Courses
Our courses fall into three categories: topical courses that deal with general subjects such as archaeological theory, the rise of civilizations, and ancient technology; area courses that are devoted to specific cultures and regions such as Greece, Egypt, and Mexico; and technical courses that provide training in specific archaeological methods such as Geographic Information Systems and remote sensing.
Summer 2018 Courses
CAS AR100 AA Great Discoveries in Archaeology
Illustrated lectures focus on the important discoveries of the discipline of archaeology. Covers the whole of human prehistory and history around the world. Archaeological methods are described along with great ancient sites, including Olduvai, Lascaux, Stonehenge, Egyptian pyramids, and Machu Picchu. Carries humanities divisional credit in CAS. 4 cr. Tuition: $2720
Summer 1 (May 22-June 28)
A1 (IND) Mon./Tues./Wed./Thurs. 10 am-12 noon
Ilaria Patania
Summer 2 (July 2-August 9)
B1 (IND) Mon./Tues./Wed./Thurs. 10 am-12 noon
Natalie Susmann
Course provides divisional studies credit in the Humanities
Course fulfills Department of Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
Fall 2018 Courses
CAS AR100 Great Discoveries in Archaeology
TR 2:00 – 3:15
Professor Jonathan Ruane
Illustrated lectures focus on the important discoveries of the discipline of archaeology. Course covers the whole of human prehistory around the world. Archaeological methods are described, along with the great ancient sites: Olduvai, Lascaux, Stonehenge, Egyptian Pyramids, Machu Picchu. Lecture and Discussion.
* You must also register for a discussion section, times and days found on Student Link.
Professor Jonathan Ruane
Illustrated lectures focus on the important discoveries of the discipline of archaeology. Course covers the whole of human prehistory around the world. Archaeological methods are described, along with the great ancient sites: Olduvai, Lascaux, Stonehenge, Egyptian Pyramids, Machu Picchu. Lecture and Discussion.
* You must also register for a discussion section, times and days found on Student Link.
Course fulfills HUB Historical Consciousness, and Social Inquiry I
Course provides divisional studies credit in the Humanities
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR101 AA Introduction to Archaeology
TR 9:30 AM – 10:45 AM
Professor Robert Murowchick
Theory, methods and aims of prehistoric and historical archaeology in the Old and New Worlds. Excavation and recovery of archaeological data; dating techniques; interpretation of finds; relation of archaeology to history and other disciplines. Examination of several Old and New World cultures. Lecture and Discussion.
* You must also register for a discussion section, times and days found on Student Link.
Professor Robert Murowchick
Theory, methods and aims of prehistoric and historical archaeology in the Old and New Worlds. Excavation and recovery of archaeological data; dating techniques; interpretation of finds; relation of archaeology to history and other disciplines. Examination of several Old and New World cultures. Lecture and Discussion.
* You must also register for a discussion section, times and days found on Student Link.
Course fulfills HUB Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I
Course provides divisional studies credit in the Social Sciences
Course required for major and minor in Archaeology
CAS AR200 Heritage Matters: Introduction to Heritage Management
MWF 10:10 – 11:00
Prof. Ricardo Elia
Protection and management of archaeological heritage, including sites, artifacts, and monuments. Survey of heritage values and stakeholders. Issues covered include policy and legislation, U.S. preservation system, international efforts, indigenous perspectives, looting, repatriation, underwater heritage, and heritage at war.
Prof. Ricardo Elia
Protection and management of archaeological heritage, including sites, artifacts, and monuments. Survey of heritage values and stakeholders. Issues covered include policy and legislation, U.S. preservation system, international efforts, indigenous perspectives, looting, repatriation, underwater heritage, and heritage at war.
Course fulfills HUB Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I, Research and Information Literacy
Course provides divisional studies credit in the Social Sciences
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical requirement
CAS AR201 Americas Before Columbus
TR 12:30-1:45
Prof. David Carballo
Prof. David Carballo
An introduction to the archaeology and civilizations of the pre-Columbian Americas. Topics progress chronologically as well as comparatively, with cases drawn from Native American cultures of the North America, Mesoamerica, and South America.
Course fulfills HUB Social Inquiry I, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Course provides divisional studies credit in the Social Sciences
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR230 A1 Introduction to Greek and Roman Archaeology
TR 11:00-12:15
Prof. Alexandra Ratzlaff
How material remains help us understand aspects of Ancient Greek and Roman cultures in their historical development: religious and civic spaces; the culture of affluence; imperial identity; and the transformations that mark the end of classical antiquity.
Prof. Alexandra Ratzlaff
How material remains help us understand aspects of Ancient Greek and Roman cultures in their historical development: religious and civic spaces; the culture of affluence; imperial identity; and the transformations that mark the end of classical antiquity.
Course provides divisional studies credit in the Humanities
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR232 Archaeology of Ancient Egypt
MWF 2:30PM – 3:20 PM
Prof. Kathryn Bard
The technology, economy, social life, political organization, religions, art, and architecture of Egypt from predynastic times through the Hellenistic period, based on archaeological and historical sources. Emphasis on the period of the Pharaohs (ca. 3200-323 BC).
Prof. Kathryn Bard
The technology, economy, social life, political organization, religions, art, and architecture of Egypt from predynastic times through the Hellenistic period, based on archaeological and historical sources. Emphasis on the period of the Pharaohs (ca. 3200-323 BC).
Course fulfills HUB Historical Consciousness, Aesthetic Exploration
Course provides divisional studies credit in the Humanities
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR273 Archaeology of the Viking Age
TR 11:00-12:15
Prof. Mary Beaudry
Prof. Mary Beaudry
Archaeological evidence of Viking life and culture. Topics include home life, ships and shipbuilding, trade, warfare, religion, art, colonization; detailed examination of major terrestrial and underwater archaeological excavations in Europe, Greenland, and North America.
Course fulfills HUB Historical Consciousness
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR280 Eating and Drinking in the Ancient World
TR 3:30-4:45
Prof. John Marston
Prof. John Marston
(Prerequisite: WR100 or 120 or equivalent) Survey of the archaeological evidence of the diets of human societies, from earliest humans to the present. Emphasis on the remains of plants, animals, and humans and what they tell us about ancient food and drink within their social contexts.
Course fulfills HUB Social Inquiry I, Writing-Intensive Course, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Course provides divisional studies credit in the Social Sciences
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical requirement
CAS AR290 Human Impacts on Ancient Environments
TR 12:30-1:45
Prof. Catherine West
Prof. Catherine West
Examination of human impacts on the global landscape over the past 10,000 years through migration, hunting, disease, agriculture, and other cultural activities; implications for contemporary and future resources management and environmental policy.
Course provides divisional studies credit in the Social Sciences
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical requirement
CAS AR307 Archaeological Science
TR 2:00PM – 3:15PM
Prof. John Marston
Natural sciences (biology, chemistry, geology) form an integral part of modern archaeology and are applied to issues of dating, reconstructing past environments and diets, and analysis of mineral and biological remains. Laboratories concentrate on biological, geological, physical and chemical approaches. Lecture and Lab.
* Prerequisite: CAS AR101 or consent of instructor.
** You must also register for a lab section, days and times found on Student Link.
Prof. John Marston
Natural sciences (biology, chemistry, geology) form an integral part of modern archaeology and are applied to issues of dating, reconstructing past environments and diets, and analysis of mineral and biological remains. Laboratories concentrate on biological, geological, physical and chemical approaches. Lecture and Lab.
* Prerequisite: CAS AR101 or consent of instructor.
** You must also register for a lab section, days and times found on Student Link.
Course fulfills HUB Scientific Inquiry II, Quantitative Reasoning I, Research and Information Literacy
Course required for major and minor in Archaeology
CAS AR342 Archaeology in the Holy Land
TR 12:30-1:45
Prof. Andrea Berlin
Prof. Andrea Berlin
In Israel, archaeology is part of current events. We study remains from the Israelite to the Moslem conquests (c. 1200 BCE – 640 CE) to learn how material evidence created and still plays a role in a larger historical drama.
* Meets with GRS AR742.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR347 Egypt and Northeast Africa: Early States in Egypt, Nubia and Eritrea/Ethiopia
MWF 11:15-12:05
Prof. Kathryn Bard
This course focuses on early states in northeast Africa, in Egypt, Nubia, and Eritrea/Ethiopia. Comparative analyses include socio-economic institutions, kingship, burial practices and religions of these early states, concentrating on archaeological as well as textual evidence.
* Meets with GRS AR747.
Course fulfills HUB Social Inquiry I, Historical Consciousness, Writing-Intensive Course
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR450 Methods & Theory in Archaeology
TR 9:30-10:45
Prof. Catherine West
Senior capstone seminar dealing with the intellectual history of the discipline, research methods, concepts, and problems in archaeological theory, and the formulation of research designs.
Prof. Catherine West
Senior capstone seminar dealing with the intellectual history of the discipline, research methods, concepts, and problems in archaeological theory, and the formulation of research designs.
