Department of Archaeology
The Graduate ProgramInstructional and Research Facilities
MA in Archaeology
MA in Archaeological Heritage Management
MA in Geoarchaeology
PhD in Archaeology
Courses
The following list reflects the 2007/2008 faculty.
Chair Ricardo J. Elia
Director of Graduate Studies Mary Beaudry
Director of Graduate Admissions Christopher Roosevelt chr@bu.edu
Faculty
Kathryn Bard Associate Professor of Archaeology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Connecticut College; MFA, Yale University; MA, University of Michigan; MA, PhD, University of Toronto (Canada)
Mary Beaudry Director of Gradute Studies, Professor of Anthropology and Archaeology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, College of William and Mary; MA, PhD, Brown University
Ksenija Borojevic Director of Undergraduate Studies, Assistant Professor of Archaeology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, MA University of Belgrade; MA, PhD, Washington University (St. Louis)
Clemency C. Coggins Professor of Archaeology and Art History, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Wellesley College; MA, San Jose State University; MFA, PhD, Harvard University
Michael Danti Assistant Professor of Archaeology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Purdue University; PhD, University of Pennsylvania.
Michael Di Blasi Adjunct Assistant Professor of Archaeology. BA, Pennsylvania State University; MA, PhD, Boston University
Ricardo J. Elia Chair, Department of Archaeology; Associate Professor of Archaeology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, PhD, Boston University; MA, Ohio State University
Paul Goldberg Professor of Archaeology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, University of Colorado; MS, PhD, University of Michigan
Norman Hammond Professor of Archaeology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, MA, PhD, ScD, University of Cambridge (England)
Fred S. Kleiner Chair of Art History Department; Professor of Archaeology and Art History, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, University of Pennsylvania; MA, PhD, Columbia University
Rafique Mughal Professor of Archaeology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Gordon College (Pakistan); MA, University of Punjab (Pakistan); PhD, University of Pennsylvania
Robert Murowchick Director, International Center for East Asian Archaeology & Cultural History; Research Associate Professor of Archaeology and Anthropology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Yale College; MA, PhD, Harvard University
Christopher H. Roosevelt Director of Graduate Admissions; Assistant Professor of Archaeology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, Colby College; MA, PhD, Cornell University
Curtis N. Runnels Editor, Journal of Field Archaeology; Professor of Archaeology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, University of Kansas; MA, PhD, Indiana University
William Saturno Assistant Professor of Archaeology, College of Arts & Sciences. BA, University of Arizona; MA, PhD, Harvard University
James R. Wiseman Professor of Archaeology, Art History, and Classics, College of Arts & Sciences; Director, Center for Archaeological Studies. AB, University of Missouri; AM, PhD, University of Chicago
The Graduate Program
Archaeology is concerned with understanding the behavior, social organizations, arts and crafts, motivations, ways of life, and even thoughts of people of the distant and recent past. The peoples of prehistoric and historical periods are studied in the contexts of their times and environments. These universal concerns often involve comparative cultural studies as well as cultural-historical approaches. Archaeology draws on all conceivable types of material remains (from a simple stone tool to the massive remains of a large urban complex), on evidence from the paleoenvironment, and, where possible, on written, graphic, and oral accounts. Archaeology is thus highly interdisciplinary, combining several of the social and natural sciences with humanistic pursuits.
The Department of Archaeology provides education and training in the recovery, analysis, and interpretation of archaeological materials while assuring that sufficient background is obtained in one or more traditional cognate fields such as classics, art history, anthropology, and history. In recognition of the importance of scientific techniques in analysis, dating, and interpretation of archaeological finds, the program also includes classroom and practical training in the biological and physical sciences and in quantitative methods, either within the framework of the archaeology curriculum or within that of other departments. Standards of admission are high at Boston University. Applicants are encouraged to visit the department and meet with faculty during initial stages of the admission process.
Instructional and Research Facilities
Departmental facilities include teaching and research laboratories, a seminar room, computer room, slide library, darkroom, student lounge, and a reference collection of artifacts and specimens. Additional instructional/research equipment and computer facilities are available through the Center for Archaeological Studies, a component of the department, and the Center for Remote Sensing, the only such center in the world that emphasizes archaeological applications. The centers are described in the Research Centers & Institutes section of this site. The headquarters of the Archaeological Institute of America and The American Schools of Oriental Research are located at Boston University. Faculty of the department edit several journals and newsletters whose editorial offices are included in departmental quarters: the international Journal of Field Archaeology; and the newsletter Context (a publication of our own Center for Archaeological Studies). Another international journal, the American Journal of Archaeology, is located in the headquarters of the Archaeological Institute of America.
