaeological research in the last few decades. This course will look into both classic and current literature on the archaeology of Atlantic slavery in order to understand the development of this archaeological subfield, from an initial focus on the living conditions of slaves on plantation sites to later interests in the processes of consolidation of African-American ethnicities. What are current challenges faced by those investigating the material constitution of African Diaspora through time? DVPS LILE. TTh 3:00-4:20. Instructor: Felipe Gaitan-Ammann.

ARCH 1872  Environmental Anthropology (ANTH 1555)   [Register]
Interested students must register for ANTH 1555 (CRN: 27371).
Environmental anthropology is the study of how people interact with environments, past and present. This course explores how humans have affected their environments over time and how environment shapes human culture, employing an interdisciplinary anthropological perspective to illuminate these reciprocal interactions. This course uses a variety of approaches to understand how people interact with environments, employing cultural, biological, linguistic, and archaeological methods. This course covers human adaptation to environmental change from earliest prehistory up to the present day and students will have the opportunity to explore the practical and interpretive dilemmas of environmental challenges of the 21st century and beyond. Enrollment limited to 20 sophomores, juniors, and seniors. TTh 6:30-7:50. Instructor: John M. Marston

ARCH 1873  Patterns: In Nature, In Society (GEOL 1960F)   [Register]
Interested students must register for GEOL 1960F S01 (CRN: 26978).
The shapes of plants and animals, of mountains and shorelines arise because nature dissipates energy as rapidly as possible. These morphological patterns allow description of the energy "landscape" that produced them. Societies and economies show temporal and spatial patterns as well: does the "flow rate" of ideas and of money cause these patterns? We will explore just how "entropy rules." MW 3:00-4:20. Instructor: Reid Cooper

Primarily for Graduates

ARCH 2010G  Ethical Issues in Archaeology   [Register]
Graduate students will certainly confront ethical, legal, and professional issues in the course of their own doctoral research and subsequent careers. This seminar offers a forum for open, but well-informed, discussion of a variety of significant ethical problems and dilemmas currently facing the discipline of archaeology worldwide. We will give attention to practical matters arising from archaeological field research, as well as a wide range of difficult questions concerning ownership and presentation of the past. Th 4:00-6:20. Instructor: John F. Cherry

ARCH 2114  Archaeologies of Texts (AWAS 2800)   [Register]
Interested students must register for AWAS 2800 (CRN: 27299).
An interdisciplinary seminar that examines the interplay between ancient texts and archaeology in the study of the ancient world. The emphasis will be on articulating the research methods and assumptions distilled from case studies set in the ancient Near East, Mediterranean, East Asia, and the Americas. Topics will include: canons of literature as/versus ancient inscriptions; materiality of text; texts on display, in deposits, in archives, in libraries, as refuse; literacy and education; practices of documentation and analysis; writing, language, and 'ethnicity'; historical geography; fakes and forgeries; ancient texts and archaeological ethics. No prerequisites. Intended primarily for graduate students. W 3:00-5:20. Instructor: Matthew Rutz

ARCH 2170  Archaeology of Greek and Punic Colonization   [Register] [Course Website]
This course investigates cultural interaction at local and regional scales between 'colonists' and locals, introducing students to a range of case study material across the Mediterranean. We will focus on material from the eighth to sixth centuries BC from Iberia, France, Italy, North Africa, and the Black Sea. Examples of Etruscan colonization will also be explored. The concept of 'colonization' will be critically examined, together with how it has been treated by archaeologists and ancient historians over the past century. T 4:00-6:20. Instructor: Carrie Murray

ARCH 2501C  GIS and Remote Sensing in Archaeology (ANTH 2500C)   [Register] [Course Website]
Interested students must register for ANTH 2500C.
This course will train advanced students in the laboratory methods needed for the successful application of GIS and remote sensing technologies in archaeology. We will conduct an exhaustive literature review of spatial research in archaeology to place GIS and remote sensing within a broader conceptual framework. Each student will design their own geodatabase that they will be able to build upon in future research. W 3:00-5:20. Instructor: Thomas Garrison.