Course fulfills HUB Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning, Critical Thinking
Course required for major in Archaeology
CAS AR480 Archaeological Ethics and The Law
M 2:30-5:15
Prof. Ricardo Elia
In this course students examine archaeology and professional ethics; archaeology as public interest; legal organization of archaeology; international approaches to heritage management; looting, collecting and the antiquities market; maritime law and underwater archaeology; cultural resource management in the United States.
* Meets with GRS AR892.
Prof. Ricardo Elia
In this course students examine archaeology and professional ethics; archaeology as public interest; legal organization of archaeology; international approaches to heritage management; looting, collecting and the antiquities market; maritime law and underwater archaeology; cultural resource management in the United States.
* Meets with GRS AR892.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical requirement
CAS AR534 Seminar in Roman Art
W 8:00AM – 10:45AM
Prof. Fred Kleiner
Topics vary. In-depth examination of varying topics in the study of Roman art and architecture. Topic for Fall 2018: Imperial Rome. The development of Rome from an Iron Age village to the capital of the Mediterranean world. Focus on the topography and monuments of the city during the High and Late Empire.
* Prerequisite: junior standing or permission of instructor.
** Meets with CAS AH 534.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
Prof. Fred Kleiner
Topics vary. In-depth examination of varying topics in the study of Roman art and architecture. Topic for Fall 2018: Imperial Rome. The development of Rome from an Iron Age village to the capital of the Mediterranean world. Focus on the topography and monuments of the city during the High and Late Empire.
* Prerequisite: junior standing or permission of instructor.
** Meets with CAS AH 534.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR590 Life is a Bowl, Ceramic Studies in Archaeology
T 3:30-6:15
Prof. Andrea Berlin
Before plastic, there was pottery – pots and pans, cups and dishes, crocks and jars – in every culture and in abundance. In this course we’ll study how archaeologists use the evidence of pottery to elucidate everything from personal habits to large-scale social, economic, and political developments.The course will be divided into three study units. In the first we will focus on the most common forms of scientific analyses: mineral and clay identification via thin section and chemical composition via Instrumental Neutron Activation and X-Ray Fluorescence Analyses. In the second study unit, we will focus on the Levant over the longue durée, from the Bronze Ages through the Ottoman empire, and examine how archaeologists have analyzed and deployed ceramic evidence to reconstruct social, economic, cultural, and political processes. In the third study unit, we will broaden our geographical scope to study the application of ceramic analysis in the archaeologies of Oceania, Africa, the early Americas, and historic America.
Prof. Andrea Berlin
Before plastic, there was pottery – pots and pans, cups and dishes, crocks and jars – in every culture and in abundance. In this course we’ll study how archaeologists use the evidence of pottery to elucidate everything from personal habits to large-scale social, economic, and political developments.The course will be divided into three study units. In the first we will focus on the most common forms of scientific analyses: mineral and clay identification via thin section and chemical composition via Instrumental Neutron Activation and X-Ray Fluorescence Analyses. In the second study unit, we will focus on the Levant over the longue durée, from the Bronze Ages through the Ottoman empire, and examine how archaeologists have analyzed and deployed ceramic evidence to reconstruct social, economic, cultural, and political processes. In the third study unit, we will broaden our geographical scope to study the application of ceramic analysis in the archaeologies of Oceania, Africa, the early Americas, and historic America.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical or technical requirement
GRS AR703 Materials in Ancient Society
offered at MIT
Prof. John Marston
Seminar. Topic to be announced. Offered through the Center for Materials Research in Archaeology and Ethnology.
* MIT Materials in Ancient Societies: MIT course #3.984.
*Must also take AR704 in the Spring: MIT course #3.989.
GRS AR742 Archaeology in the Holy Land
TR 12:30-1:45
Prof. Andrea Berlin
Prof. Andrea Berlin
In Israel, archaeology is part of current events. We study remains from the Israelite to the Moslem conquests (c. 1200 BCE – 640 CE) to learn how material evidence created and still plays a role in a larger historical drama.
* Meets with CAS AR342.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
GRS AR747 Egypt and Northeast Africa: Early States in Egypt, Nubia and Eritrea/Ethiopia
MWF 11:15-12:05
Prof. Kathryn Bard
This course focuses on early states in northeast Africa, in Egypt, Nubia, and Eritrea/Ethiopia. Comparative analyses include socio-economic institutions, kingship, burial practices and religions of these early states, concentrating on archaeological as well as textual evidence.
* Meets with CAS AR347.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
GRS AR891 A1 Contemporary Theory in Archaeology
R 3:30-6:15
Prof. Mary Beaudry
Explores aspects of contemporary theory in archaeology, including post-modern critiques of contemporary practice, new approaches to archaeology of ritual, personhood, identity, and the body; indigenous and public archaeology; and politics and archaeology.
* Cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title previously numbered GRS AR702.
Course required for MA in Archaeology
*Meets with AN741.
Prof. Mary Beaudry
Explores aspects of contemporary theory in archaeology, including post-modern critiques of contemporary practice, new approaches to archaeology of ritual, personhood, identity, and the body; indigenous and public archaeology; and politics and archaeology.
* Cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title previously numbered GRS AR702.
Course required for MA in Archaeology
*Meets with AN741.
GRS AR892 Archaeological Ethics and Law
M 2:30-5:15
Prof. Ricardo Elia
Students examine archaeology and professional ethics; archaeology as a public interest; legal organization of archaeology; international approaches to heritage management; looting, collecting, and the antiquities market; maritime law and underwater archaeology; cultural resource management in the United States.
* Meets with CAS AR 480.
** Cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title previously numbered GRS AR780.
Course required for MA in Archaeology
Prof. Ricardo Elia
Students examine archaeology and professional ethics; archaeology as a public interest; legal organization of archaeology; international approaches to heritage management; looting, collecting, and the antiquities market; maritime law and underwater archaeology; cultural resource management in the United States.
* Meets with CAS AR 480.
** Cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title previously numbered GRS AR780.
Course required for MA in Archaeology
Spring 2019 Courses
CAS AR 100 Great Discoveries in Archaeology
TR 2:00PM – 3:15PM
Prof. Alexandra Ratzlaff
Illustrated lectures focus on the important discoveries of the discipline of archaeology. Course covers the whole of human prehistory around the world. Archaeological methods are described, along with the great ancient sites: Olduvai, Lascaux, Stonehenge, Egyptian Pyramids, Machu Picchu. Lecture and Discussion.
* You must also register for a discussion section, times and days found on Student Link.
Course fulfills HUB Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I
Course provides divisional studies credit in the Humanities
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
Prof. Alexandra Ratzlaff
Illustrated lectures focus on the important discoveries of the discipline of archaeology. Course covers the whole of human prehistory around the world. Archaeological methods are described, along with the great ancient sites: Olduvai, Lascaux, Stonehenge, Egyptian Pyramids, Machu Picchu. Lecture and Discussion.
* You must also register for a discussion section, times and days found on Student Link.
Course fulfills HUB Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I
Course provides divisional studies credit in the Humanities
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR150 Archaeology of Cities
TR 12:30PM – 1:45PM
Prof. David Carballo
An introduction to the archaeology of cities and urbanism. The course includes introductory urban theory, exposure to ancient and early modern cities from geo-temporal contexts that Archaeology Department faculty specialize in, and comparison of cities and urbanism organized along central themes.
Prof. David Carballo
An introduction to the archaeology of cities and urbanism. The course includes introductory urban theory, exposure to ancient and early modern cities from geo-temporal contexts that Archaeology Department faculty specialize in, and comparison of cities and urbanism organized along central themes.
Course fulfills HUB Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I
Course provides divisional studies credit in the Social Sciences
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical requirement
Course fulfills Urban Studies Undergraduate requirement
CAS AR 205 Origins of Civilization
TR 11:00 AM – 12:15 AM
Prof. Jonathan Ruane
The comparison of origins and institutions of civilizations in the Old and New Worlds, including the first state-organized societies of Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus Valley, China, the Aegean, Mesoamerica, and Peru.
Prof. Jonathan Ruane
The comparison of origins and institutions of civilizations in the Old and New Worlds, including the first state-organized societies of Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus Valley, China, the Aegean, Mesoamerica, and Peru.
Course fulfills HUB Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I
Course provides divisional studies credit in the Social Sciences
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical requirement
CAS AR215 Contested Past
TR 9:30AM – 10:45 AM
Prof. Ricardo Elia
Examination of the diverse and often conflicting values associated with archaeological objects, ancient monuments, and cultural sites. Case studies (including the Elgin Marbles) highlight contemporary controversies over ownership, appropriation, use, and abuse of the material remains of the past.
Prof. Ricardo Elia
Examination of the diverse and often conflicting values associated with archaeological objects, ancient monuments, and cultural sites. Case studies (including the Elgin Marbles) highlight contemporary controversies over ownership, appropriation, use, and abuse of the material remains of the past.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical requirement
CAS AR330 Greek Archaeology
MWF 10:10AM – 11:00AM
Prof. Andrea Berlin
Archaeology in Greek lands from the Iron Age to the first century BC; aims and methods of Classical archaeology; correlations with anthropology, art history, history and literature.