In addition to the archaeological books in the Mugar Library, there is an important collection of archaeological books in the Stone Science Library, which primarily serves the Department of Archaeology and the Center for Remote Sensing. The collection is on the fourth floor in an attractive reading room where reserve readings for advanced archaeology courses are housed, along with computers, online catalogs, archaeological bibliographical reference works, maps, and other archaeological reference materials.
Further information is available from the Department of Archaeology Office, Stone Science Building, 675 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 347, Boston, MA 02215; 617-353-3415; e-mail: archaeo@bu.edu; website: www.bu.edu/archaeology.
MA in Archaeology
The MA program is designed for those who (1) are undecided about committing themselves initially to a PhD program, (2) intend ultimately to specialize in another discipline but wish to obtain a degree in archaeology as part of their overall education, or (3) wish to obtain training in certain specialized areas of study offered here. Other postbaccalaureate students would normally apply to the 16-course PhD program and earn the MA, if they wish, in the course of working toward the higher degree.
Prerequisites Applicants must already have earned a Bachelor of Arts or Science in a program related to archaeology. Students lacking sufficient archaeological preparation must make up the deficiency by taking courses as determined by the program’s Graduate Studies Committee, in addition to those required for the program.
Competence in at least one modern foreign language appropriate to the proposed course of study is required.
Course Requirements A minimum of eight semester courses is required, including GRS AR 701, 702, 705, 706, and 780, and three courses in an area of topical concentration. Students must also demonstrate command of the material covered by CAS AR 503 or GRS AR 881, or take the course.
Language Requirements Reading proficiency in one modern foreign language, as approved by the Graduate Studies Committee, is required. Students in classical archaeology are required to include Latin or ancient Greek as well.
Examinations Two written examinations on the student’s area of topical concentration are required. In addition, the student is required to submit a thesis.
MA in Archaeological Heritage Management
The MA in Archaeological Heritage Management is designed for those who plan to pursue a career in public archaeology. The program offers a balance between the academic study of archaeology and practical training in the identification, evaluation, and management of archaeological resources. The program includes a required practicum, internship, or other apprenticeship designed to provide the requisite experience. The practicum may involve a semester-long internship at an approved cultural resource management group, state historic preservation office, or other governmental office. More information may be obtained from Professor Ricardo J. Elia, Department of Archaeology.
Prerequisites See MA prerequisites above.
Course Requirements A minimum of eight semester courses is required, including GRS AR 780, and AR 910/911; either AR 805 or AR 810; at least one of the following courses (AR 580, AR 815, AR 913/914); and four other courses relevant to the program of study. In addition to the required eight courses, students must demonstrate a command of the skills and material covered in CAS AR 503 or AR 881, or take one of these courses.
Foreign Language Requirement Reading proficiency in one modern foreign language is required.
Examinations Two written examinations are required: one on general topics in archaeological heritage management; the other on a specific region or topic within the field. In addition, the student is required to submit a thesis, special research paper, or a cultural resources management report, as approved by the student’s advisor.
Guidelines for Internal Transfer into the MA Heritage Program Graduate students in the Archaeology Department who wish to switch from their current program into the Archaeological Heritage Management MA Program must obtain the approval of the Graduate Studies Committee.
MA in Geoarchaeology
The Geoarchaeology program is aimed at providing a broad background in both the geosciences and archaeology. Such a broad-based program provides flexibility to students coming from a variety of different backgrounds such as geology or other natural sciences, anthropology, or archaeology, but who are equally interested in associating geological techniques and methods with archaeological and geological data. More information may be obtained from Professor Paul Goldberg, Department of Archaeology.
Admission The student is expected to have completed a bachelor’s degree, in earth sciences or archaeology (or closely related fields), prior to admission to the department. Students lacking sufficient preparation in either archaeology or earth sciences will be required to take courses, as determined by the faculty advisors, to make up the deficiency. On occasion these may be beyond the minimum specified by the Graduate School.
Prerequisites See MA prerequisites above.
Courses A minimum of eight graduate-level courses (32 credits) is required, including CAS AR 509, GRS AR 701, and two of the following: CAS ES 533, ES 534, ES 573, or GRS ES 830 or other courses pending approval of the Geoarchaeology advisory committee. The remaining courses must include at least two courses from each department chosen in consultation with the advisors.
Foreign Language Requirement There is no formal language requirement. Students should consult with their advisors to determine appropriate language competency for their individual program.
Examinations Students will be evaluated at the end of the first year through a comprehensive exam.
Guidelines for Intra-Departmental Transfers into the MA Geoarchaeology Program Graduate students in the Archaeology Department who wish to switch from their current program into the Geoarchaeology MA Program must obtain the approval of the Graduate Studies Committee.
