College of Arts & Sciences

Archaeology

Chair Ricardo J. Elia

Professors Beaudry, Coggins, Goldberg, Hammond, Kleiner, Mughal, Runnels

Associate Professor Bard

Assistant Professors Borojevic, Danti, Roosevelt, Saturno

Adjunct Professors McAnany, Zimansky

Adjunct Assistant Professors DiBlasi, P é rez-Juez

Research Professor Murowchick

Professor Emerita Hansen

Professor Emeritus Wiseman

Archaeology is concerned with the behavior, social organization, arts and crafts, motivations, ways of life, and thoughts of people of the distant and recent past. The peoples of prehistoric and historical periods are studied in the context of their time and environment. The concerns of archaeology 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 highly interdisciplinary, combining several of the social and natural sciences with humanistic pursuits. The Department of Archaeology faculty are involved in a wide range of field projects in different parts of the world including North America, Meso-america, Albania, Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Turkey, Spain, Serbia, South Africa, and the Near East. Students have a variety of opportunities to work closely with faculty on field projects and archaeological materials from many parts of the world.

The department offers a broad interdisciplinary background for students who intend to enter graduate studies in archaeology or related fields. An archaeology concentration is an excellent preparation for many other fields of study. Graduates in recent years have gone into such diverse areas as law, medicine, museology, and cultural resource management. A concentration or minor concentration in archaeological studies provides particularly valuable preparation for graduate programs in historical and cultural studies and in certain special fields within the sciences.

For additional information, visit the Department of Archaeology, or contact the department by e-mail to archaeo@bu.edu.

Concentration in Archaeology (2203)

Courses may be credited toward the concentration only if a grade of C or higher is earned.

Required Courses  Students are required to take CAS AR 101, 307, 450, and 503 (or equivalent, for which prior approval is necessary). In addition, students must select the following from courses offered by the Department of Archaeology: one technical course (CAS AR 380, 381, 382, 400, 404, 501, 505, 506, 509, 512, 515, 556, 570, or 585); one topical course (CAS AR 201, 202, 205, 206, 208, 215, 262, 280, 305, 335, 375, 480, 507, 508, 543, 544, 555, 570, 572, 576, 580, or 585); and three area courses (all CAS AR courses not listed above). CAS AR 503 is offered as part of field school programs of the department in the United States and abroad both during the academic year and in the summer.

Archaeology Field School Policy  Every concentrator in archaeology must complete CAS AR 503, a course in archaeological field methods, for four credits. It is expected that the requirement for AR 503 will be satisfied by participation in one of Boston University’s field schools. Credits may be transferred in exceptional cases from a field school in another institution. Prior approval from the student’s advisor is required for transfers, and the field school must carry the equivalent of four Boston University academic credits. Transfer credits from field schools at other institutions will be approved only if the field school satisfies the requirements for AR 503, which are listed at Department of Archaeology. In certain exceptional circumstances extensive or unusual fieldwork that does not carry academic credit may be used to satisfy the requirement for AR 503, but prior approval from the student’s advisor, the Director of Undergraduate Studies, and the chairman of the Department of Archaeology is required.

Related Courses  CAS MA 115 or MA 213, CAS AN 101, and one other CAS AN course (to be chosen in consultation with the student’s advisor) are required. Students are expected to fulfill the CAS language requirement with a language appropriate to their concentration. In some cases, at least two semesters of an ancient language are recommended in addition to a modern foreign language.

Second Concentration or Minor Concentration  Students are encouraged to select a related second concentration or a minor concentration in the humanities, social science, or natural science.

Research Project  Students may elect to write a concentration research paper for distinction work (the equivalent of two regular courses). A written proposal describing the project must be submitted to the undergraduate advisor no later than the end of the junior year.

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Minor Concentration in Archaeology (2203)


Students with concentrations in other programs may earn a minor concentration in archaeology by completing the following courses with a grade of C or better: CAS AR 101, 307; and four other CAS AR courses, one of which must be at the 400–500 level.

Instructional and Research Facilities

Department facilities include teaching and research laboratories, seminar room, computer room, slide library, darkroom, student lounge, and reference collection of artifacts and specimens. Additional computer facilities and instructional/research equipment 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 elsewhere in this bulletin. The headquarters of the Archaeological Institute of America, the American Journal of Archaeology, the American Center of Oriental Research (ACOR), and the American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR) are located nearby at 656 Beacon Street in Kenmore Square. The International Center for East Asian Archaeology and Cultural History is located at 650 Beacon Street. Department faculty edit several journals and newsletters whose editorial offices are included in or near the department quarters: the Journal of Field Archaeology; the regional journal Journal of East Asian Archaeology; and Context, the newsletter of our own Center for Archaeological Studies.