Prof. Andrea Berlin
Archaeology in Greek lands from the Iron Age to the first century BC; aims and methods of Classical archaeology; correlations with anthropology, art history, history and literature.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR390 Archaeology of Southeast Asia
TR 12:30PM – 1:45PM
Prof. Robert Murowchick
Examines the prehistoric and historic cultures of Southeast Asia, including the first arrival of humans, regional neolithic and Bronze Age communities, early states, maritime trading networks, as well as political motivations in archaeology and the illicit Asian antiquities trade.
Course fulfills Asian Studies requirement
Course fulfills East Asian Studies requirement
* Meets with AR790.
Prof. Robert Murowchick
Examines the prehistoric and historic cultures of Southeast Asia, including the first arrival of humans, regional neolithic and Bronze Age communities, early states, maritime trading networks, as well as political motivations in archaeology and the illicit Asian antiquities trade.
Course fulfills Asian Studies requirement
Course fulfills East Asian Studies requirement
* Meets with AR790.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR410 Archaeological Research Design and Materials Analysis
M 2:30PM – 5:15PM
Prof. Catherine West
This laboratory-driven course engages students in independent research design and the hands-on analysis of archaeological materials. The course provides a foundation in the integration of theory, research design, and analytical methods through laboratory sessions where students work with archaeological materials. This course is offered in the Spring semester.
* Prerequisite: CAS AR100 or AR101, or consent of instructor.
Prof. Catherine West
This laboratory-driven course engages students in independent research design and the hands-on analysis of archaeological materials. The course provides a foundation in the integration of theory, research design, and analytical methods through laboratory sessions where students work with archaeological materials. This course is offered in the Spring semester.
* Prerequisite: CAS AR100 or AR101, or consent of instructor.
Course fulfills HUB Social Inquiry II, Critical Thinking, and Teamwork/Collaboration
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate technical requirement
CAS AR506 Regional Archaeology and Geographical Information Systems
F 11:15AM – 2:00PM
Prof. Jonathan Ruane
Advanced computer (GIS) techniques are used to address regional archaeological problems. This applied course examines digital encoding and manipulation of archaeological and environmental data, and methods for testing hypotheses, analyzing, and modeling the archaeological record.
* Prerequisite: Two archaeology courses or consent of instructor.
Prof. Jonathan Ruane
Advanced computer (GIS) techniques are used to address regional archaeological problems. This applied course examines digital encoding and manipulation of archaeological and environmental data, and methods for testing hypotheses, analyzing, and modeling the archaeological record.
* Prerequisite: Two archaeology courses or consent of instructor.
Course fulfills HUB Social Inquiry II, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy
Course fulfills Department of Archaeology Undergraduate technical requirement
Course fulfills African Studies requirement
CAS AR510 Proposal Writing for Social Science Research
R 8:00AM – 10:45AM
Prof. John Marston
The purpose of this course is to turn students’ intellectual interests into answerable, field-based research questions. The goal is the production of a project proposal for future research.
* Cross-listed with CAS AN510.
** Undergraduate prerequisite: admission to AR Honors Program or consent of instructor.
*** Graduate prerequisite: graduate student standing in the social sciences or humanities.
Course fulfills Department of Archaeology Undergraduate technical requirement
Prof. John Marston
The purpose of this course is to turn students’ intellectual interests into answerable, field-based research questions. The goal is the production of a project proposal for future research.
* Cross-listed with CAS AN510.
** Undergraduate prerequisite: admission to AR Honors Program or consent of instructor.
*** Graduate prerequisite: graduate student standing in the social sciences or humanities.
Course fulfills Department of Archaeology Undergraduate technical requirement
CAS AR518 Zooarchaeology
T 12:30PM – 3:15PM
Prof. Catherine West
Introduction to the study of archaeological animal bones. Provides theoretical background and methodological skills necessary for interpreting past human-animal interactions, subsistence, and paleoecology. Laboratory sections focus on skeletal identification. Lecture and Lab.
* Prerequisite: CAS AR101 or consent of instructor.
Course fulfills HUB Social Inquiry I, Quantitative Reasoning 1
Course fulfills Department of Archaeology Undergraduate technical requirement
Prof. Catherine West
Introduction to the study of archaeological animal bones. Provides theoretical background and methodological skills necessary for interpreting past human-animal interactions, subsistence, and paleoecology. Laboratory sections focus on skeletal identification. Lecture and Lab.
* Prerequisite: CAS AR101 or consent of instructor.
Course fulfills HUB Social Inquiry I, Quantitative Reasoning 1
Course fulfills Department of Archaeology Undergraduate technical requirement
CAS AR577 Pots and Pans: Material Culture of Cookery & Dining
W 6:00PM – 8:45PM
Prof. Mary Beaudry
Exploration of the food cultures and technologies through material culture- pots, pans, and utensils. Course will range broadly across cultures, time, and space with emphasis on medieval and early modern times. Life histories of humble, overlooked, everyday objects associated with food preparation and consumption; kitchens from prehistory to the present; tradition and fashion in cooking & dining vessels; pots and cooking technology; pots as metaphors & symbols.
*Cross listed with MET ML621.
Prof. Mary Beaudry
Exploration of the food cultures and technologies through material culture- pots, pans, and utensils. Course will range broadly across cultures, time, and space with emphasis on medieval and early modern times. Life histories of humble, overlooked, everyday objects associated with food preparation and consumption; kitchens from prehistory to the present; tradition and fashion in cooking & dining vessels; pots and cooking technology; pots as metaphors & symbols.
*Cross listed with MET ML621.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical requirement
CAS AR593 Memory in 3-D: Memorials, then and now
M 2:30PM – 5:15PM
Prof. Andrea Berlin
Societies craft their histories and identities via memorials, thereby firming up the past for the future. In this course, we analyze the historical context, form and message of important memorials in modern America and classical antiquity.
Societies craft their histories and identities via memorials, thereby firming up the past for the future. In this course, we analyze the historical context, form and message of important memorials in modern America and classical antiquity.
* Prerequisite: junior standing or permission of instructor.
Prof. Andrea Berlin
Societies craft their histories and identities via memorials, thereby firming up the past for the future. In this course, we analyze the historical context, form and message of important memorials in modern America and classical antiquity.
Societies craft their histories and identities via memorials, thereby firming up the past for the future. In this course, we analyze the historical context, form and message of important memorials in modern America and classical antiquity.
* Prerequisite: junior standing or permission of instructor.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical requirement
GRS AR704 Materials in Ancient Society
offered at MIT
Prof. John Marston
Seminar. Topic to be announced. Offered through the Center for Materials Research in Archaeology and Ethnology.
* MIT Materials in Ancient Societies: MIT course #3.984.
*Must also take AR704 in the Spring: MIT course #3.989.
Prof. John Marston
Seminar. Topic to be announced. Offered through the Center for Materials Research in Archaeology and Ethnology.
* MIT Materials in Ancient Societies: MIT course #3.984.
*Must also take AR704 in the Spring: MIT course #3.989.
GRS AR727 Archaeology and Colonialism
T 3:30 PM – 6:15 PM
Prof. Mary Beaudry
Theoretical and methodological approaches to the comparative archaeology of colonialism in ancient and early modern worlds; considers case studies from ancient Greece, Roman Empire, & European colonial projects in South Africa, Australia, and the Americas.
Prof. Mary Beaudry
Theoretical and methodological approaches to the comparative archaeology of colonialism in ancient and early modern worlds; considers case studies from ancient Greece, Roman Empire, & European colonial projects in South Africa, Australia, and the Americas.
GRS AR790 Archaeology of Southeast Asia
TR12:30PM – 1:45PM
Prof. Robert Murowchick
Examines the prehistoric and historic cultures of Southeast Asia, including the first arrival of humans, regional neolithic and Bronze Age communities, early states, maritime trading networks, as well as political motivations in archaeology and the illicit Asian antiquities trade.
Course fulfills Asian Studies Graduate Certificate requirement
* Meets with CAS AR390.
Prof. Robert Murowchick
Examines the prehistoric and historic cultures of Southeast Asia, including the first arrival of humans, regional neolithic and Bronze Age communities, early states, maritime trading networks, as well as political motivations in archaeology and the illicit Asian antiquities trade.
Course fulfills Asian Studies Graduate Certificate requirement
* Meets with CAS AR390.
GRS AR795 Politics, Nationalism, and Archaeology
W 2:30PM – 5:15PM
Prof. Robert Murowchick
Explores how archaeology is shaped by and manipulated for political purposes. Case studies from Asia and around the world trace the development of archaeology during colonial empire-building and post-colonial nationalism, and the importance of archaeological heritage in regional politics.
Course fulfills Asian Studies Graduate Certificate requirement
Prof. Robert Murowchick
Explores how archaeology is shaped by and manipulated for political purposes. Case studies from Asia and around the world trace the development of archaeology during colonial empire-building and post-colonial nationalism, and the importance of archaeological heritage in regional politics.
