ARCH 251 Syllabus

 Archaeology Methods & Theory

Instructor: Robin Van Auken
Office: Academic Building, C 100 (first floor, west wing)
Phone: 570-916-0026 (Cell), 570-321-4239 (Office), 570-326-7872 (Home)
E-mail Address: RobinVanAuken@gmail.com (Home), vanauken@lycoming.edu (Office)

Required Texts:
Ashmore, Wendy, and Robert J. Sharer, Discovering Our Past: A Brief Introduction to Archaeology, 4th Ed., paperback. McGraw-Hill Companies, ISBN: 0072978821, ISBN-13: 9780072978827.

Price, T. Douglas, and Gary M. Feinman, Images of the Past, 5th Ed., McGraw-Hill Companies, ISBN: 0073405205, ISBN-13: 9780073405209.

Course Location: Lycoming College C-303; Muncy Canal Archaeology Site, Pepper Street, Muncy, PA

Follow this link to learn more about the Muncy Canal Archaeology Dig >>>

Class Time and Days: Thursday, 2:00-3:50 p.m. (all semester); Saturday, 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. (through Oct. 9, 2008).

Course Goals and Emphases:
Archaeology is the study of past cultures and societies through their material remains. We will explore different varieties of archaeology and examine theory, field methods and techniques for investigating, reconstructing, interpreting, preserving, and ultimately learning from the past.

We will briefly review human cultural chronology from the earliest Paleolithic ages, to the present, and deal not only the artifact remains but also important social, economic, and even ideological questions, such as those on the origins of food production, social inequality, and civilization. Two major emphases throughout the course are archaeology as anthropology and the relevance of archaeology to modern human society and politics.

Learning Objectives

Students will have succeeded in this course when they are able to:

1. Contribute to the class discussion of assigned topics, current archaeological news, and classroom exercises

2. Demonstrate knowledge of archaeological methods, techniques, theories, ethics and values, cultural resources preservation, conservation archaeology, and stewardship

3. Analyze details of past important cultures worldwide, describing major transitions in prehistory and how this knowledge is important for modern humans and interpreted by different interest groups

4. Demonstrate clear speaking and writing in all assignments, indicating good preparation and organization

5. Discuss the value of archaeology in their own lives and to modern society

Course Requirements

Class Participation: Classes include field excavations, lectures and discussions both in the field and in the classroom, films, and other presentations. Readings must be completed in advance to discuss the material in class. Students are encouraged to bring in pertinent articles from the current news media to discuss. Participation in the archaeology excavation is required. This portion of the class introduces archaeological methods and interpretation. Students spend seven Saturdays in the field (and/or laboratory, weather permitting) learning to conduct site testing and preliminary assessments, to develop research designs, to establish excavation grids, to excavate by arbitrary and natural strata, to complete site records, to draw plans and profile views of excavation areas, and to identify, label, catalog artifacts and maintaining an archaeology journal of their experiences.

Final Grade Calculation

40% = Archaeology excavation/journal*
10% = Class Participation
25% = Midterm exam
25% = Final exam

* Archaeology Journals must be transcribed, typed and sent to the instructor via e-mail by December 4

Exams: There will be two exams – a midterm and a final. Both include multiple choice, true or false, and essay-type questions, and each will cover assigned readings for that time period. The final will be cumulative to a small degree in that students 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. Exams will be returned; they are held (in C 100) for one month from the date taken for students to pick up, after which time they will be discarded.

Academic Honesty: This course will strictly adhere to the policies outlined in the Lycoming College Pathfinder.

Attendance: Attendance is a critical factor in course work. Any student who has four unexcused absences in this course will be dropped one complete letter grade.

Excused Absences: Students are expected to attend all classes. Excessive absence will result in the loss of class participation points. Only the course instructor can excuse an absence. Excused absences may require documentation.

Arriving Late: It is recommended that students arrive on time and be prepared.

Late Work: Complete all work on time. No late work is accepted unless previously arranged with the course instructor or with an excused absence.

Typed Work: All work must be typed and sent to instructor by e-mail or hard copy.

 

Reading and Discussion Schedule

Date	Discussion Topics	Assigned Readings (pages)
28-30 Aug	Definition and kinds of archaeology, history of archaeology	A&S 1-34
4-6 Sept	Different theoretical approaches to archaeology; the nature of archaeological data and how we get them (site formation, etc.)	A&S 35-78
11-13 Sept	Archaeological survey and excavation: where, how to dig	A&S 79-113
18-20 Sept	Archaeological classification and analysis of the remains	A&S 115-168
25-27 Sept	Archaeological interpretation and reconstruction	A&S 169-225
2-4 Oct	Public archaeology and modern society; managing cultural resources	A&S 227-242
8-9 Oct	Review and relevance of twenty-first century principles of archaeology	P&F 1-22
16 Oct	MIDTERM EXAM
23 Oct	Human prehistory: the first people and culture, Lower Paleolithic	P&F 22-95
30 Oct	Middle and Upper Paleolithic hunter-gatherers; the emergence of modern humans; Old World foragers, Mesolithic	P&F 96-195
6 Nov	Origins of food production. MOVIE: Corn and the Origins of Settled Life	P&F 196-255
13 Nov	North American, some Mesoamerican prehistory	P&F 256-363
20 Nov	Finish Mesoamerican, South American archaeology. MOVIE: Peru, People of the Sun	P&F 364-405
4 Dec	Old World prehistory, civilizations. MOVIE: Pakistan, Mound of the Dead	P&F 406-520
10 Dec	FINAL EXAM

Brief list of items needed:

1. Small journal-sized notebook, pens, pencils (mandatory).
2. Water or other drinks
3. Lunch, or money for lunch.
4. Jacket/work clothes and work shoes (old sneakers OK)

Directions from Lycoming College to Pepper Street, Muncy
Total Est. Time: 24 minutes      Total Est. Distance: 17.10 miles

1: Go down BASIN ST. to I-180 Entrance 0.3 miles
2: Merge onto I-180 E. 13.3 miles
3: Take the PA-405 S exit- EXIT 13A- toward MUNCY. 0.2 miles
4: Turn RIGHT onto PA-405 W. <1 miles
5: Turn LEFT onto S MAIN ST. <1 miles
6: Turn RIGHT onto PEPPER ST. <1 miles
7: End at Canal Site on Pepper Street