Department of Archaeology

Administration

  • Mary Beaudry Chair
  • David Carballo Director of Undergraduate Studies
  • Bard, Beaudry, Berlin, Coggins, Goldberg, Kleiner, Mughal, Runnels Professors
  • Elia, Roosevelt Associate Professors
  • Borojevic, Carballo, Danti, Murowchick, Saturno Assistant Professors
  • McAnany, Zimansky Adjunct Professors
  • Pérez-Juez Adjunct Associate Professor
  • Cohen, DiBlasi Adjunct Assistant Professors
  • Hansen Professor Emerita
  • Hammond, Wiseman Professors Emeritus

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, China, Guatemala, Israel, Mexico, Portugal, 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 major 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 major or minor 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 website at archaeology, or contact the department by email at archaeo@bu.edu.

Instructional and Research Facilities

Department facilities include teaching and research laboratories, seminar room, GIS computer facility, slide and visual resources library, darkroom, student lounge, and reference collection of artifacts and specimens kept in our Gabel Museum. Additional computer facilities and instructional/research equipment are available through the Center for Remote Sensing, the only such center in the world that emphasizes archaeological applications. 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 and the regional Journal of East Asian Archaeology.

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 majors, offers many opportunities for students to socialize, meet visiting scholars, and learn about fieldwork opportunities. The club has regular meetings and is open to majors and nonmajors.