Course fulfills Asian Studies Graduate Certificate requirement
GRS AR815 Plunder and Preservation: Cultural Heritage in Wartime
R 3:30PM – 6:15PM
Prof. Ricardo Elia
Topics include safeguarding of cultural sites, monuments, and objects during armed conflict; history of cultural seizures as spoils of war; destruction of cultural heritage in war; development of legal protections; contemporary approaches to preservation of heritage at risk from war.
Prof. Ricardo Elia
Topics include safeguarding of cultural sites, monuments, and objects during armed conflict; history of cultural seizures as spoils of war; destruction of cultural heritage in war; development of legal protections; contemporary approaches to preservation of heritage at risk from war.
GRS AR893 World Archaeology
T 8:00AM -10:45AM
Prof. David Carballo
This seminar takes an explicitly comparative approach to addressing questions concerning the origins of and variability in human culture viewed through a review of worldwide archaeological literature.
Prof. David Carballo
This seminar takes an explicitly comparative approach to addressing questions concerning the origins of and variability in human culture viewed through a review of worldwide archaeological literature.
Course required for MA in Archaeology
GRS AR894 Scientific Applications in Archaeology
R 12:30PM – 3:15PM
Prof. John Marston
Seminar exploring new ways of addressing archaeological questions through the application of scientific techniques, focusing on cutting-edge methodologies and the most recent literature in the field. Students pursue questions of individual interest through readings, discussions, presentations, and research papers.
* Cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title previously numbered GRS AR707.
Prof. John Marston
Seminar exploring new ways of addressing archaeological questions through the application of scientific techniques, focusing on cutting-edge methodologies and the most recent literature in the field. Students pursue questions of individual interest through readings, discussions, presentations, and research papers.
* Cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title previously numbered GRS AR707.
Course required for MA in Archaeology
All courses
100 Level Courses
CAS AR100 Great Discoveries in Archaeology
Illustrated lectures focus on the important discoveries of the discipline of archaeology. Course covers the whole of human prehistory around the world. Archaeological methods are described, along with the great ancient sites: Olduvai, Lascaux, Stonehenge, Egyptian Pyramids, Machu Picchu. Lecture and Discussion.
* You must also register for a discussion section, times and days found on Student Link.
* You must also register for a discussion section, times and days found on Student Link.
Course fulfills HUB Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I
Course provides divisional studies credit in the Humanities
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR101 Introduction to Archaeology
Theory, methods and aims of prehistoric and historical archaeology in the Old and New Worlds. Excavation and recovery of archaeological data; dating techniques; interpretation of finds; relation of archaeology to history and other disciplines. Examination of several Old and New World cultures. Lecture and Discussion.
* You must also register for a discussion section, times and days found on Student Link.
* You must also register for a discussion section, times and days found on Student Link.
Course fulfills HUB Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I
Course provides divisional studies credit in the Social Sciences
Course required for major and minor in Archaeology
CAS AR150 Archaeology of Cities
An introduction to the archaeology of cities and urbanism. The course includes introductory urban theory, exposure to ancient and early modern cities from geo-temporal contexts that Archaeology Department faculty specialize in, and comparison of cities and urbanism organized along central themes.
Course fulfills HUB Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I
Course provides divisional studies credit in the Social Sciences
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical requirement
Course fulfills Urban Studies Undergraduate requirement
200 Level Courses
CAS AR200 Heritage Matters: Introduction to Heritage Management
Protection and management of archaeological heritage, including sites, artifacts, and monuments. Survey of heritage values and stakeholders. Issues covered include policy and legislation, U.S. preservation system, international efforts, indigenous perspectives, looting, repatriation, underwater heritage, and heritage at war.
Course fulfills HUB Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I
Course provides divisional studies credit in the Social Sciences
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical requirement
CAS AR201 Americas Before Columbus
An introduction to the archaeology and civilizations of the pre-Columbian Americas. Topics progress chronologically as well as comparatively, with cases drawn from Native American cultures of the North America, Mesoamerica, and South America.
Course fulfills HUB Social Inquiry I , Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Course provides divisional studies credit in the Social Sciences
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR202 Archaeological Mysteries: Pseudoscience and Fallacy in the Human Past
This Course investigates pseudoscientific claims about the past based on case studies claiming to solve archaeological mysteries, and subjects them to the test of evidence using the scientific method. Topics: Atlantis, ancient extraterrestials, Pyramids, Stonehenge, crop marks, Noah’s Ark, etc.
Course fulfills HUB Historical Consciousness, Critical Thinking
Course provides divisional studies credit in the Humanities
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical requirement
CAS AR205 Origins of Civilization
The comparison of origins and institutions of civilizations in the Old and New Worlds, including the first state-organized societies of Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus Valley, China, the Aegean, Mesoamerica, and Peru.
Course fulfills HUB Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I
Course provides divisional studies credit in the Social Sciences
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical requirement
Course fulfills African Studies requirement
CAS AR206 Ancient Technology
Traces the related evolution of technology and culture over the first million years of human existence. Case studies focus on the interaction between early technology and social structure, values, and institutions. Lectures and hands-on experience with ceramics, stone, and metallurgy.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical requirement
CAS AR208 Lost Languages and Decipherments
An overview of the archaeology of writing focusing on modern decipherments of ancient texts. Related topics include characteristics of the world’s major language families, the nature of linguistic change, and the origin and history of the alphabet.
Course provides divisional studies credit in the Humanities
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical requirement
CAS AR209 The Near East Bronze Age
Examines the wealth and power of the ancient Near East and Egypt during the Bronze Age. Topics include the establishment of power, long distance exchange and interaction, ethnicity, architecture, and environmental and ecological factors affecting the civilizations.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR 210 Minoan and Mycenaean Civilizations
Traces the rise and fall of the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations from their Stone Age roots to the end of the Bronze Age. Subjects include art, architecture, economic, social, political, and religious characteristics, and theoretical explanations of cultural change.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR 215 The Contested Past
Examination of the diverse and often conflicting values associated with archaeological objects, ancient monuments, and cultural sites. Case studies (including the Elgin Marbles) highlight contemporary controversies over ownership, appropriation, use, and abuse of the material remains of the past.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical requirement
CAS AR221 Archaeology of the Islamic World
An overview of the Archaeology of the Islamic world during 7th to 18th centuries CE. Focus on ancient cities, religious and secular buildings like gardens, palaces, forts, mausoleums and mosques and study of ceramics, calligraphy, metal and glassware, trade routes and Islamic crafts.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area or topical requirement
CAS AR222 Art and Architecture of Ancient America
This course will introduce the major styles and monuments of the art and architecture of ancient Mesoamerica and the Andes from the first millennium BC to the 16th century AD Major areas to be studied include Mexico, Guatemala, and Peru.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area or topical requirement
CAS AR230 Introduction to Greek and Roman Archaeology
How material remains help us understand aspects of Ancient Greek and Roman cultures in their historical development: religious and civic spaces; the culture of affluence; imperial identity; and the transformations that mark the end of classical antiquity.
Course provides divisional studies credit in the Humanities
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR232 Archaeology of Ancient Egypt
The technology, economy, social life, political organization, religions, art, and architecture of Egypt from predynastic times through the Hellenistic period, based on archaeological and historical sources. Emphasis on the period of the Pharaohs (ca. 3200-323 BC).
Course fulfills HUB Historical Consciousness, Aesthetic Exploration
Course provides divisional studies credit in the Humanities
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR240 The Archaeology of Ancient China
This course examines the Archaeology of Ancient China from the Neolithic through the Bronze Age (7000 to 221 BCE). Particular attention will be paid to the interaction between technology and the acquisition of political, religious, and social power.
Course provides divisional studies credit in the Humanities
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR250 The Aztecs, Maya, and Their Predecessors: Archaeology of Mesoamerica
Analysis of major events and processes of the Mesoamerican area. Topics include the arrival of man; development of regional patterns; origin of food, production; the rise of towns, temples, and urbanism; the origin of the state, the development of the empires.
Course provides divisional studies credit in the Social Sciences
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR251 Ancient Maya Civilization
An exploration of the Maya civilization of Mexico and Central America, including its origins, intellectual achievements, city-state rise and collapse cycles, and the cultural endurance of the Maya people of today.
Course provides divisional studies credit in the Humanities
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR261 Asia’s Ancient Cultures and Civilizations
Highly illustrated exploration of the archaeology of Asia’s most fascinating early cultures and their impact. Coverage includes the Indus, Oxus, and Khmer civilizations, the Han and Tang dynasty Silk Road, and the diverse Neolithic and Bronze Age cultures of China (including the First Emperor’s terracotta army and the Great Wall), Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia. Asian museums, cultural heritage management policies and challenges, and political appropriation of cultural heritage are also examined.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR262 Asian Gods & Goddesses
Representation, meaning, and mystery of gods and goddesses of South and East Asian cultures, from prehistory to the present. Mother, fertility, and tree goddesses; deities of Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. Evidence from archaeology, rock engravings, religious shrines, and other sources.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area or topical requirement
CAS AR270 Archaeology of the Age of Exploration
Archaeological evidence for Columbus’ voyage and its aftermath. Topics include coastal exploration, early settlement, and cultural contacts between Europeans and Native Americans. Evidence from both land and underwater excavations will be presented.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR273 Archaeology of the Viking Age
Archaeological evidence of Viking life and culture. Topics include home life, ships and shipbuilding, trade, warfare, religion, art, colonization; detailed examination of major terrestrial and underwater archaeological excavations in Europe, Greenland, and North America.
