All Archaeology Courses

AR100 Great Discoveries in Archaeology

Illustrated lectures focus on the important discoveries of the discipline of archaeology. Course covers the whole of human prehistory and early history around the world. Archaeological methods are described, along with the great ancient sites: Olduvai, Lascaux, Stonehenge, Egyptian Pyramids, Machu Picchu. (Course fulfills humanities distribution requirement.) (4.0/IND)

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. (Course fulfills social sciences distribution requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR201 Introduction to Underwater Archaeology

(Prerequisite: none) A survey of the history of underwater archaeology and major discoveries in both the Old and New Worlds. Discussions include ships, ports, navigation, trade and trading routes and their significance for maritime history. Archaeological methods for shallow and deep-water excavations will be illustrated. (Course fulfills department topical requirements.) (4.0/IND)

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 extraterrestrials, Pyramids, Stonehenge, crop marks, Noah’s Ark, etc.

(Course fulfills department topical requirements.) (4.0/IND)

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 social sciences distribution requirement, fulfills department topical course requirement.) (4.0/IND)

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 department topical requirements.) (4.0/IND)

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 fulfills department topical requirements.) (4.0/IND)

AR209 The Near Eastern 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 department area requirements.) (4.0/IND)

AR210 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. (4.0/IND)

AR215 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 department topical requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR221 Archaeology of the Islamic World

An overview of the Archaeology of the Islamic world during 7th to 18^th 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 department topical or area requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR222 Art and Architecture of Ancient America

(Cross-listed with AH 222) 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 department area requirements) (4.0/IND)

AR230 Archaeology of Classical Civilizations

An introduction to Classical antiquity through the material remains of the period, ca. 1500 BC to AD 400. Chronological survey of the magnificent (palaces, temples, and major arts) and the mundane (pots, coins, tolls, weapons) as evidenced in the archaeological record. Special emphasis on daily life and on relations between Greco-Roman and other cultures. (Course fulfills humanities distribution requirement, fulfills department area requirement.) (4.0/IND)

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 humanities distribution requirement, fulfills department area requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR240 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 fulfills department area requirements.)

AR251 Ancient Maya Civilization

A survey of current knowledge and scholarship about the Maya civilization, which flourished in Central America between 250-900 AD, its earlier beginnings and subsequent collapse, and aspects of its economic and social basis and artistic and intellectual achievements. (Course fulfills department area requirement.) (4.0/Lecture)

AR261 Asia’s Ancient Cultures and Civilizations

Study of Asia’s ancient civilizations known as the Indus, Oxus, Khmer, and Shang. Outstanding cities; sacred Buddhist, Jain, Hindu, and Judeo-Christian/Islamic centers; elaborate caves; unique burial sites like the Taj Mahal and royal tombs; historic gardens symbolizing “Paradise on Earth”; and architectural marvels like the Great Wall. (Course fulfills department area requirements.) (4.0/IND)

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 department topical or area requirements.)

AR270 New World Rediscovery: 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. (Course fulfills department area requirement.) (4.0/IND)

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 department area requirement) (4.0/IND)

AR280 Food, Diet and Ancient People

A survey of the archaeological evidence for the food, diet, and nutrition of hunter/gatherers and the changes brought about by the development of farming. Emphasis on the remains of plants, animals, and humans and what they tell us about ancient foods. (Course fulfills department topical requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR305 Paleolithic Archaeology

Introduction to the emergence of culture and the reconstruction of early life ways from archaeological evidence. Topics include early humans in Africa, Asia, and Europe; Neanderthals; the first Americans; and the prelude to agriculture. (Course fulfills department topical requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR 307 Archaeological Science

(Prerequisite: AR101 or consent of instructor) Application of natural sciences (biology, chemistry, geology) as 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. (Course fulfills department natural science requirement) (4.0/Lec – Lab)

AR310 Archaeology of the Prehistoric Aegean (Prehistoric Greece)

The Palaeolithic , Mesolithic, Neolithic, and Bronze Ages on the Greek Mainland and the Aegean islands; relations with the Near East and Central Europe; archaeology of Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations; close study of several sites.  (Course fulfills department area requirement.)