PhD in Archaeology
The PhD in Archaeology is offered at both the postbaccalaureate (16-course) and post-master’s (8-course) levels. Specializations are offered either in the archaeology of a specific area or time period, or in a broader subject, such as paleoenvironmental studies or the archaeology of complex societies. Area studies emphasized include Old World prehistory, and New and Old World historical archaeology, the classical world, Egypt, and the Near East.
Admission Applicants must have a BA or MA, preferably from a program related to archaeology (such as anthropology or classical studies, with a concentration in archaeology). Students lacking sufficient preparation in archaeology will make up the deficiency by taking courses as determined by the Graduate Studies Committee in addition to those required in the program.
Courses For the postbaccalaureate PhD, a minimum of 16 courses is required, including GRS AR 701, 702, 705, 706, and 780. Each student, in consultation with faculty advisors, will also develop a program of study that includes a field of specialization. Those with no background in anthropology must take at least two courses in sociocultural anthropology within the first two years. Students must also demonstrate a command of the material covered in GRS AR 881 or CAS AR 503, or take the course.
For the post-master’s degree, a minimum of eight semester courses is required. The specific course requirements will be established by the Graduate Studies Committee after reviewing the student’s background and determining what deficiencies, if any, are to be made up; a coherent program of study within the concentration chosen will be outlined at that time.
Language Requirements Two modern foreign languages, as approved by the Graduate Studies Committee, are required.
Concentrators in Old World historical archaeology must also demonstrate, by written examination, knowledge of an appropriate ancient language. The level of language proficiency required is that normally attained by one graduate-level reading course.
Examinations Upon completion of coursework, each student will take a set of Qualifying Examinations, with written and oral components, that focus on the individual specialization developed by the student in conjunction with his or her advisor during the program of formal study. Before the end of the second semester following the examinations just described, students present their dissertation proposals to the faculty and other graduate students in the program.
Dissertation and Oral Examinations The student prepares a scholarly dissertation of original research. When presented, this is the subject of an oral examination conducted by at least five faculty members.
Courses
CAS AR 501 Graphics and Surveying for Archaeology
Not offered 2008/2009CAS AR 503 Archaeological Field Methods: Survey and Excavation
Not offered 2008/2009CAS AR 505 Remote Sensing and Archaeology
Prereq: two archaeology courses or 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. Saturno. 4 cr, 2nd sem.CAS AR 506 Regional Archaeology and Geographical Information Systems
Prereq: 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. Estrada-Belli. 4 cr, 1st sem.CAS AR 509 Geoarchaeology
Prereq: 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. Berna. 4 cr, 2nd sem.CAS AR 510 Studies in Prehistoric Aegean Archaeology
Not offered 2008/2009CAS AR 511 Studies in European Archaeology
Not offered 2008/2009CAS AR 512 Laboratory and Field Methods in Geoarchaeology
Not offered 2008/2009CAS AR 513 Studies in African Archaeology
Topic: Early States in Northeast Africa. Bard. 4 cr, 1st sem.CAS AR 515 Studies in Micromorphology of Terrestrial Sediments
Prereq: CAS AR 102 & CAS AR 509 or CAS ES 202 or CAS ES 220 or CAS ES 222 & CAS ES 101 or CAS ES 105, two semesters of geology, or consent of instructor. 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. Berna. 4 cr, 1st sem.CAS AR 528 Studies in Mesoamerican Art and Architecture
Not offered 2008/2009CAS AR 530 Studies in Greek Archaeology
Not offered 2008/2009CAS AR 531 Studies in Etruscan and Roman Archaeology
Not offered 2008/2009CAS AR 532 Studies in Near and Middle Eastern Archaeology
Not offered 2008/2009CAS AR 535 Europe and the Mediterranean World in Late Antiquity
Not offered 2008/2009CAS AR 551 Studies in Mesoamerican Archaeology
Not offered 2008/2009CAS AR/AH 555 Ancient American Writing Systems
Not offered 2008/2009CAS AR 556 Archaeological Field Research Experience
Not offered 2008/2009CAS AR 560 Civilizations of Central and South Asia
Prereq: Any AR or AN 100-, 200-, or 300-level course. 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. Mughal. 4 cr, 1st sem.CAS AR 570 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. Beaudry. 4 cr, 1st sem.CAS AR 572 Studies in Industrial Archaeology
Not offered 2008/2009CAS AR 576 Collections: Ancient and Historical in Modern Context
Not offered 2008/2009CAS AR 585 Archaeological Spatial Analysis
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AR 699 Teaching College Archaeology I
The goals, contents, and methods of instruction in archaeology. General teaching/learning issues. Required of all teaching fellows. Staff. 2 cr, both sem.GRS AR 701 The Intellectual History of Archaeology
Prereq: graduate standing. The historical development of archaeological methods and theory from the Renaissance to the present day, including comparison of major developments in Western Europe and the Americas with developments in other regions. Basic concepts in archaeological record and society. Hammond. 4 cr, 1st sem.GRS AR 702 Contemporary Theory in Archaeology