Course fulfills HUB Historical Consciousness
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR280 Eating and Drinking in the Ancient World
Survey of the archaeological evidence of the diets of human societies, from earliest humans to the present. Emphasis on the remains of plants, animals, and humans and what they tell us about ancient food and drink within their social contexts.
Course fulfills HUB Social Inquiry I, Writing-Intensive Course, and Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
Course provides divisional studies credit in the Social Sciences
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical requirement
*Prerequisite: WR100 or 120 or equivalent.
CAS AR283 North American Archaeology
North American prehistory from initial peopling of continent to development of complex societies. Explores human entry into the New World; migration across North America; subsistence changes; human effects on landscape; encounters with Europeans; role of archaeology in contemporary Native cultures.
Course fulfills HUB Social Inquiry I, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy.
Course provides divisional studies credit in the Social Sciences
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR290 Human Impacts on Ancient Environments
Examination of human impacts on the global landscape over the past 10,000 years through migration, hunting, disease, agriculture, and other cultural activities; implications for contemporary and future resources management and environmental policy.
Course provides divisional studies credit in the Social Sciences
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical requirement
300 Level Courses
CAS AR305 Paleolithic Archaeology
Introduction to the emergence of culture and the reconstruction of early lifeways from archaeological evidence. Topics include early humans in Africa, Asia, and Europe; Neanderthals; the first Americans; and the prelude to agriculture.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical requirement
CAS AR307 Archaeological Science
Natural sciences (biology, chemistry, geology) form an integral part of modern archaeology and are applied to issues of dating, reconstructing past environments and diets, and analysis of mineral and biological remains. Laboratories concentrate on biological, geological, physical and chemical approaches. Lecture and Lab.
* Prerequisite: CAS AR101 or consent of instructor.
** You must also register for a lab section, days and times found on Student Link.
* Prerequisite: CAS AR101 or consent of instructor.
** You must also register for a lab section, days and times found on Student Link.
Course fulfills HUB Scientific Inquiry II, Quantitative Reasoning I, Research and Information Literacy, Critical Thinking
Course required for major and minor in Archaeology
CAS AR322 Ancient Aztec and Inca Civilizations
The conquests, trades, society, history and religion, art and architecture of the ancient Aztec and Inca empires in Mexico and Peru, as revealed archaeologically and in the accounts of their Spanish conquerors.
* Meets with GRS AR722. Cross-listed with AH322.
* Meets with GRS AR722. Cross-listed with AH322.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR323 Maya Art and Architecture
This course introduces the styles and iconography of Maya sculpture, painting and architecture from Preclassic origins on the epi-Olmec Gulf coast, and the southern coast and highlands of Guatemala; then north into the south and central lowlands and the Classic Period florescence at Tikal, Copan, and Palenque, followed by the architectural innovations of the North, the hybrid grandeur of Chichen Itza, and finally the “international style” at the peripheries of the Classic Maya regions (AD 100-1400).
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR330 Greek Archaeology
Archaeology in Greek lands from the Iron Age to the first century BC; aims and methods of Classical archaeology; correlations with anthropology, art history, history and literature.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR331 Etruscan and Roman Archaeology
Cultural evolution on the Italian peninsula from the early Iron Age to the fall of Rome (1100 BC to AD 476). Origins and developments of Etruscan civilization; Italic peoples and the rise of Rome; Roman religion, economy, arts, architecture, and social and civic institutions.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR332 Greek and Roman Cities
Follows the development of urban centers in the Greco-Roman world from the Late Bronze Age through the Roman period. Topics include state formation, urban architecture and infrastructure, public and private buildings and monuments, and social dynamics of urban culture.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR337 The Wine Dark Sea: Material Culture and Individual Identity in the World of Homer
This course examines the interconnected cultures of the eastern Mediterranean from the Late Bronze Age (c. 1400–1200 BCE) through the Achaemenid period (c. 5–4th C. BCE), with a focus on the material correlates of identity.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR338 Mare Nostrum: Material Culture and Individual Identity after Alexander
This course examines the interconnected cultures of the eastern Mediterranean from the era of Alexander the Great (4th century BCE) through the Roman emperors period (c. 2nd-3rd centuries CE), with a focus on the material correlates of identity.
*Meets with GRS AR738.
*Meets with GRS AR738.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR341 Archaeology of Mesopotamia
An overview of the core area of the ancient Near East from the introduction of agriculture to the Hellenistic era. Emphasis will be on the genesis of urban society and its transformation under the Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians and Persians.
* Meets with GRS AR741.
* Meets with GRS AR741.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR342 Archaeology in the Holy Land
In Israel, archaeology is part of current events. We study remains from the Israelite to the Moslem conquests (c. 1200 BCE – 640 CE) to learn how material evidence created and still plays a role in a larger historical drama.
* Meets with GRS AR742. Cross-listed with CAS RN390, GRS RN690, and STH TX815.
* Meets with GRS AR742. Cross-listed with CAS RN390, GRS RN690, and STH TX815.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR343 Anatolian Archaeology
An historically oriented survey of the material remains of the ancient cultures of Turkey and northwest Iran from the Neolithic to the Hellenistic Period. Emphasis is on the Hittite Empire and civilizations that succeeded it in the first millennium.
* Meets with GRS AR743.
* Meets with GRS AR743.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR346 Seminar: The Archaeology of Ancient Egypt
Examines the prehistoric and early historical origins of ancient Egyptian civilization, major institutions of the culture, and culture changes through time. Major topics such as changing socio-political organization, demography and the economic system, and beliefs/religion will be studied.
* Meets with GRS AR746.
* Meets with GRS AR746.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR347 Egypt and Northeast Africa: Early States in Egypt, Nubia and Eritrea/Ethiopia
This course focuses on early states in northeast Africa, in Egypt, Nubia, and Eritrea/Ethiopia. Comparative analyses include socio-economic institutions, kingship, burial practices and religions of these early states, concentrating on archaeological as well as textual evidence.
* Meets with GRS AR747.
* Meets with GRS AR747.
Course fulfills HUB Historical Consciousness, Social Inquiry I, Writing-Intensive Course
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
*Prerequisite: WR100 or 120 or equivalent.
CAS AR348 Gods, Graves and Pyramids: Ancient Egyptian Religion and Ritual
The ancient Egyptians created monumental evidence of their belief systems, relating to both state religion and the mortuary cult. This course examines ancient Egyptian religion from the evidence of tombs, both royal and private, as well as the temple – all of which evolved over the course of 3,000 years of the pharaonic state. Additionally, hieroglyphic texts associated with these monuments will be studied in translation. These texts not only greatly expand what is known about ancient Egyptian beliefs, but also the rituals that were practiced within Egyptian temples and tomb complexes. The purpose of this course is to provide a better understanding of the beliefs of the ancient Egyptians, from their origins in Predynastic and Early Dynastic times to the development of the great temple complexes in the New Kingdom and later, based on a broad synthesis of the data: archaeological, architectural and textual.
Course fulfills HUB Historical Consciousness, Aesthetic Exploration, Writing-Intensive Course
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
*Prerequisite: WR100 or 120 or equivalent.
CAS AR353 Urbanism in Ancient Mesoamerica
Comparative study of ancient Mesoamerican cities, including the Aztecs, Maya, and their predecessors, focusing on urban functions, cosmological symbolism, and development over time (ca. 1000 BC – AD 1500).
* Prerequisite: CAS AR100 or AR101, or consent of instructor.
(Prerequisite: WR100 or 120 or equivalent)
* Prerequisite: CAS AR100 or AR101, or consent of instructor.
(Prerequisite: WR100 or 120 or equivalent)
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area or topical requirement
CAS AR365 Deep Histories of Conquest: Aztec Mexico and New Spain
Prereq: enrollment in the Madrid Internship Program or the Madrid Spanish Studies Program. *An overview of the Spanish invasion and colonization of Mexico with emphases on comparative social and historical developments in Iberia and Mesoamerica prior to the encounter and the transformation of indigenous and Spanish lifeways in early New Spain.
* Cross-listed with AN365.
* Cross-listed with AN365.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR370 Archaeology of Colonial America
Introduction to the archaeology of American life in the Colonial Period. A consideration of the material culture of early America, including architecture, artifacts, complete sites, and the use of archaeology to confirm or modify the written record.
* Meets with GRS AR770.
* Meets with GRS AR770.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR371 Archaeology of Post-Colonial America
The archaeology of America from the Revolution to the present. Deals with the social history, industry, and the material culture of recent and modern Americans.
* Meets with GRS AR771.
* Meets with GRS AR771.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR372 Archaeology of Boston
Boston’s buried history revealed through excavated artifacts and features. Tours of archaeological laboratories, Boston’s neighborhoods, burying grounds, waterfront, and Harbor Islands. “Big Dig” finds in Charlestown, Mill Pond, North End; Fanueil Hall, Blackstone Block, Boston Common, and Paul Revere House. This course is usually offered in the summer.