In addition to the archaeological materials in Mugar Library, there is an important collection of archaeology books and journals in the Stone Science Library, which primarily serves the Department of Archaeology and the Center for Remote Sensing. The collection is on the fourth floor, where reserve readings for advanced archaeology courses are housed along with computers, online catalogs, archaeology bibliography reference works, maps, and other archaeology reference materials.

Organizations

The Boston University Archaeology Club (BUAC), organized by undergraduate concentrators, offers many opportunities for students to socialize, meet visiting scholars, and learn about fieldwork opportunities. The club has regular meetings and is open to concentrators and nonconcentrators.

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Courses

Courses marked with a † satisfy divisional studies requirements.

†CAS AR 100 Great Discoveries in Archaeology

Illustrated lectures focus on the important discoveries of the discipline of archaeology. Course covers the whole of human prehistory and history around the world. Archaeological methods are described, along with the great ancient sites: Olduvai, Lascaux, Stonehenge, Egyptian pyramids, Machu Picchu, etc. Elia, Roosevelt, Saturno. 4 cr, either sem. (HU)

†CAS AR 101 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. Borojevic, Danti. 4 cr, either sem. (SS)

CAS AR 202 Archaeological Mysteries: Pseudoscience and Fallacy in the Human Past

Investigation through case studies of pseudoscientific claims about the past. Purported solutions to archaeological mysteries are subjected to the test of evidence using the scientific method. Topics include Atlantis, ancient extraterrestrials, Pyramids, Stonehenge, crop marks, and Noah’s Ark. Runnels. 4 cr, 1st sem.

†CAS AR 205 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, Mesoamerica, and Peru. Bard. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS AR 206 Ancient Technology

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS AR 208 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. Danti. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS AR 209 The Near Eastern Bronze Age

Examines the wealth and power of the ancient Near East and Egypt during the middle and late Bronze Age. Topics include the establishment of power, long distance exchange and interaction, ethnicity, architecture, and environmental and ecological factors affecting the civilizations. Danti. 4 cr, 1st sem.

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. Runnels. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

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. Elia. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS AR 221 Archaeology of the Islamic World

An overview of the Islamic world from the seventh to the eighteenth century CE. Focus on ancient cities: religious and secular buildings such as gardens, palaces, forts, mausoleums, and mosques; and study of ceramics, calligraphy, metal and glassware, trade routes, and Islamic crafts. Mughal. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

†CAS AR 230 Archaeology of Classical Civilizations

An introduction to classical antiquity through the material remains of the period, ca. 1500 B.C. to A.D. 400. Chronological survey of the magnificent (palaces, temples, and major arts) and the mundane (pots, coins, tools, and weapons) as evidenced in the archaeological record. Special emphasis on daily life and on relations between Greco-Roman and other cultures. Roosevelt. 4 cr, 1st sem. (HU)

†CAS AR 232 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 B.C.) Bard. 4 cr, 2nd sem. (HU)

CAS AR 240 Archaeology of Ancient China

Examines the archaeology of ancient China from the Neolithic through the Bronze Age (7000 to 221 B.C.) with particular attention to the interactions between technology and the acquisition of political, religious, and social power. Murowchick. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS AR 251 Ancient Maya Civilization

A survey of current knowledge and scholarship about the Maya civilization, which flourished in Central America between 250–900 A.D., its earlier beginnings and subsequent collapse, and aspects of its economic and social basis and artistic and intellectual achievements. Saturno. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS AR 261 Asia's Ancient Cultures and Civilizations

Outstanding archaeological sites and monuments in Asia, highlighting their cultural significance, uniqueness, and diversity. Includes selected sites in East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Mughal. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS AR 262 Asian Gods and Goddesses

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS AR 270 New World Rediscovery: Archaeology of the Age of Exploration

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS AR 273 Archaeology of the Viking Age

Prereq: CAS AR 100 or CAS AR 101 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. Beaudry. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS AR 280 Food, Diet, and Ancient People

A survey of the archaeological evidence of 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 food. Borojevic. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS AR 307 Archaeological Science

Prereq: CAS AR 101 or consent of instructor. Application of natural sciences, as an integral part of modern archaeology, 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. Borojevic. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS AR 310 Prehistoric Greece

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS AR 322 Ancient Aztec and Inca Civilizations

Prereq: CAS AH 222 or CAS AR 100 or CAS AR 101 or CAS AR 205 or CAS AR 222 or CAS AR 251 or CAS AR 352, or consent of instructor. The conquests, trade, society, history, religion, art, and architecture of the Aztec and Inca Empires in Mexico and Peru, as revealed archaeologically and in the accounts of their Spanish conquerors. Also offered as CAS AH 322. Coggins. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS AR 330 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. Staff. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS AR 331 Etruscan and Roman Archaeology