AR322 Ancient Aztec and Inca Civilizations

(Cross-listed with AH322)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. (Course fulfills department area requirement.) (4.0/IND)

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 department area requirement.) (4.0/IND)

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 department area requirement.) (4.0/IND).

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 department area requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR332 Greek and Roman Cities

(Cross-listed with AH332) 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 department area requirements.) (4.0/IND)

AR 335 Mystery Cults in the Graeco-Roman World

(Cross-listed with CL335) Lectures and discussions on the evolution and nature of mystery cults in the Graeco-Roman World from the 7th c. BC to Late Antiquity. The course will be concerned with the rituals, belief systems, iconography, and sanctuaries of select cults, including Demeter and Kore, Dionysus, Cybele and Attis, Isis, the Syrian deities, and Mithras. Evidence will be drawn from archaeology, art history, literature, and inscriptions. (Course fulfills department area or topical requirements.). (4.0/IND)

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. (Course fulfills department area requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR342 Syro-Palestinian Archaeology

A survey of the archaeology of ancient Israel, Lebanon, and Syria, from the Stone Age to the late Roman Empire, with emphasis on the material remains of the second and first millennium BC. (Course fulfills department area requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR343 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. (Course fulfills department area requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR350 Archaeology of Prehistoric North America

Major events and processes in the prehistoric cultural development of North America. Post-Pleistocene big-game hunting; emergence of regional patterns in hunting and gathering. Role of food production and trade development of proto-states in the Mississippi River Valley, the Gulf coastal Plain, and the Desert Montane Southwest, and developments on the East Coast. (Course fulfills department area requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR351 Mesoamerican Archaeology

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 fulfills department area requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR 352 South American Archaeology

Topics include origins of early man in Latin America, development of regional cultural patterns, evolution of prehistoric food producing technology and its relationship to settlement patterns, social organization and the development of regional states and an empire in the central Andean area. (Course fulfills department area requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR353 Maya Cities

Ancient Maya cities from Preclassic through Post Classic times (200 BC – AD 1400); their varying dynastic histories and characteristic ideologies and styles of planning, architecture, sculpture, painting and inscriptions, and their embodiment of principles of Maya cosmology. (Course fulfills department area requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR360 The Indus Valley

Course focuses on the archaeological evidence for antecedents of the Indus Civilization and cultural processes leading to its climax and decline (3000-100 BC). Involves in-depth study of socio-economic, political and religious complexities of its organization, technology, settlement patterns, architecture, subsistence, inter-regional trades and relationships with contemporary civilizations. (Course fulfills department area requirement.) (4.0/IND)

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. (Course fulfills department area requirement.) (4.0/IND)

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. (Course fulfills department area requirement.) (4.0/IND)

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; Faneuil Hall, Blackstone Block, Boston Common, and Paul Revere House. (Course fulfills department area requirements.) (4.0/LEC, EXP)

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. (Course fulfills department topical requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR380 Introduction to Pollen Analysis

Principles of pollen analysis and their application to the reconstruction of prehistoric climates and archaeological cultures. Includes a survey of literature, introduction to laboratory techniques and pollen project involving identification of archaeological and a laboratory pollen samples. (Course fulfills department technical requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR381 Introduction to Paleoethnobotany

Introduces the method and theory of the study of the uses of plants by humans derived from evidence presented in the archaeological record, the relationship between humans and their environment, and the relationship between the environment, and the Archaeological record. Laboratory sessions concentrate on identification, and a Project using Archaeological samples. (Course fulfills department technical requirement.) (4.0/Lec-Lab)

AR382 Zooarchaeology

Introduction to archaeological analysis of animal bones. Provides a basis for the use of faunal remains in the investigation of paleoecology, analysis of archaeological site formation histories, and techniques for interpreting human subsistence activities. (Course fulfills department technical requirement.) (4.0/Lec-Lab)

AR390 The Archaeology of Southeast Asia

Meets with AR790. 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 department area requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR391 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 fulfills department area requirements.) (4.0/IND)