* Meets with GRS AR772.
* Meets with GRS AR772.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR375 Oral History and Written Records in Archaeology
A practical introduction to the use of archival and oral sources in text-aided archaeology; surveys the use of oral and documentary sources by archaeologists, giving attention to the type and scope of documents-defined in the broadest sense-available. Critical analysis of documents as a step in constructing anthropological history, historical ethnography, and the “new culture history” as well as the interaction of history, anthropology and material culture studies in historical archaeology.
* Meets with GRS AR775.
* Meets with GRS AR775.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical requirement
CAS AR390 The Archaeology of Southeast Asia
Examines the prehistoric and historic cultures of Southeast Asia, including the first arrival of humans, regional neolithic and Bronze Age communities, early states, maritime trading networks, as well as political motivations in archaeology and the illicit Asian antiquities trade.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
Course fulfills Asian Studies requirement
Course fulfills East Asian Studies requirement
* Meets with AR790.
CAS AR393 Out of the Fiery Furnace: Early Metallurgy of the Pre-industrial World
Technology is a central part of the human experience, and the development of metallurgy stands out as one technology that was mastered by some cultures, and virtually ignored by others. This course explores all aspects of the development of copper, bronze, gold, silver, iron, and other metals among the prehistoric and early historic cultures across Asia. By first providing an understanding of the technical aspects of mining, smelting, casting, alloying, and finishing, the course then looks at this technology within a much broader context, examining its varied roles and impact in the ritual, military, symbolic, and economic aspects of these cultures. Its prominence in the modern antiquities trade is also examined, as is its manipulation as a potent tool in modern nationalistic debates.
* Meets with GRS AR793.
* Meets with GRS AR793.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical requirement
CAS AR396 Cultural Heritage and Diplomacy
Course considers place of heritage in archaeology and cultural diplomacy; art architecture as cultural ambassadors; culture representation in museums and cultural landscapes; international art law; cultural affairs in U.S. embassies; the State Department; strategic impact of heritage in promoting U.S. foreign policy.
* Meets with GRS AR796. Cross-listed with CAS IR396 and GRS IR796.
* Meets with GRS AR796. Cross-listed with CAS IR396 and GRS IR796.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical requirement
400 Level Courses
CAS AR410 Archaeological Research Design and Materials Analysis
This laboratory-driven course engages students in independent research design and the hands-on analysis of archaeological materials. The course provides a foundation in the integration of theory, research design, and analytical methods through laboratory sessions where students work with archaeological materials. This course is offered in the Spring semester.
* Prerequisite: CAS AR307, or consent of instructor.
* Prerequisite: CAS AR307, or consent of instructor.
Course fulfills HUB Social Inquiry II, Critical Thinking, and Teamwork/Collaboration
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate technical requirement
CAS AR430 The End of Days: Analyzing Collapse in Complex Societies
Seminar on the archaeology, anthropology, mythology and history of collapse in complex societies. Course provides students with an in-depth understanding of major issues and challenges in studying the dissolution and reformulation of complex societies in the ancient world.
* Meets with GRS AR830.
* Meets with GRS AR830.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical requirement
CAS AR435 Topics in the Materiality of Ancient Mediterranean Religions
Investigates manifestations and contexts of religion in the Greco-Roman world, including iconographic, architectural, votive, magical, and archaeological remains, and drawing on theories of space, image, and ritual performance. Individual topics will address historical periods or specific themes in religious materiality.
* Meets with GRS AR735. Cross-listed with CAS RN490 and GRS RN790.
* Meets with GRS AR735. Cross-listed with CAS RN490 and GRS RN790.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical requirement
CAS AR438 Seminar: Pompeii
Prereq: junior or senior standing; or consent of instructor. An in-depth study of Pompeii and the other towns buried by Mount Vesuvius. All aspects of the Vesuvian cities will be examined, including urban planning and public architecture, private domestic and funerary architecture, mural painting, mosaics, and sculpture, as well as the history of the excavations.
*Cross listed with AH438.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR450 Methods and Theory in Archaeology
Senior capstone seminar dealing with the intellectual history of the discipline, research methods, concepts, and problems in archaeological theory, and the formulation of research designs.
Course fulfills HUB Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning, and Critical Thinking
Course required for major in Archaeology
CAS AR451 Seminar in Mesoamerican Archaeology
Mesoamerican Archaeology: Advanced seminar covering major events and processes of the Mesoamerican culture region. Topics vary by semester, but may include issues such as early villages, urbanization, state formation, households, religion, economy and exchange, and the Spanish conquest and early colonialism.
* Prerequisite: AR222, AR250, AR251, AR322, AR323, AR353, or consent of instructor.
* Prerequisite: AR222, AR250, AR251, AR322, AR323, AR353, or consent of instructor.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR480 Archaeological Ethics and The Law
In this course students examine archaeology and professional ethics; archaeology as public interest; legal organization of archaeology; international approaches to heritage management; looting, collecting and the antiquities market; maritime law and underwater archaeology; cultural resource management in the United States.
* Meets with GRS AR892.
* Meets with GRS AR892.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical requirement
500 Level Courses
CAS AR500 Public Archaeology in the United States
Introduction to the practice of public archaeology in the U.S. Historical and legal background; state and federal programs; conducting archaeological investigations; archaeology as a business; the public interest; controversies, problems, and prospects in archaeological heritage management.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical requirement
CAS AR503 Archaeological Field Methods: Survey and Excavation
Archaeological field school with intensive study of archaeological techniques and procedures. Direct involvement in field excavation, assisting in data recording, and in the description and inventory of artifacts and specimens. Field, lab and/or lecture involvement; requires six to seven hours a day, five days a week. Various locations around the world.
* Prerequisite: CAS AR101 or consent of instructor.
* Prerequisite: CAS AR101 or consent of instructor.
Course required for major in Archaeology
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate field school requirement
CAS AR505 Remote Sensing and Archaeology
Lecture/laboratory course introducing students to applications of remote sensing in archaeology. A variety of geophysical survey methods as well as multispectral image analysis are taught. Topics include the use of remotely sensed data for regional analysis, the discovery and mapping of buried archaeological features, and computer analysis of multispectral data.
* Prerequisite: Two archaeology courses or consent of instructor.
* Prerequisite: Two archaeology courses or consent of instructor.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate technical requirement
CAS AR506 Regional Archaeology and Geographical Information Systems
Advanced computer (GIS) techniques are used to address regional archaeological problems. This applied course examines digital encoding and manipulation of archaeological and environmental data, and methods for testing hypotheses, analyzing, and modeling the archaeological record.
* Prerequisite: Two archaeology courses or consent of instructor.
* Prerequisite: Two archaeology courses or consent of instructor.
Course fulfills HUB Social Inquiry II, Historical Consciousness, Research and Information Literacy
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate technical requirement
CAS AR507 Lay of the Land: Surface and Subsurface Mapping in Archaeology
This course integrates classroom, lab, and field instruction to provide students understanding and practical field skills in archaeological surface and subsurface mapping. Coverage includes point-based surveying, ground-based and photogrammetric surface modeling, aerial image digitization, and archaeogeophysical prospection.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical requirement
CAS AR510 Proposal Writing for Social Science Research
The purpose of this course is to turn students’ intellectual interests into answerable, field-based research questions. The goal is the production of a project proposal for future research.
* Cross-listed with CAS AN510.
** Undergraduate prerequisite: admission to AR Honors Program or consent of instructor.
*** Graduate prerequisite: graduate student standing in the social sciences or humanities.
* Cross-listed with CAS AN510.
** Undergraduate prerequisite: admission to AR Honors Program or consent of instructor.
*** Graduate prerequisite: graduate student standing in the social sciences or humanities.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate technical requirement
CAS AR511 Studies in European Archaeology
Topics vary. Intensive coverage of particular periods, sub-areas, or events in European prehistory (Paleolithic, Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages, Western Europe or Eastern Europe, population migrations, etc.) as selected by instructor.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR513 Studies in African Archaeology
Topics vary. Intensive coverage of particular periods or sub-areas in Africa as selected by the instructor.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR516 Paleoethnobotany
Introduces the theory and method of the study of archaeological plant remains and basic botanical and ecological concepts. Highlights relationships between people and environments and the roles of plants in past societies. Laboratory sessions concentrate on quantitative analysis. Lecture and Lab.
* Prerequisite: CAS AR101 or consent of instructor.
* Prerequisite: CAS AR101 or consent of instructor.
Course fulfills HUB Social Inquiry II, Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate technical requirement
CAS AR518 Zooarchaeology
Introduction to the study of archaeological animal bones. Provides theoretical background and methodological skills necessary for interpreting past human-animal interactions, subsistence, and paleoecology. Laboratory sections focus on skeletal identification. Lecture and Lab.
* Prerequisite: CAS AR101 or consent of instructor.