ARCH 2552  Museums in Their Communities (AMCV 2220D)   [Register]
Interested students must register for AMCV 2220D-S01 (CRN: 26219).
This seminar examines in detail the internal workings of museums (of anthropology, art, history, science, etc.) and their place in their communities. Accessions, collections management, conservations, education, exhibition, marketing, research, and museum management are among the topics discussed. Open to graduate students only. W 3:00-5:20. Instructor: Steven D. Lubar

ARCH 2710  The Archaeology of Nubia and Egypt   [Register] [Course Website]
Egypt and Nubia share the distinction of ancient civilizations along the Nile river, but Nubia (modern Sudan) remains much more poorly known than Egypt. This seminar will examine the archaeology of Nubia, including its relationship to Egypt, from the introduction of ceramics and agriculture to the medieval period. This long-term perspective will allow comparative study of issues such as state formation, imperialism and religious change. M 3:00-5:20. Instructor: Laurel Bestock

ARCH 2852  Skills Training in Material Culture Studies II   [Register]
When dealing with material culture, one must possess a solid foundation in a range of skills. How does one document and analyze artifacts, architecture and landscapes, what are the appropriate techniques? How should all this information be securely stored and promulgated? This "hands on" class, intended for students in multiple disciplines, will revolve around techniques of documentation and analysis (e.g. architectural drawing, GIS [Geographic Information Systems], data bases and digital media). F 3:00-5:20.

 

Fall Term
(Jump to Spring Term)

Primarily for Undergraduates

ARCH 0100  Field Archaeology in the Ancient World   [Register] [Course Website]
Always wanted to be Indiana Jones? This course, focusing on the Mediterranean world and its neighbors in antiquity, interprets field archaeology in its broadest sense. In addition to exploring “how to do” archaeology – the techniques of locating, retrieving and analyzing ancient remains – we will consider how the nature of these methodologies affects our understanding of the past. MWF 2:00-2:50.  Instructor: Laurel Bestock

ARCH 0163  Ancient China: Art and Archaeology (HIAA 0110)   [Register]
Interested students must register for HIAA 0110 S01.
An introduction to Chinese art and culture, focusing on recently excavated evidence of material culture from the Stone Age through the Han Dynasty. Students will learn to use the materials and methods of archaeology, art history, and the history of technology, as well as readings in history, literature, and philosophy to interpret excavated materials. Weekly one-hour conference required. MWF 10:00-10:50. Instructor: Roberta Bickford

ARCH 0201  Sport in the Ancient Greek World   [Register] [Course Website]
Interested students must register for CLAS 0210O.
Athletics and sports were as popular and significant in the ancient Greek world as they are today, and so offer an excellent introduction to its archaeology and history. This class will discuss the development of Greek athletics, the nature of individual events, the social implications of athletic professionalism, women and athletics, and the role of sport in Greek education. 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. MWF 1:00-1:50. Instructor: John 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: Carrie Murray

ARCH 0420  Archaeologies of the Greek Past   [Register] [Course Website]
The Onion once reported that ancient Greek civilization was a complete modern fraud, since obviously no one culture could have invented so much, not least all that Great Art and Architecture. But they did. This course will explore the material world of ancient Greece, from the monumental (the Parthenon) to the mundane (waste management), and everything in between. MWF 11:00-11:50. Instructor: Susan Alcock

ARCH 0678  Underwater in the Mediterranean: An Introduction to Maritime Archaeology   [Register] [Course Website]
Shipwrecks, sunken cargoes, coastal ports: all contribute to our understanding of the maritime world of the past, not least that of the Mediterranean Sea. This course will explore the Mediterranean’s ancient seafaring heritage over time, in particular by studying ancient ships and harbors as remarkable examples of social and technological innovation and enterprise. The methodological challenges faced by archaeologists working on underwater and coastal ‘sites’ will also be examined. MWF 10:00-10:50. Instructor: Christoph Bachhuber

For Undergraduates and Graduates

ARCH 1050  Old World and New World Perspectives in Archaeology   [Register] [Course Website]
This course examines how archaeologists working on different sides of the world study the past. Archaeology in the Old World and New World has developed on parallel, but separate trajectories. While these approaches share methods and theories, they often interpret archaeological data in alternative or even contradictory ways. In this course we will view archaeological topics from both perspectives, using examples from the Mediterranean and Mesoamerica, to try to better understand, and perhaps bridge the gap between some of our differences. Prerequisite: An introductory course in archaeology, either through the Joukowksy Institute or the Anthropology Department. T 2:30-4:50. Instructors: John F. Cherry and Thomas Garrison