Grad prereq: GRS AR 701. Explores aspects of contemporary theory in archaeology, including postmodern critiques of contemporary practice, new approaches to archaeology of ritual, personhood, identity, and the body; indigenous and public archaeology; and politics and archaeology. Saturno. 4 cr, 2nd sem.GRS AR 703 Seminar: Materials in Ancient Society
Topic to be announced. Offered through the Center for Materials Research in Archaeology & Ethnology. Borojevic. 4 cr, 1st sem.GRS AR 704 Seminar: Materials in Ancient Society
Topic to be announced. Offered through the Center for Materials Research in Archaeology & Ethnology. Borojevic. 4 cr, 2nd sem.GRS AR 705 Pre-Urban Development
Prereq: graduate standing. 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. Hammond. 4 cr, 1st sem.GRS AR 706 Archaeology of Complex Societies
Prereq: graduate standing. 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 simple survey. Bard. 4 cr, 2nd sem.GRS AR 708 Processes in the Formation of Archaeological Sites
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AR 709 Research Methods in Geoarchaeology
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AR 712 Seminar in Old World Prehistory Aegean
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AR 727 Archaeology and Colonialism
Not offered 2008/2009
GRS AR 730 Seminar: Old World Historical Archaeology
Topic: The Archaeology of the World of Homer. This seminar will investigate the archaeology of the Homeric world in the Aegean, from the Late Bronze Age through the end of the Dark Ages. In addition to a focus on topics surrounding Homer’s Trojan War, weekly reports may include topics such as cultural continuity from the Bronze to the Iron Age, cultural interactions with Anatolia and the Near East, migrations and colonizations, local and long-distance trade and exchange, urbanization, epic poetry and literacy, religion, technology, and warfare. Roosevelt. 4 cr, 1st sem.GRS AR 731 Seminar: Greek Archaeology
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AR 734 Seminar: Archaeology of the Roman Provinces
Topics vary. Becker. 4 cr, 2nd sem.GRS AR 741 Archaeology of Mesopotamia
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. Danti. 4 cr, 1st sem.GRS AR 742 Syro-Palestinian Archaeology
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AR 743 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. Roosevelt. 4 cr, 2nd sem.GRS AR 746 Archaeology of Ancient Egypt
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AR 750 Archaeology of Prehistoric North America
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AR 751 Seminar: Mesoamerican Archaeology
Selected problems or topics in the prehistoric archaeology of the New World. Estrada-Belli, Saturne. 4 cr, either sem.GRS AR 770 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. Beaudry. 4 cr, 1st sem.GRS AR 771 New World Historical Archaeology: Post-Colonial America
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AR 775 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. Staff. 4 cr, 2nd sem.
GRS AR 780 Archaeological Ethics and 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. Elia. 4 cr, 1st sem.
GRS AR 790 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 AR 390. Murowchick. 4 cr, 2nd sem.
GRS AR 795 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. Murowchick. 4 cr, 2nd sem.
GRS AR 800 Seminar: Food-Gathering Societies
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AR 801 Sedentism and Urbanization
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AR 802 Paleoethnobotany
Seminar Introduces the method and theory of study of the uses of plants by humans, as 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 a project on archaeological material. Borojevic. 4 cr, 2nd sem.GRS AR 803 Quantitative Studies
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AR 804 Archaeological Study of Symbolic Systems
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AR 805 U.S. Archaeological Heritage Management
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AR 810 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. Mughal. 4 cr, 2nd sem.GRS AR 815 Plunder and Preservation: Cultural Heritage in Wartime
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AR 850 Problems in Comparative Archaeology
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AR 881, 882 Methods and Theory of Archaeological Reconnaissance and Excavation
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AR 883 Archaeological and Ethnographic Materials: Analysis and Preservation
Not offered 2008/2009GRS AR 901, 902 Directed Research in Classical Archaeology
Variable cr, 1st & 2nd sem.GRS AR 903, 904 Directed Research in American Historical Archaeology
Variable cr, 1st & 2nd sem.GRS AR 905, 906 Directed Research in Old World Prehistoric Archaeology
Variable cr, 1st & 2nd sem.GRS AR 907, 908 Directed Research in New World Prehistoric Archaeology
Variable cr, 1st & 2nd sem.GRS AR 910, 911 Practicum in Archaeological Heritage Management
Full-time internship in an appropriate public or private firm, agency, or other organization involved in the practice of public archaeology. Elia. Variable cr.GRS AR 912 Dissertation Research in Archaeology
Variable cr, 1st & 2nd sem.GRS AR 913, 914 Directed Research in Archaeological Heritage Management
Variable cr, 1st & 2nd sem.
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