Description:

This course is an introduction to the basic concepts, methods, and findings in archaeology. The historical origins of the discipline and modern approaches to understanding the past will be presented. The course will describe the range of archaeological evidence and techniques for locating, analyzing, and interpreting these remains. 3 hrs. lecture/wk.

Supplies: Refer to the instructor's course syllabus for details about any supplies that may be required.

Prerequisites: NONE

Textbook(s): For information see - http://bookstore.jccc.net

Course Fees: NONE

Course Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course the student should be able to:

1. Describe the goals, techniques, and constraints of archaeological inquiry into the human past.
2. Trace the historical origins of the discipline through contemporary approaches to understanding the past.
3. Identify different lines of archaeological evidence.
4. Evaluate the best techniques for using archaeological evidence to comprehend the past.
5. Use archaeological evidence and techniques to assess the range and meaning of human diversity in the past.
6. Describe general patterns of human adaptation in the past and examine the relevance of past human strategies to present human conditions.

Content Outline & Competencies:

I. Introduction to Archaeology
   A. The Framework of Archaeology
      1. Explain the context of Archaeology as one of the four fields of
Anthropology.
      2. Compare and contrast Archaeology with other social sciences and
natural sciences.  
      3. Describe the principal research topics and archaeological
approaches.
      4. Discuss how the use of different approaches will influence
interpretation of the past. 
   B. History of Archaeology 
      1. Describe the early attempts to know the past. 
      2. Evaluate the role of the European Renaissance on the rise of
Archaeology.  
      3. Discuss the impact of evolutionary thinking on the development of
modern archaeology.
      4. Review the historical and cultural factors that led to
development of European and American Prehistory.
      5. Outline the key concepts, goals, and methods of 20th century
archaeological movements. 
      6. Explain the significance of radiocarbon dating and its impact in
archaeology. 
      7. Assess the current state of archaeological theory and practice. 
      8. Evaluate the ethical, moral, and practical responsibilities that
archaeologists     have to the public
   C. Archaeological Evidence 
      1. Define the categories of archaeological evidence:
         a. artifact
         b. ecofact
         c. feature
         d. site
      2. Determine the context of a find through analysis of matrix,
provenience, and association with other finds. 
      3. Compare and contrast primary and secondary contexts. 
      4. Explain how the archaeological record is formed, altered, and
preserved. 
   D. Survey and Excavation of Sites and Features
      1. Explain how archaeological research is designed to answer
specific questions. 
      2. List the range of evidence within the landscape.
      3. Describe how sites and features are located, documented, and
studied.
      4. Discuss the implication of various sampling strategies.  
      5. Explain the purpose and key concepts in excavation.
      6. List different forms of documentation. 
      7. Explain how artifacts are processed and classified. 
      8. Discuss how inferences of past behaviors are drawn from
archaeological evidence. 
   E. Dating Methods and Chronology
      1. Compare and contrast relative dating and absolute dating.
      2. List common dating conventions.
      3. Define stratigraphy and discuss its significance to dating. 
      4. Be conversant with key relative dating techniques. 
      5. Be conversant with key absolute dating techniques. 
      6. Discuss the principle of radioactive decay and its implications
for archaeological dating.  
      7. Consider the accomplishments and limitations of these dating
techniques for our understanding of the past. 