AR400 Statistics and Computer Sciences for the Archaeologist

Prerequisite: JR/SR standing, CAS AR101 or equivalent or consent of instructor) Elementary and intermediate application of the computer to archaeological data analysis, derivation and interpretation of the structure of archaeological data assemblages in terms of statistical and mathematical models. (Course fulfills department technical requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR404 Archaeological and Ethnographic Materials: Analysis & Preservation

(Prerequisite: at least one AR course at 200 level or equivalent or consent of instructor) Primary field recovery techniques, laboratory analysis, and laboratory experience in conservation methods for archaeological materials including pottery, wood, bone, metals, stone, leather, fabrics, basketry, paper, and floral remains. (Course fulfills department technical requirement.) (4.0/Lec-Lab)

AR450 Methods and Theory in Archaeology

(SR standing, CAS AR101 or consent of instructor) 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. (4.0/IND)

AR480 Archaeological Ethics and The Law

(Prerequisite: AR101 or consent of instructor) 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. (Course fulfills department topical requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR501 Graphics and Surveying for Archaeology

Lecture and laboratory course on surveying, drafting, and more advanced graphics techniques. The student will be instructed in the use of these techniques as basic tools for archaeology. (Course fulfills department technical requirement.) (4.0/Lec-Lab)

AR503 Archaeological Field Methods: Survey and Excavation

(Prerequisite: CAS AR 101, 102, 307 or consent of instructor) 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. (Course fulfills department field school requirement.)(4.0/IND)

AR 504: Preserving World Heritage: Principles and Practice

Examination of fundamental issues of preservation and management of World Heritage sites, implementation of UNESCO’s Conventions, Recommendations and Charters; selection, evaluation, and nomination of cultural properties for inscription as World Heritage sites and their protection from human and natural causes. (Course fulfills department topical requirements.) (4.0/IND)

AR505 Remote Sensing and Archaeology

(Prerequisite: Two AR courses at the 200, 300 or 400 levels and consent of instructor) 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. (Course fulfills department technical requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR506 Regional Archaeology and Geographical Information Systems

(Prerequisite: Two AR courses at the 200, 300 or 400 levels and consent of instructor) 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. (Course fulfills department technical requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR507 Maritime Archaeology and Technology

Survey of the history of maritime archaeology and technology. Ships, harbors, trade routes of Greek, Etruscan and Roman empires. Bronze finds from the sea. Recent deep-sea discoveries. Latest innovations in shallow and deep-water technologies. Conservation, maritime law. Field Trips. (Course fulfills department topical requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR508 Post-Classical Maritime Archaeology and Technology

The evolution of maritime transport and commerce from the Byzantine Empire forward, including shipbuilding technologies, navigation, ports and routes, trade incentives and naval engagements, contemporary research methodologies, and legislation concerns. Focuses on the Mediterranean, the Americas and the Far East. (Course fulfills department topical requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR509 Geoarchaeology

(Consent of instructor paulberg@bu.edu) Lecture/laboratory course illustrating the use of geological concepts and methods in the study of archaeological problems. Topics include: stratigraphy and stratigraphic principles, geological environments and earth-surface processes, anthropogenic sediments, archaeological materials and their analysis; the formation of archaeological sites. Field trips in the Boston area. (Course fulfills department technical requirement.) (4.0/IND) Lab component to this course is AR512.

AR510 Studies in Prehistoric Aegean Archaeology

(Prerequisite: JR/SR Grad standing, and AR310 or equivalent consent of instructor) Topics vary. Intensive coverage of particular prehistoric periods or sub-areas in the Aegean region (Paleolithic, Neolithic, Crete, Greece, etc.) as selected by the instructor. (Course fulfills department area requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR511 Studies in European Archaeology

(Prerequisite: JR/SR Grad standing, AR311 or equivalent or consent of instructor) 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 department area requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR512 Laboratory and Field Methods in Geoarchaeology

(Prerequisite: CAS AR509 and consent of instructor <paulberg@bu.edu>) Introduction to laboratory and field methods used in Geoarchaeology, including description of field profiles and settings; map (topographic, geological, soil survey) and aerial photo interpretation; laboratory analytical techniques, such as soil micromorphology, x-ray diffraction, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR). This course is the lab component to AR509. (Course fulfills partial department technical requirements.) (2.0/LAB)

