Fall Courses

Archaeology Fall 2009 Courses
The schedule on the Link is the most current.
CAS AR100 A1TR 11:00-12:30Professor Saturno Great Discoveries in ArchaeologyIllustrated 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, etc. Course fulfills humanities distribution requirement.(Course fulfills humanities distribution requirement.)
 
CAS AR100 A2MWF 12:00-1:00Professor Roosevelt Great Discoveries in ArchaeologyIllustrated 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, etc. Course
fulfills humanities distribution requirement.(Course fulfills humanities distribution requirement.)
 
CAS AR101 A1TR 2:00-3:30Professor Danti 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.(Course fulfills social science distribution requirement.)
 
CAS AR202 A1TR 9:30-11:00Professor Runnels 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.)
 
CAS AR205 A1MWF 11:00-12:00Professor Bard 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 department topical requirements.(Course fulfills social science distribution and department topical requirement.)
 
CAS AR209 A1TR 11:00-12:30Professor Danti The Near Eastern Bronze AgeExamines 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.)
 
CAS AR230 A1TR3:30-5:00Professor Roosevelt 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 and department area requirement.)
 
CAS AR232 A1
MWF 2:00-3:00Professor Bard		 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.)
 
CAS AR240 A1
MWF 12:00-1:00Professor Murowchick		 Archaeology of Ancient ChinaThis course examines the Archaeology of Ancient China from the Neolithic through the Bronze Age periods (ca. 7000 to 3rd C. BCE). Particular attention will be paid to the interaction between technology and the acquisition of political, religious, and social power.(Course fulfills department area requirement.)
 
CAS AR251 A1
TR 2:00-3:30Professor Saturno		 Ancient Maya CivilizationA 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.)
 
CAS AR261 A1
TR 12:30-2:00Professor Mughal		 Asia’s Ancient Cultures and CivilizationsStudy 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.
 
CAS AR273 A1TR 3:30-5:00Professor Beaudry Archaeology of the Viking Age
Prereq: CAS AR100 or CASAR101 or consent of instructor. 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)
 
CAS AR280 A1
TR 11:00-12:30Professor Borojevic		 Food, Diet and Ancient PeopleA 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.)
 
CAS AR 307 A1
TR 2:00-3:30Professor Borojevic		 Archaeological SciencePrereq: AR101 or consent
of instructor. 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.(Course fulfills department natural science requirement.)
  Labs B1 W 1:00-4:00 Labs B2 F 9:00-12:00
 
CAS AR322 A1
TR 9:30-11:00Professor Coggins		 Ancient Aztec and Inca Civilizations Prerequisites: AR100, AR101, AR205, AH222, AR351, or AR352. 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. Cross-listed with AH322.(Course fulfills department area requirement.)
 
CAS AR331 A1MWF 10:00-11:00Professor Vrba Etruscan and Roman ArchaeologyCultural 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.)
 
CAS AR450 A1M 2:00-5:00Prof. Estrada-Belli Methods and Theory in ArchaeologySenior 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 department Archaeology major requirement.)
 
CAS AR480 A1W 1:00-4:00
Professor Elia		 Archaeological Ethics and The LawPrereq: AR101 and one other archaeology course. In this course studentsexamine 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. Meets with GRS AR780.(Course fulfills department topical requirement.)
 
CAS AR504 A1F 10:00-1:00Professor Mughal Preserving World Heritage: Principles and PracticeExamination 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.)
 
CAS AR506 A1W 10:00-1:00Prof. Estrada-Belli Regional Archaeology and Geographical Information SystemsPrereq: Two archaeology courses or 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.)
 
CAS AR509 A1
TR 3:30-5:00Professor Goldberg		 GeoarchaeologyPrereq: CAS AR 101 and AR 102 or consent of instructor. 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. Must also register for CAS AR512, lab component.(Course fulfills department technical requirement.)
 
CAS AR512 A1W 12:00-2:00Professor Goldberg Laboratory and Field Methods in Geoarchaeology
Prereq: CAS AR509 or consent of instructor. 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.
 
GRS AR701 A1
M 1:00-4:00Professor Hammond		 Intellectual History of ArchaeologyPrereq: graduate standing and at least two prior courses in sociocultural
anthropology. 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.
 
GRS AR703 A1
MIT in 16-536Professor Borojevic		 Materials in Ancient Society Seminar. Topic to be announced. Offered through the Center for Materials
Research in Archaeology and Ethnology at MIT.
 
GRS AR705 A1
M 9:00-12:00
Professor Runnels		 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 AR734 A1T 1:00-4:00Professor Vrba Seminar in the Archaeology of the Roman Provinces
Topic: Romans and “Barbarians”: The European Frontiers of the Roman EmpireWhy did the Romans stop their expansion where they did? Who were those troublesome “barbarians” that the Romans were constantly fighting along the Rhine and Danube Rivers? Was Hadrian crazy for building a wall in the north of England? This course examines the expansion of the Roman Empire and the development of its frontiers in northern Britain and along the Rhine and Danube Rivers. Close attention will be paid to what is meant by a frontier and how this differs from a boundary. We will look at the archaeology of the Iron Age cultures of the three areas, and study how the coming of the Romans affected these people. A major focus of the course will be to examine the evidence showing how frontier interactions affected the culture and society of the people living there, both Roman and non-Roman, with a particular emphasis on the concept of “Romanization” and its validity.
 
GRS AR751 A1
T 10:00-1:00
Professor Saturno		 Seminar: Mesoamerican ArchaeologySelected problems or topics in the prehistoric archaeology of the
New World.
 
GRS AR 780 A1W 1:00-4:00
Professor Elia		 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. Meets with CAS AR480.

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