II. Reconstructing the Past
   A. Social Organization and Social Archaeology
      1. Describe the key characteristics and archaeological correlates
of:
         a. Mobile hunter-gatherer society
         b. Segmentary society
         c. Cheifdom or Middle-range society
         d. State 
      2. Explain how archaeologists establish the nature and scale of
society.
      3. Compare and contrast the usefulness of certain techniques and
approaches for the study of different social organizations and individual
identities. 
   B. Reconstructing the Past Environment
      1. Describe the different techniques for reconstructing global
climate and environmental change.
      2. Explain the significance of the plant environment in terms of
reconstructing the past environment and past subsistence strategies.
      3. List the commonly studied plant remains and explain how they are
analyzed.
      4. Explain the significance of the animal environment in terms of
reconstructing the past environment and past subsistence strategies. 
      5. List the commonly studied animal remains and explain how they are
analyzed.
      6. Explain how archaeologists reconstruct patterns of human
adaptation to the environment.
   C. Subsistence and Diet
      1. Discuss the possibilities and limitations for identifying diet in
the past.
      2. List the common lines of evidence used to reconstruct meals and
diet; explain how they are analyzed.
      3. Explain the significant of domesticated plants and animals and
list various techniques for identifying domesticated species.
   D. Technology
      1. Discuss the possibilities and limitations of understanding past
technology.   
      2. List the categories of tool materials and explain how they are
analyzed. 
      3. Discuss the significance of pyrotechnology and metallurgy to our
understanding of the human past
   E. Trade and Exchange
      1. Compare and contrast social interactions with the exchange of
material goods.
      2. Discuss the key techniques and implications for determining the
source of traded goods. 
      3. Describe commonly cited exchange systems and explain how
archaeologists reconstruct these systems. 
      4. Explain the techniques used to study production and discuss how
production is related to exchange and consumption.
      5. Explain the techniques used to study consumption and discuss how
consumption is related to exchange and production.
      6. Discuss the possibilities and limitations of analyzing exchange
and interaction as a complete system.
      7. Assess the impact of trade and exchange on cultural change.
   F. Cognitive Archaeology, Art, and Religion
      1. Define the theoretical perspective and methods of Cognitive
Archaeology.
      2. Explain the origin and function of symbolic thought and behavior
in humans.
      3. Describe how archaeologists analyze past symbols and reconstruct
their various meanings.
   G. Archaeology of People
      1. List common human physical attributes and abilities; explain how
they are assessed.
      2. Discuss the possibilities and limitations of identifying
nutrition, disease, deformity, and cause of death in the past.
      3. Describe the use of genetic analysis to assess ancestry.  
      4. Compare and contrast the concepts of genetic identity and
cultural identity. 
 
III. Explanation in Archaeology 
   A. Migrationist and Diffusionist Explanations
      1. Explain the historical context of Migrationist and Diffusionist
explanations.
      2. Describe the theoretical perspective, approaches, and key
concepts used in Migrationist and Diffusionist explanations.
      3. Critique Migrationist and Diffusionist explanations of past
cultural change.
   B. Processual Approach
      1. Explain the historical context of Processual Archaeology.
      2. Describe the theoretical perspective, approaches, and key
concepts used in Processual explanations.
      3. Critique Processual explanations of past cultural change. 
   C. Postprocessual or Interpretive Explanations
      1. Explain the historical context of Postprocessual or Interpretive
explanations.
      2. Describe the theoretical perspective, approaches, and key
concepts used in Postprocessual or Interpretive explanations.
      3. Critique Postprocessual or Interpretive explanations of past
cultural change.
   D. Cognitive-Processual Archaeology
      1. Identify the points of difference between Cognitive-processual
archaeology and earlier functional-processual approaches.
      2. Describe the theoretical perspective, approaches, and key
concepts used in Cognitive-Processual approaches.
      3. Critique Cognitive-Processual explanations of past cultural
change.
   E. Agency, Materiality, and Engagement
      1. Define the current concepts in archaeological explanation.
      2. Discuss the possibilities and limitations of new approaches for
explaining cultural change.
      3. Evaluate the direction of future approaches to explaining the
past.

Methods of Evaluation of Competencies:

Evaluation of student mastery of course competencies will be accomplished using the following methods:

A minimum of two examinations covering course content are required.
Examinations of course content will make up at least 50% of the final
grade. At the instructor’s discretion, students may be required to
complete in-class assignments, quizzes, oral presentations, experiential
learning, or an in-depth research project. Additional material will not
count for more that 50% of the final grade.  

Caveats: NONE

Disabilities:

If you are a student with a disability, and if you will be requesting accommodations, it is your responsibility to contact Access Services. Access Services will recommend any appropriate accommodations to your professor and his/her director. The professor and director will identify for you which accommodations will be arranged.

JCCC provides a range of services to allow persons with disabilities to participate in educational programs and activities. If you desire support services, contact the office of Access Services for Students With Disabilities (913) 469-8500, ext. 3521 or TDD (913) 469-3885. The Access Services office is located in the Success Center on the second floor of the Student Center.