AR513 Studies in African Archaeology

Topics vary. Intensive coverage of particular periods or sub-areas in Africa as selected by the instructor. (Course fulfills department area requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR515 Studies in Micromorphology of Terrestrial Sediments

(Prerequisite: JR/SR standing, ES105 and consent of instructor <paulberg@bu.edu>) The micromorphological examination and interpretation of soils, sediments, and archaeological and anthropogenic materials features (e.g., ceramics, bricks, hearths), with focus on the processes of landscape evolution and the mechanisms of archaeological site formation. (Course fulfills department technical requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR528 Studies in Mesoamerican Art and Architecture

(Cross-listed with AH528) 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. Prerequisite: a course in ancient American art or archaeology. (Course fulfills department area requirements.) (4.0/IND)

AR530 Studies in Greek Archaeology

Topics vary. Intensive coverage of particular periods, sub-areas, or topics in Greek archaeology (monuments and topography, cities and sanctuaries, Iron Age Greece, archaeology of Roman Greece, etc) as selected by instructor. (Course fulfills department area requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR531 Studies in Etruscan and Roman Archaeology

Topics Vary. Intensive coverage of particular periods or sub-areas in Etruscan and Roman archaeology (Etruscan settlements and Roman towns, archaeology of the Roman Republic, Archaeology of the Roman provinces, etc.) as selected by instructor. (Course fulfills department area requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR532 Studies in Near and Middle Eastern Archaeology

Topics Vary. Recent offerings have included: Trade in the Near East, Near Eastern Cities of the Bronze and Iron Ages, and Near East Prehistory-Palaeolithic through Neolithic. (Course fulfills department area requirement.) (4.0/IND)

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 department area requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR543 Introduction to Akkadian Cuneiform I

An introduction to the Semitic language that served as the lingua franca in the Near East from ca. 2500-500 BC, with emphasis on reading texts in cuneiform script. (Course fulfills department topical requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR544 Introduction to Akkadian Cuneiform II

Completes coverage of the essentials of Akkadian grammar and highlights differences between Assyrian and Babylonian dialects. Readings in cuneiform include sections of the Code of Hammurabi and the Epic of Gilgamesh. (Course fulfills department topical requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR550 Studies in Prehistoric North America

Topics vary. Intensive coverage of particular periods in North American prehistory (Southwest, Eastern U.S., early peoples, agricultural origins, etc.) as selected by instructor. (Course fulfills department area requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR551 Studies in Mesoamerican Archaeology

Topics vary. Analysis of major events and processes of the Mesoamerican area. Topics include the rise of towns, temples, and urbanism; the origin of state; and the development of empires. (Course fulfills department area requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR552 Studies in South American Archaeology

Topics vary. Intensive coverage of particular periods or sub-areas in South American archaeology (Inca Empire, Formative period of civilization, archaeology of the tropical lowlands, etc.) as selected by instructor. (Course fulfills department area requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR555 Ancient American Writing Systems

(Cross-listed with AH 555) Study of the various writing systems and interdependent Mesoamerican calendar, as found in many media among the pre-Columbian Olmec, Teotihuacan, Zapotec, Mixtec, Aztec, and Maya cultures, from the last centuries BC to the sixteenth century. (Course fulfills department topical requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR556 Archaeological Field Research Experience

(Prerequisite: Consent of instructor, participation in field study in archaeology semester program) Supervised original research in excavation, survey, or field laboratory situation, as art of field study program. (Course fulfills department technical requirements.) (8.0/IND)

AR560 Civilizations of Central and South Asia

Emergence, development, and decline of two Bronze Age Civilizations called “Oasis” in Central Asia and Indus/Harappan in South Asia. Focus on comparative study of cultural processes of urbanization, complex social, economic and religious institutions, specialized crafts, and long distance trade. (Course fulfills department area requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR570 Studies in Historical Archaeology

Topics Vary. Intensive coverage of particular aspects of historical archaeology as selected by instructor. (Course fulfills department topical or technical requirement.) (4.0/IND

AR572 Studies in Industrial Archaeology

Topics vary. The study of the remains of our industrial heritage including aboveground excavations. Topics include mills, dams, canals, bridges, and all other material remains of America’s industrial development. Field trips to New England industrial sites. (Course fulfills department area or topical requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR576 Collections: Ancient and Historical in Modern Context