ARCH 1162  Anthropology in/of the Museum (ANTH 1901)   [Register]
Interested students must register for ANTH 1901.
This course will provide an introduction to the history, purposes, transformations, and internal workings of museums from an anthropological perspective. Students will learn about museums that focus on natural and cultural history related to anthropological studies of archaeology, human evolution, and world ethnography. It will cover the relevance of anthropological training to careers in the museum field, as well as the importance of conducting anthropological investigations in the museum environment. Enrollment limited to 20. W 3:00-5:20. Instructor: Emily W. Stokes-Rees

ARCH 1200B  Pompeii (HIAA 1200D)   [Register]
Interested students must register for HIAA 1200D.
Pompeii and its neighboring towns are the best examples for studying the life, art, and architecture of a Roman town. This seminar covers the works of art and the life in the town as reflected in the monuments excavated over the past 250 years. Th 4:00-6:20. Instructor: Rebecca Molholt

ARCH 1232  The City, the Maroon and the Mass Grave (ANTH 1630)   [Register]
Interested students must register for ANTH 1630.
How has archaeology contributed to our understanding of the past in the former Spanish colonies? How has this knowledge been presented and made socially relevant in present-day Latin America? This course proposes a critical insight into the achievements and future challenges of historical archaeology in Spanish speaking America, exploring the diverging trajectories that the discipline has had in different countries of the region, and the way in which archaeological knowledge about the colonial, republican, and contemporary periods has been either ignored or assimilated into the development of specific politics of cultural heritage at the local level. LILE. MWF 1:00-1:50. Instructor: Felipe Gaitan-Ammann

ARCH 1437  The Archaeology of Palestine (JUDS 1400)   [Register]
Interested students must register for JUDS 1400.
Palestine constitutes one of the most important archaeological regions connected to the origins of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In this class we will examine the material remains of the region beginning in pre-historic times until the end of the Ottoman period in 1917. Literary sources as well as the more recent scholarly debates and discoveries help us understand the material remains of the relevant periods. Th 4:00-6:20. Instructor: Katharina M. Galor

ARCH 1490  The Archaeology of Central Asia: Alexander in Afghanistan, and Buddhas in Bactria   [Register] [Course Website]
Central Asia (from ca. 500 BC to AD 200) has tended to be treated as the ultimate frontier zone — on the fringes of the Mediterranean, the Near East, and India.  Scholarly perspectives today are radically changing, with Central Asia emerging as a cultural and political entity in its own right.  This course will explore the archaeology, art and history of what is today modern Afghanistan and the formerly Soviet Central Asian Republics, considering the region’s development under the Persian empire, the rule of Alexander the Great, and finally of his Greek-named successor kings. MWF 1:00-1:50. Instructor: Rachel Mairs.

ARCH 1572  The Economy of the Ancient Greek World: New Approaches (CLAS 1930E)   [Register]
Interested students must register for CLAS 1930E S01.
What was the material basis of Greek society? How did trade and commerce link individuals and states and bring Greeks into contact with foreign populations? What was the role of state power in directing exchange and commerce? Was ancient economic activity similar to our idea of "economics" or was it fundamentally different? What ideologies and mentalities governed economic behavior in the ancient world? The goal of this course is to introduce students to the sources and approaches to the study of the economic history of ancient Greece. MWF 10:00-10:50. Instructor: Ryan Boehm

ARCH 1650  The Etruscans: Italy Before the Rise of the Romans   [Register] [Course Website]
The Etruscan people dominated the Italian peninsula for centuries before the Romans became a Mediterranean power, but left behind little textual evidence of their culture. Focusing on architecture, artistic production, and funerary practice, we will study the “enigmatic” Etruscans and their contacts with the Greeks and early Romans, and consider their impact on Rome and on modern Italian archaeological scholarship. TTh 1:00-2:20. Instructor: Carrie Murray

ARCH 1607   Divination in Ancient Mesopotamia (AWAS 1750)   [Register]
Interested students must register for AWAS 1750 S01.
The interpretation of natural events as portents of good or bad outcomes played an important role in religious, political, scholarly and everyday life in ancient Mesopotamia. In this course we will study Mesopotamian omen literature from textual, scientific, philosophical and cultural viewpoints in order to understand how divination operated and what it was used for. TTh 1:00-2:20. Instructor: Matthew Rutz

ARCH 1621  History of Egypt I (EGYT 1430)   [Register] [Course Website]
Interested students must register for EGYT 1430.
A survey of the history and society of ancient Egypt from prehistoric times to the end of the Eighteenth Dynasty (ca. 5000-1300 BC). Readings include translations from the original documents that serve as primary sources for the reconstruction of ancient Egyptian history. MWF 12:00-12:50. Instructor: Laurel Bestock

ARCH 1710  Architecture and Memory   [Register] [Course Website]
Buildings and monuments have been mediators of the past, with their powerful presence and often turbulent histories. Stories cling to their stones, which become visible residues of the human lives that shape them. Memories, imaginations and experiences, collectively shared or individual, give meaning to architectural spaces. This course explores the intersections of memory and architecture through various archaeological case studies from the ancient world.  TTh 10:30-11:50. Instructor: Omur Harmansah

ARCH 1822  Anthropology of Place (ANTH 1910B)   [Register]
Interested students must register for ANTH 1910B. W 3:00-5:20. Patricia Rubertone.