Course fulfills HUB Social Inquiry II, Quantitative Reasoning I
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate technical requirement
CAS AR528 Studies in Mesoamerican Art and Architecture
Topics vary. Studies of ancient Mesoamerican cultures as known from their archaeological sites and reconstructed history as known from their changing plans, architecture, art and iconography.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR531 Studies in Etruscan and Roman Archaeology
CAS AR532 Studies in Near and Middle Eastern Archaeology
CAS AR534 Seminar in Roman Art
Topics vary. In-depth examination of varying topics in the study of Roman art and architecture. Topic for Spring 2018: Artistic Patronage in the Roman World. An empire-wide study of the role of patrons (imperial, civic, and private) in the commissioning of Roman art and architecture, and of the impact patrons have on the form and content of the works they pay for.
* Prerequisite: junior standing or permission of instructor.
** Meets with CAS AH 534.
* Prerequisite: junior standing or permission of instructor.
** Meets with CAS AH 534.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR535 Europe and the Mediterranean World in Late Antiquity
Interdisciplinary overview of Europe and Mediterranean World in the 3rd-6th centuries A.D., based on the archaeological record and material culture (including art), and drawing on history and literature. Topics include: rise of Christianity; town and country; public and private life.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR551 Studies in Mesoamerican Archaeology
Topics vary. Analysis of major events and processes of the Mesoamerican area. Topics include the arrival of man; development of regional patterns; origin of food production; rise of towns, temples, and urbanism; the origin of state; and the development of empires.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area requirement
CAS AR556 Archaeological Field Research Experience
Supervised original research in excavation, survey, or field laboratory situation, as art of field study program.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate area or technical requirement
CAS AR570 Approaches to Artifact Analysis in Historical Archaeology
Identification and dating of European and Asian artifacts found on archaeological sites in the Americas, ca. 1500-1900. Emphasis on methods for analyzing, conducting research on, and interpreting artifacts and assemblages.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical or technical requirement
CAS AR577 Pots and Pans: Material Culture of Cookery & Dining
Exploration of the food cultures and technologies through material culture- pots, pans, and utensils. Course will range broadly across cultures, time, and space with emphasis on medieval and early modern times. Life histories of humble, overlooked, everyday objects associated with food preparation and consumption; kitchens from prehistory to the present; tradition and fashion in cooking & dining vessels; pots and cooking technology; pots as metaphors & symbols.
*Cross listed with MET ML621.
*Cross listed with MET ML621.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical requirement
CAS AR580 Studies in Archaeological Heritage Management Archaeological Collections Management: Curation and Public Interpretation
Introduction to Heritage Management with a focus on European case studies. This course involves both theory and practice of various themes of Cultural Heritage Management, understood in a broad sense and with an interdisciplinary approach. It involves topics such as the value and significance of cultural sites and objects; the identification and analysis of stakeholder communities; principles and practices of Heritage Management in local, national and international contexts; conservation of archaeological and historical remains; site management and cultural tourism; and site interpretation and education programs. Students will engage in hands-on heritage activities and projects, such as planning an exhibit, developing a public outreach program, or assessing a management plan. This course has an emphasis on archaeological sites, but it also extends to other areas such as historical sites and art centers. Therefore, it is open to students of art history, anthropology, classics, museum studies, and education. We will study how to prepare a site for tourism, how to design and implement programs for all kinds of publics—children, teenagers, mentally-handicapped, etc.— and how to reach the community and involve it in the task of preserving its cultural heritage.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical requirement
CAS AR590 Life is a Bowl, Ceramic Studies in Archaeology
Before plastic, there was pottery – pots and pans, cups and dishes, crocks and jars – in every culture and in abundance. In this course we’ll study how archaeologists use the evidence of pottery to elucidate everything from personal habits to large-scale social, economic, and political developments.The course will be divided into three study units. In the first we will focus on the most common forms of scientific analyses: mineral and clay identification via thin section and chemical composition via Instrumental Neutron Activation and X-Ray Fluorescence Analyses. In the second study unit, we will focus on the Levant over the longue durée, from the Bronze Ages through the Ottoman empire, and examine how archaeologists have analyzed and deployed ceramic evidence to reconstruct social, economic, cultural, and political processes. In the third study unit, we will broaden our geographical scope to study the application of ceramic analysis in the archaeologies of Oceania, Africa, the early Americas, and historic America.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical or technical requirement
CAS AR593 Memory in 3-D: Memorials, then and now
Societies craft their histories and identities via memorials, thereby firming up the past for the future. In this course, we analyze the historical context, form and message of important memorials in modern America and classical antiquity.
Societies craft their histories and identities via memorials, thereby firming up the past for the future. In this course, we analyze the historical context, form and message of important memorials in modern America and classical antiquity.
* Prerequisite: junior standing or permission of instructor.
Societies craft their histories and identities via memorials, thereby firming up the past for the future. In this course, we analyze the historical context, form and message of important memorials in modern America and classical antiquity.
* Prerequisite: junior standing or permission of instructor.
Course fulfills Archaeology Undergraduate topical requirement
600 Level Courses
GRS AR699 Teaching College for Teaching Assistants
* Restricted to teaching assistants.
700 Level Courses
GRS AR701 Intellectual History of Archaeology
The historical development of archaeological methods and theory from the Renaissance to the present day, including consideration of major developments in Western Europe and the Americas, with comparative developments in other regions. Basic concepts in archaeological record and society.
* Prerequisite: graduate standing and at least two prior courses in sociocultural anthropology.
* Prerequisite: graduate standing and at least two prior courses in sociocultural anthropology.
GRS AR703 Materials in Ancient Society
Seminar. Topic to be announced. Offered through the Center for Materials Research in Archaeology and Ethnology.
* MIT Materials in Ancient Societies: course #3.984.
* MIT Materials in Ancient Societies: course #3.984.
GRS AR704 Materials in Ancient Society
GRS AR704 Materials in Ancient SocietySeminar. Topic to be announced. Offered through the Center for Materials Research in Archaeology and Ethnology.
* MIT Materials in Ancient Societies: course #3.989.
* MIT Materials in Ancient Societies: course #3.989.
GRS AR705 Pre-Urban Development
Cultural development from the origins of humankind through the establishment of food production, with emphasis on models for reconstructing successive changes in adaptation among early populations.
GRS AR706 Archaeology of Complex Societies
Core concepts of archaeological research on the formation, cultural development, and decay of complex societies as well as their introduction into other cultures. Coverage emphasizes research design rather than simply survey.
GRS AR712 Seminar in Old World Prehistory
Selected problems or topics in prehistoric archaeology of the Old World.
GRS AR727 Archaeology and Colonialism
Theoretical and methodological approaches to the comparative archaeology of colonialism in ancient and early modern worlds; considers case studies from ancient Greece, Roman Empire, & European colonial projects in South Africa, Australia, and the Americas.
GRS AR730 Seminar: Old World Historical Archaeology
Selected problems or topics in historical archaeology of the Old World.
GRS AR731 Seminar: Greek Archaeology
Topics vary.
GRS AR734 Seminar: Archaeology of the Roman Provinces
Topics vary.
GRS AR735 Topics in the Materiality of Ancient Mediterranean Religions
Investigates manifestations and contexts of religion in the Greco-Roman world, including iconographic, architectural, votive, magical, and archaeological remains, and drawing on theories of space, image, and ritual performance. Individual topics will address historical periods or specific themes in religious materiality.
* Prerequisite: Prior coursework in Archaeology or in ancient religions (Classics/RN/Hist/STh), or permission of the instructor.
** Meets with CAS AR435. Cross-listed with CAS RN490 and GRS RN790.
* Prerequisite: Prior coursework in Archaeology or in ancient religions (Classics/RN/Hist/STh), or permission of the instructor.
** Meets with CAS AR435. Cross-listed with CAS RN490 and GRS RN790.
GRS AR737 The Wine Dark Sea: Material Culture and Individual Identity in the World of Homer
This course examines the interconnected cultures of the eastern Mediterranean from the Late Bronze Age (c. 1400–1200 BCE) through the Achaemenid period (c. 5–4th C. BCE), with a focus on the material correlates of identity.
*Meets with CAS AR337.
*Meets with CAS AR337.
GRS AR738 Mare Nostrum: Material Culture and Individual Identity after Alexander
This course examines the interconnected cultures of the eastern Mediterranean from the era of Alexander the Great (4th century BCE) through the Roman emperors period (c. 2nd-3rd centuries CE), with a focus on the material correlates of identity.
*Meets with CAS AR338.
*Meets with CAS AR338.
GRS AR741 Archaeology of Mesopotamia
Seminar. Studies this core area of the ancient Near East, from the introduction of agriculture to the Hellenistic era. Examines the genesis of the first urban society and its transformation under the Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians, and Persians.
* Meets with CAS AR341.
* Meets with CAS AR341.
GRS AR742 Archaeology in the Holy Land
In Israel, archaeology is part of current events. We study remains from the Israelite to the Moslem conquests (c. 1200 BCE – 640 CE) to learn how material evidence created and still plays a role in a larger historical drama.
* Meets with CAS AR342.
** Cross lists with CAS RN390/690 & STH TX815.
* Meets with CAS AR342.
