Archaeological Studies program

ARC 250 Museum Studies This introductory course provides a history of museums, their goals and methods, administration, curation and exhibit techniques. Participants will be taking field trips to museums. Offered Occasionally.

ARC 280 The Incas and their Ancestors: Archaeology of the Andes This course reviews the prehistory and early historic periods of the Andean regions of South America. Emphasis will be placed on tracing the rise of civilization in the Andes which culminated in the Inca Empire and the extraordinary events that led to the conquest of the Inca by the Spanish conquistadors. Topics to be explored include the controversial evidence of early man in South America, the role of the ocean and mountains in shaping pre-hispanic life, the origin of domesticated plants and animals, and the rise of the complex societies of Moche, Tiwanaku, Wari, Chimu, and of course, the Inca. Offered Occasionally.

ARC 295 Pyramids, Temples and Towns! The Archaeology of Ancient Egypt This course is a survey of the archaeology of Ancient Egyptian civilization from an anthropological perspective and examines the Neolithic through Roman periods, ca. 5000 BC - AD 285. In this course, we will investigate the rise and development of Egyptian culture by examining selected archaeological sites and the material remains left behind by the ancient Egyptians. Using these materials, we will address specific topics of Ancient Egyptian civilization including the formation of the centralized state, sacred vs secular space, royal and private mortuary practices, urbanism, religion, roles of women in society, everyday life, history of Egyptian archaeology, recent discoveries, and future directions in the archaeology of Egypt. (Cross-listed with ARC/HIS; may only earn credit in one department.) Offered Every Third Semester.

ARC 303 Archaeology Lab Methods Taking a hands-on approach to analyzing and interpreting archaeological remains, the class will integrate lectures with demonstrations, experiments, and supervised laboratory projects. Study will focus on the potential for interpreting human life ways and adaptations to the environment from stone tools, ceramics, floral, and faunal remains. Prerequisite: ARC 100 or ARC 196 or ANT 101. Offered Occasionally.

ARC 311 European Prehistory This course introduces students to the rich archaeological heritage of Europe from its initial colonization by our hominid ancestors to the end of the Iron Age. Topics to be explored include the evolution and dispersal of early hominids and modern humans, hunter-gatherer societies, the adoption of agriculture, the development of social complexity, and the rise of Europe's first civilizations. Offered Occasionally.

ARC 335 Human Skeletal Anatomy and the Anthropological Study of the Dead This course is designed for students majoring in archaeological studies or related fields. The focus of this course is a detailed study of the human skeleton. Each student will be required to learn the anatomy of the human skeleton in detail. Also considered are methods of determining an individual's age, ethnic origins, sex, and stature from skeletal remains. The final three weeks of the course will be concerned with anthropological interpretation of the dead. Offered Occasionally.

ARC 345 Zooarchaeology This course is an introduction to the subdiscipline of zooarchaeology. It is a hands-on, experiential learning class in which students will develop skills to analyze animal bones from archaeological contexts, including species and element identification, quantification methods, mortality profile construction, and pathology assessment. Students will apply these techniques to address broader archaeological issues, such as hunting and herding strategies, origins of animal domestication, seasonality assessment, environmental reconstruction, and social/ritual use of animals and their products. Offered Occasionally.