(Cross-listed with AH576) Considers ancient and historical objects in collections from historical, functional, material, aesthetic perspectives to understand original cultural context. Case studies demonstrate changing theory, practice, legal and ethical implications of museum acquisition and display. (Course fulfills department topical requirement.) (4.0/IND)

AR580 Studies in Archaeological Heritage Management Archaeological Collections Management: Curation and Public Interpretation

(Prerequisite: Senior or graduate standing or consent of instructor) Examination of public uses of archaeological collections and technical issues of archaeological curation. Understanding elements of a collection, environmental and other threats to long-term stability. Involves hands-on collections labs and exercises in peer review, evaluation, and revision of public products. (Course fulfills department topical requirements.) (4.0/IND)

AR585 Archaeological Spatial Analysis

Examines human activity at the landscape, settlement, and locus levels, with implications for human-environmental relationship and urban genesis. Included are material and spatial consequences of human behavior; processes preserving and modifying spatial patterns; quantitative and qualitative spatial techniques using archaeological data. (Course fulfills department technical or topical requirement.) (4.0/IND)

GRS AR699 Teaching College for teaching assistants. Registration is restricted by students. (2.0/IND)

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. (4.0/IND)

GRS AR702 Contemporary Theory in Archaeology

(Prerequisite: GRS AR701) Explore 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; politics and archaeology. (4.0/IND)

GRS AR703 Materials in Ancient Society

(Prerequisite: graduate standing one laboratory course or consent of instructor) Seminar. Topic to be announced. Offered through the Center for Materials Research in Archaeology and Ethnology. (VAR/IND)

(MIT Materials in Ancient Societies: course #3.984)

GRS AR704 Materials in Ancient Society

(Prerequisite: AR703) Seminar. Topic to be announced. Offered through the Center for Materials Research in Archaeology and Ethnology. (MIT Materials in Ancient Societies: course #3.989)(VAR/IND)

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. (4.0/IND)

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. (4.0/IND)

GRS AR707 Natural Sciences in Archaeology

Introduces some of the pressing issues archaeology recognizes and deals with as an anthropological science. Stresses the natural science and engineering methods archaeologists use in tackling such problems and how those methods have become part of the archaeological tool kit. Offered through the Center for Materials Research in Archaeology and Ethnology. (MIT Archaeological Science course #3.985J)(VAR/IND)

GRS AR708 Processes in the Formation of Archaeological Sites

(Prerequisite: Graduate standing, AR509 or consent of instructor <paulberg@bu.edu>) Considers in detail geological, biological and anthropogenic depositional and post-depositional processes that result in formation of archaeological sites. Initial focus on basic principles/processes, then their application to site-evaluation in New and Old World. Field trips in area. (4.0/IND)

GRS AR709 Research Methods in Geoarchaeology

This seminar deals with a variety of topics concerned with the earth and archaeological sciences. Such themes are related to quaternary environments; methods of studying archaeological sediments and materials; scientific methods in the study of archaeological sites. (4.0/IND)

GRS AR711/712 Seminar in Old World Prehistory Aegean

Selected problems or topics in prehistoric archaeology of the Old World. (4.0/IND)

GRS AR713 Seminar: Old World Prehistoric Africa

Topics vary. (4.0/IND)

GRS AR720 Seminar: Maritime Archaeology

Course topics will include: ancient ship and harbor design and construction, navigation techniques, personnel, maritime trade and routes. Shallow and Deep Water excavations will be studied along with other archaeological, historical, and pictorial evidence, and modern ethnographic parallels. (4.0/IND)

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. (4.0/IND)

GRS AR730 Seminar: Old World Historical Archaeology

Selected problems or topics in historical archaeology of the Old World. (4.0/IND)

GRS AR731 Seminar: Greek Archaeology

Topics vary. (4.0/IND)

GRS AR734 Seminar: Archaeology of the Roman Provinces

Topics vary. (4.0/IND)

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. (4.0/IND)

GRS AR742 Syro-Palestinian Archaeology

A survey of the archaeology of ancient Israel, Lebanon, and Syria from the Stone Age to the late Roman Empire, with emphasis on the material remains of the second and first millennia BC. (4.0/Lec, Dis.)