** Cross lists with CAS RN390/690 & STH TX815.
GRS AR743 Anatolian Archaeology
A historically oriented survey of the material remains of the ancient cultures of Turkey and northwest Iran from the Neolithic to the Hellenistic period. Emphasis is on the Hittite Empire and civilizations that succeeded it in the first millennium.
* Meets with CAS AR343.
* Meets with CAS AR343.
GRS AR746 Archaeology of Ancient Egypt
Seminar. Survey and analysis of sites from Egypt’s prehistory and the major periods of Pharaonic civilizations. Problems such as changing social and political organization, demography, and the economic system will be studied, as interpreted from the archaeological evidence.
* Meets with CAS AR346.
* Meets with CAS AR346.
GRS AR747 Egypt and Northeast Africa: Early States in Egypt, Nubia and Eritrea/Ethiopia
This course focuses on early states in northeast Africa, in Egypt, Nubia, and Eritrea/Ethiopia. Comparative analyses include socio-economic institutions, kingship, burial practices and religions of these early states, concentrating on archaeological as well as textual evidence.
* Meets with CAS AR347.
* Meets with CAS AR347.
GRS AR751 Seminar: Mesoamerica Archaeology
It is a seminar on the archaeology of prehispanic Mesoamerica (much of modern Mexico and Central America), and is intended to provide students with an in depth understanding of major issues in studying the Mesoamerican past, with relative emphases changing by semester.
*Meets with CAS AR451.
*Meets with CAS AR451.
GRS AR770 New World Historical Archaeology: Colonial America
Seminar. Material culture of the people who colonized North America. Architecture, artifacts, and a variety of sites – domestic, military, commercial, sepulchral – are studied. Uses of archival evidence as factual and ethnographic documentation for archaeological interpretation are discussed.
* Meets with CAS AR370.
* Meets with CAS AR370.
GRS AR771 New World Historical Archaeology: Post-Colonial America
Seminar. The archaeological study of America since the Revolution. Focus is on the archaeological and artifactual evidence for the development of plantation systems and slavery, industrial and urban centers, ethnicity, and modern popular culture.
* Meets with CAS AR371.
* Meets with CAS AR371.
GRS AR772 Archaeology of Boston
Boston’s buried history revealed through excavated artifacts and features. Tours of archaeological laboratories, Boston’s neighborhoods, burying grounds, waterfront, and Harbor Islands. “Big Dig” finds in Charlestown, Mill Pond, North End; Fanueil Hall, Blackstone Block, Boston Common, and Paul Revere House.
* Meets with CAS AR372.
* Meets with CAS AR372.
GRS AR775 Oral History and Written Records in Archaeology
Comprehensive survey of use of oral and written documentary history by archaeologists. Specific topics, sources, techniques of recording and analysis. Special attention to archaeological applications of African and American oral history projects; case studies involving documentation in New World historical archaeology.
* Meets with CAS AR375.
* Meets with CAS AR375.
GRS AR790 The Archaeology of Southeast Asia
Examines the prehistoric and historic cultures of Southeast Asia, including the first arrival of humans, regional neolithic and Bronze Age communities, early states, maritime trading networks, as well as political motivations in archaeology and the illicit Asian antiquities trade.
Course fulfills Asian Studies Graduate Certificate requirement
* Meets with CAS AR390.
Course fulfills Asian Studies Graduate Certificate requirement
* Meets with CAS AR390.
GRS AR793 Out of the Fiery Furnace: Metallurgy of the Asian World
Technology is a central part of the human experience, and the development of metallurgy stands out as one technology that was mastered by some cultures, and virtually ignored by others. This course explores all aspects of the development of copper, bronze, gold, silver, iron, and other metals among the prehistoric and early historic cultures across Asia. By first providing an understanding of the technical aspects of mining, smelting, casting, alloying, and finishing, the course then looks at this technology within a much broader context, examining its varied roles and impact in the ritual, military, symbolic, and economic aspects of these cultures. Its prominence in the modern antiquities trade is also examined, as is its manipulation as a potent tool in modern nationalistic debates. Open to all interested students in all departments.
* Meets with CAS AR393.
* Meets with CAS AR393.
GRS AR795 Politics, Nationalism, and Archaeology
Explores how archaeology is shaped by and manipulated for political purposes. Case studies from Asia and around the world trace the development of archaeology during colonial empire-building and post-colonial nationalism, and the importance of archaeological heritage in regional politics.
Course fulfills Asian Studies Graduate Certificate requirement
Course fulfills Asian Studies Graduate Certificate requirement
GRS AR796 Cultural Heritage and Diplomacy
Course considers place of heritage in archaeology and cultural diplomacy; art architecture as cultural ambassadors; culture representation in museums and cultural landscapes; international art law; cultural affairs in U.S. embassies; the State Department; strategic impact of heritage in promoting U.S. foreign policy.
* Meets with CAS AR396. Cross-listed with CAS IR396 and GRS IR796.
* Meets with CAS AR396. Cross-listed with CAS IR396 and GRS IR796.
800 Level Courses
GRS AR808 Survey and Landscape Archaeology
This seminar traces the development of survey and landscape archaeology and their impact on understandings of the social, political, economic, and religious environments of ancient cultures. Weekly discussions and presentations cover a sample of methodological and interpretive approaches.
GRS AR810 International Heritage Management
Investigations of issues in archaeological heritage management at the international level. Approaches, challenges, and solutions to problems in the identification, evaluation, conservation, management, and interpretation of archaeological resources. Focus on specific topics (e.g. legislation) and/or geographical regions.
GRS AR815 Plunder and Preservation: Cultural Heritage in Wartime
Topics include safeguarding of cultural sites, monuments, and objects during armed conflict; history of cultural seizures as spoils of war; destruction of cultural heritage in war; development of legal protections; contemporary approaches to preservation of heritage at risk from war.
GRS AR830 The End of Days: Analyzing Collapse in Complex Societies
Seminar on the archaeology, anthropology, mythology and history of collapse in complex societies. Course provides students with an in-depth understanding of major issues and challenges in studying the dissolution and reformulation of complex societies in the ancient world.
* Meets with CAS AR430.
* Meets with CAS AR430.
GRS AR891 Contemporary Theory in Archaeology
Explores aspects of contemporary theory in archaeology, including post-modern critiques of contemporary practice, new approaches to archaeology of ritual, personhood, identity, and the body; indigenous and public archaeology; and politics and archaeology.
* Cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title previously numbered GRS AR702.
*Meets with AN741.
Course required for MA in Archaeology
* Cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title previously numbered GRS AR702.
*Meets with AN741.
Course required for MA in Archaeology
GRS AR892 Archaeological Ethics and Law
Students examine archaeology and professional ethics; archaeology as a public interest; legal organization of archaeology; international approaches to heritage management; looting, collecting, and the antiquities market; maritime law and underwater archaeology; cultural resource management in the United States.
* Meets with CAS AR 480.
** Cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title previously numbered GRS AR780.
* Meets with CAS AR 480.
** Cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title previously numbered GRS AR780.
Course required for MA in Archaeology
GRS AR893 World Archaeology
This seminar takes an explicitly comparative approach to addressing questions concerning the origins of and variability in human culture viewed through a review of worldwide archaeological literature.
Course required for MA in Archaeology
GRS AR894 Scientific Applications in Archaeology
Seminar exploring new ways of addressing archaeological questions through the application of scientific techniques, focusing on cutting-edge methodologies and the most recent literature in the field. Students pursue questions of individual interest through readings, discussions, presentations, and research papers.
* Cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title previously numbered GRS AR707.
* Cannot be taken for credit in addition to the course with the same title previously numbered GRS AR707.
Course required for MA in Archaeology
900 Level Courses
GRS AR901/902 Directed Research in Classical Archaeology
Contact Archaeology for registration instructions.
GRS AR903/904 Directed Research in New World Historical Archaeology
Contact Archaeology for registration instructions.
GRS AR905/906 Directed Research in Old World Prehistoric Archaeology
Contact Archaeology for registration instructions.
GRS AR907/908 Directed Research in New World Prehistoric Archaeology
Contact Archaeology for registration instructions.
GRS AR910/911 Practicum in Archaeological Heritage Management
A full-time internship in an appropriate public or private firm, agency, or other organization involved in the practice of public archaeology. Contact Archaeology for registration instructions.
GRS AR912 Dissertation Research in Archaeology
Contact Archaeology for registration instructions.
GRS AR913/914 Directed Research in Archaeological Heritage Management
Contact Archaeology for registration instructions.
GRS AR917/918 Directed Research in Geoarchaeology
Contact Archaeology for registration instructions.
GRS AR981/982 Certified Full Time Study
Student has not completed all course requirements for degree and is registered for less than 12 credits. Contact Archaeology for registration instructions.
GRS AR983/984 Continued Study Part Time
Student has completed all course requirements for degree and is doing research, part time status. Contact Archaeology for registration instructions.
GRS AR985/986 Continued Study Certified Full Time
Student has completed all course requirements for degree and is doing research. Contact Archaeology for registration instructions.