Prereq: CAS AR 101 or consent of instructor. 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. Staff. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS AR 332 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. Staff. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS AR 335 Mystery Cults in the Graeco-Roman World

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS AR 341 Archaeology of Mesopotamia

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS AR 342 Syrio-Palestinian Archaeology

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS AR 343 Anatolian Archaeology

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS AR 351 Mesoamerican Archaeology

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS AR 352 South American Archaeology

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS AR 370 Archaeology of Colonial America

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS AR 371 Archaeology of Postcolonial America

Prereq: CAS AR 101 or consent of instructor. The archaeology of America from the Revolution to the present. Deals with the social history, industry, and material culture of recent and modern Americans. Beaudry. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS AR 375 Oral History and Written Records in Archaeology

A practical introduction to the use of archival and oral sources in text-aided archaeology. Critical analysis of documents as a step in constructing anthropological history, historical ethnography, and the “new cultural history.” Beaudry. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS AR 381 Introduction to Paleoethnobotany: Plants and Ancient Man

Introduces the method and theory of the study through archaeological evidence of the uses of plants by humans. Highlights the relationship between humans and their environment and between the environment and the archaeological record. Laboratory sessions concentrate on identification. Borojevic. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS AR 390 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 antiquities trade. Murowchick. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS AR 400 Statistics and Computer Sciences for the Archaeologist

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS AR 401, 402 Senior Independent Work

Prereq: approval of Honors Committee. 4 cr each, 1st & 2nd sem.

CAS AR 404 Archaeological and Ethnographic Materials: Analysis and Preservation

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS AR 450 Methods and Theory of Archaeology

Prereq: at least two archaeological studies courses at 200 level or above, senior status, or consent of instructor. An interdisciplinary course dealing with field and laboratory techniques, research methods, concepts and problems in archaeological theory, and formulation of research designs. Estrada-Belli. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS AR 480 Archaeological Ethics and the Law

Prereq: junior standing or consent of instructor. Ethical and legal issues for archaeologists. Topics include 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; and cultural resource management in the United States. Elia. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS AR 491, 492 Directed Study in Archaeology

Prereq: concentrator in department, junior or senior standing, consent of instructor, and approval of the Academic Advising Center. Individual instruction and directed research in archaeology. Variable cr, 1st & 2nd sem.

CAS AR 503 Archaeological Field Methods: Survey and Excavation

Prereq: CAS AR 101 & CAS AR 102, or consent of instructor. An interdisciplinary course dealing with field and laboratory techniques, research methods, concepts and problems in archaeological theory, and formulation of research designs. Taught in Guatemala. Saturno. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS AR 504 Preserving World Heritage: Principles and Practice

Examines fundamental issues in preservation and management of World Heritage sites. Topics include implementation of UNESCO’s Conventions, Recommendations, and Charters; selection and evaluation of cultural properties for inscription as World Heritage sites; and their protection from natural and human threats. Mughal. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS 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. Students learn a variety of geophysical survey methods as well as multispectral image analysis. 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. Estrada-Belli. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS AR 506 Regional Archaeology and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)

Prereq: two archaeology courses or consent of instructor. Grad prereq: two archaeology courses or consent of instructor. Use of advanced computer (GIS) techniques 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 CAS AR 307 or equivalent. 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, and the formation of archaeological sites. Field trips in the Boston area. Goldberg. 4 cr, 1st sem.

CAS AR 511 Studies in European Archaeology

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS AR 512 Laboratory and Field Methods in Geoarchaeology

Prereq: CAS AR 509, 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. Goldberg. 2 cr, 1st sem.

CAS AR 513 Studies in African Archaeology

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS AR 515 Micromorphology of Terrestrial Sediments

Prereq: CAS AR 102 and CAS AR 509 or CAS ES 202 or CAS ES 220 or CAS ES 222 and 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. Goldberg. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS AR 530 Studies in Greek Archaeology

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS AR 532 Studies in Archaeology of the Near and Middle East

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS AR 551 Studies in Mesoamerican Archaeology

Analysis of major events and processes of the Mesoamerican area. Topics include rise of towns, temples, and urbanism; the origin of state; and the development of empires. Taught in Guatemala. Saturno. 4 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS AR 556 Archaeological Field Research Experience

Prereq: Admission to Belize Program or consent of instructor. Supervised original research in excavation, survey, or field laboratory situation, as part of field study program. Taught in Guatemala. Saturno. 8 cr, 2nd sem.

CAS 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 Studies in Historical Archaeology

Not offered 2009/2010

CAS AR 576 Collections: Ancient and Historical in Modern Context

Not offered 2009/2010

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16 October 2009
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