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. (4.0/IND)

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. (4.0/IND)

GRS AR750 Archaeology of Prehistoric North America

Major events and processes in the prehistoric cultural development in North America. Post-Pleistocene big-game hunting; emergence of regional patterns in hunting and gathering. Role of food production and trade development of protostates in the Mississippi River Valley, the Gulf Coastal Plain, and the Desert Mountain Southwest, and developments on the East Coast. (4.0/IND)

GRS AR751 Seminar: Mesoamerican Archaeology

Selected problems or topics in the prehistoric archaeology of the New World. (4.0/IND)

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. (4.0/LEC, DIS)

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. (4.0/IND)

GRS AR772 Archaeology of Boston

(Prerequisite: Graduate standing in GRS or other university; admissions to Summer Term) 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; Faneuil Hall, Blackstone Block, Boston Common, and Paul Revere House. (4.0/LEC, EXP)

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. (4.0/LEC, EXPT)

GRS AR780 Archaeological Ethics and the Law

In this course 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. (4.0/IND)

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. Meets with AR390. (4.0/IND)

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. (4.0/IND)

GRS AR800 Food-Gathering Societies

Seminar on prehistoric hunting-and-gathering societies from the Lower Paleolithic through the Mesolithic. Technology, subsistence patterns, demography, and human organization. Use of ethnographic analogy and environmental studies. (4.0/IND)

GRS AR802 Paleoethnobotany

Seminar. Introduces the method and theory of study of the uses of plants by humans derived from evidence present in the archaeological record, the relationship between humans and their environment, and the relationship between the environment and the archaeological record. Laboratory sessions concentrate on identification methods and project on archaeological material. (4.0/LEC, LAB)

GRS AR803 Quantitative Studies

Seminar. Prerequisite: CAS AR400 or consent of instructor. The application of quantitative methods to archaeological data covering techniques of exploratory data analysis, probability sampling, and techniques of spatial analysis with lectures on statistical methods. (4.0/IND)

GRS AR804 Archaeological Study of Symbolic Systems

Examination of assumptions necessary to study symbolic content in material objects; detailed examination of specific cases drawn for example from Paleolithic and African rock art, Great Zimbabwe and its extensions, Mesoamerica, Eastern Mediterranean. (4.0/IND)

GRS AR805 Archaeological Heritage Management

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. (4.0/IND)

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. (4.0/IND)

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. (4.0/IND)

GRS AR850 Problems in Comparative Archaeology

A comparative analysis of cultural developments and systems of organization through archaeological data from more than one geographical area. A specific topic, which varies annually, is explored in depth under two professors with differing but compatible research interests. (4.0/IND)

GRS AR882 Methods and Theory of Archaeological Reconnaissance and Excavation

Methods and procedures of an archaeological excavation. Practical experience in observation, excavation, recording, and description. (VAR)

GRS AR883 Archaeological and Ethnographic Materials: Analysis and Preservation

Primary field recovery techniques, laboratory analysis, and laboratory experience in conservation methods for archaeological materials including pottery, wood, bone, metals, stone, leather, fabrics, basketry, paper, and floral remains. (4.0/LEC, LAB)

GRS AR901/902 Directed Research in Classical Archaeology (VAR)

GRS AR903/904 Directed Research in New World Historical Archaeology (VAR)

GRS AR905/906 Directed Research in Old World Prehistoric Archaeology (VAR)

GRS AR907/908 Directed Research in New World Prehistoric Archaeology (VAR)

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. (VAR/DRS)

GRS AR912 Dissertation Research in Archaeology (VAR)

GRS AR913/914 Directed Research in Archaeological Heritage Management (VAR)

Directed research in archaeological heritage management.

GRS AR918/919 Directed Research in Geoarchaeology

GRS AR981/982 Certified Full Time Study (0.0)

Student has not completed all course requirements for degree and is registering for less then 12 credits.

GRS AR983/984 Cont Study Part Time (0.0)

GRS AR985/986 Cont Study Certified Full Time (0.0)

Student has completed all course requirements for degree and is doing research.