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: Jessica Nowlin

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. W 3:00-5:20. Instructor: Andrew Scherer

ARCH 2112  Roman Epigraphy (LATN 2120A)   [Register]
Interested students must register for LATN 2120A.
A practical introduction to the study of Latin inscriptions, with emphasis on the reading, editing, and interpretation of texts on stone. Class time will be divided between discussion of various categories of texts in the light of the 'epigraphic habit', literacy, and the sociology of reading in antiquity and hands-on experience with editing inscriptions on stone. M 3:00-5:20. Instructor: John Bodel

ARCH 2140   The Marriage of Archaeological Science and Social Theory   [Register] [Course Website]
What do ceramics, lithics, building materials and metals tell us about the people who used them? Do high-tech analytical methods contribute to a deeper understanding of the past or simply muddy the waters? Theoretically, we will challenge the objectivity of ‘science’ and the value of archaeological taxonomies, as they relate to the construction of archaeological narratives. The ultimate objective in this course is to access the symmetrical social relationships between people and things, through the medium of the archaeological materials, as understood through the application of scientific techniques. T 5:00-7:20. Instructor: Serena Love

ARCH 2165  The “Second Sophistic”: Archaeological and Literary Approaches   [Register] [Course Website]
The cultural phenomenon of the “Second Sophistic” affected both the material fabric and the intellectual life of the eastern Roman empire of the second/third centuries CE. This course will examine how awareness of "Greek" learning (paideia) and the "Greek" past informed people's literary and artistic tastes, as well as their responses to changing political and religious pressures, affecting everything from civic coinage to elite dining habits and even bodily comportment. T 4:00-6:20. Instructor: Felipe Rojas

ARCH 2340  The Archaeology of the Assyrian Empire: Cities, Landscapes and Material Culture   [Register] [Course Website]
Ritual, war and conquest! The Assyrian Empire was a powerhouse in the ancient Near East with fearsome military expeditions, sumptuous cult festivals, grand cities, and complex governing systems. This course investigates the archaeology of Assyria from the trading center of Ashur in the second millennium BCE to the collapse of the empire in the 7th c. BCE. Using published excavations, surveys, and texts, we will explore Assyria’s material culture, landscape, cult practices and state ideology. Th 4:00-6:20. Instructor: Omur Harmansah

ARCH 2255  Coastal Values: Archaeology and Paleoecology of Coastal and Island Environments   [Register] [Course Website]
People like to live by the water. What characteristics (social, economic, environmental) make coastal environments so attractive? What are the effects of human settlement on these environments? How do societies adapt (or not) to changing coastal environments? This seminar takes an interdisciplinary approach to these questions, applying the lessons of the past to the challenges of the present through an explicitly diachronic, cross-cultural, and data-driven approach to examining human-environmental interaction in coastal settings. W 3:00-5:20. Instructor: John M. Marston 

ARCH 2502  Historical Archaeology: From Colony to City (ANTH 2540)   [Register]
Interested students must register for ANTH 2540.
Examines historical archaeology as a complex field of inquiry that engages multiple sources of evidence and incorporates a wide range of theoretical and methodological approaches. The seminar will consider the range of evidence available to historical archaeologists, and draw on examples from colonies and cities around the world to explore how the richness and diversity of the evidence is used. Th. 4:00-6:20. Instructor: Patricia Rubertone

ARCH 2851  Skills Training in Material Culture Studies I   [Register]
When dealing with material culture, one must possess a solid foundation in a range of skills. How does one document and analyze artifacts, architecture and landscapes, what techniques are appropriate in what cases? How should all this information be securely stored and promulgated? This "hands on" class, intended for students in multiple disciplines, will consider the study of particular types of material or bodies of evidence (e.g., pottery, lithics, epigraphy, numismatics).  F 3:00-5:20.  Instructor: Thomas Garrison