Archaeology

The Graduate Program

Archaeologists study people of the distant and recent past within the context of their own time and environment in order to understand their behavior, social and political organization, economy, arts and crafts, and ways of life. Archaeology is a global discipline with a deep and wide comparative perspective that draws on all types of material remains from simple stone tools to entire cities; on ephemeral and microscopic evidence derived from plants and soils; and, where possible, on written, graphic, and oral accounts. Archaeology is fundamentally interdisciplinary, combining social and natural sciences with humanistic pursuits.

The Department of Archaeology provides education and training in three broad areas: recovery, analysis, and interpretation of material remains; techniques and practical training in archaeological sciences; and archaeological heritage studies. Curricular guidelines ensure that sufficient background is obtained in one or more cognate fields such as anthropology, history of art and architecture, classics, and history. The program also includes training in statistical or computational methods, either within the Archaeology Department or other departments.

Instructional and Research Facilities

Departmental facilities include teaching and research laboratories, a seminar room, GIS computer facility, student lounge, and a reference collection of artifacts and specimens. Additional instructional and research equipment is available through the Center for Remote Sensing, the only such center in the world that emphasizes archaeological applications, and the International Center for East Asian Archaeology & Cultural History (ICEAACH). The centers are described in the Research Centers & Institutes section of this website. Faculty of the department edit journals and newsletters whose editorial offices are included in departmental quarters: the international Journal of Field Archaeology, and the regional Journal of East Asian Archaeology. The headquarters of the Archaeological Institute of America, the American Journal of Archaeology, the American Center of Oriental Research (ACOR), and the American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR) are located nearby at 656 Beacon Street in Kenmore Square.

In addition to the archaeological books and journals in the Mugar Memorial Library, there is an important collection of archaeological books and journals in the Stone Science Library, which primarily serves the Department of Archaeology and the Center for Remote Sensing. The collection is on the fourth floor in an attractive reading room, along with computers, online catalogs, archaeological bibliographical reference works, maps, and other archaeological reference materials.

Further information is available from the Department of Archaeology office, Stone Science Building, 675 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 347, Boston, MA 02215; 617-353-3415; email: archaeo@bu.edu.