ARCHAEOLOGY AND PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
FALL 2001
Prof. Bruce J. Bourque
Office: 155 Pettengill,
786-6080
Office hours: T,Th 3-4:00 & by
appointment
About the Course:
This course will introduce you to the discipline of archaeology and to the study of human evolution. We cover archaeology first because research on human evolution often relies upon archaeological techniques. Class work will consist of lectures, discussion sessions, laboratories, films and a field trip. Your attendance and active participation in class work will be important to your success in the course. Plan to complete assigned readings before the next scheduled class, and be prepared to discuss them. Your grade will be based mainly upon two exams, and one computer simulation project. The first exam will cover archaeology only. The second exam will cover human evolution only. The computer simulations allow you to think through a research experience.
Texts:
Reserve Readings (2 hr):
Optional (on reserve):
Class and Reading Schedule:
| 6 | Sept. | Introduction, course description, requirements, and procedures. For the latest news about archaeology around the world visit http://www.tamu.edu/anthropology/news.html. For access to all kinds of archaeology on the web visit http://ArchNet.asu.edu/. Read Sharer & Ashmore ch. 1-2. | 11 | Film:"Making a Living in Maine 2000 B.C.", wherein yours truly tries to explain an interesting prehistoric culture from Maine. Read Sharer & Ashmore ch. 3 and the piece by Flannery (pp. 109-112). |
| 13 | Film: "Huaceros." Read Sharer & Ashmore ch. 4-5. To learn about zooarchaeology visit http://www.museum.state.il.us/research/faunmap. | |
| 18 | Archaeological data and research. Lab: Culture History and Contemporary Approaches. Read Sharer & Ashmore ch. 6-7. | |
| 20 | Lab: Mapping and location. Reconnaissance, survey and excavation. Read Sharer & Ashmore ch. 8-9; Bassett, Brody. | |
| 25 | Lab: Artifact analysis. Data processing, classification and chronology building (dating). Lab: Calibrating radiocarbon dates; dating with pipestems. Read Sharer & Ashmore ch. 10-11. | |
| 27 | Begin "Fugawiland." Lab: Artifact analysis. Read Sharer & Ashmore ch. 12-13. To learn about experimental archaeology in England visit http://www.skcldv.demon.co.uk/iafintro.htm. | |
| 2 | Oct. | Archaeological analogy and interpretation. Read Sharer & Ashmore ch. 14. To learn more about predictive modeling visit http://www.zrc-sazu.si/www/pic/pub/predictive/predictive.htm. |
| 4 | Lab: Technology and Environment. Read Sharer & Ashmore ch. 15. | |
| 9 | Social Systems. Read Sharer & Ashmore ch. 16. | |
| 11 | Field trip to the Maine State Museum. Reconstructing ideological, and symbolic systems. Read Sharer & Ashmore ch. 17-18. To learn about applied archaeology visit http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~cerickso/applied2.html. | |
| 16 | Saturday. Stone tool making workshop with expert Richard Doyle. |
| 23 | Midterm exam on archaeology only. Read Campbell & Loy, ch. 1-3 during fall recess. | |
| 25 | Begin Human Evolution portion of the course: Heredity and evolution. Lab: Mechanisms of Evolution, Hardy-Weinberg Formula and Pedigree analysis. Read Campbell & Loy, ch. 4-5. | |
| 30 | Primates morphology and behavior. Lab: Primate Identification. Read Campbell & Loy, ch. 6-8. | |
| 1 | Nov. | Apes to hominids. Film:"The New Chimpanzee." Read Campbell & Loy, ch. 9. To view many great features about human evolution, visit http://www.anth.ucsb.edu/projects/human/. To learn more about fossil hominids visit http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/fossil-hominids.html. |
| 6 | Hominid behavior & Homo erectus. Lab: Mammal skulls. Read Campbell & Loy, ch. 10-11. | |
| 8 | Homo erectus. Read Campbell & Loy, ch. 12-13. | |
| 13 | Hunting and gathering, language and the
brain. Film:"Children of Eve"Begin "Mystery Fossil." Read Campbell & Loy, ch. 14-15. | |
| 15 | Neanderthals and archaic Homo sapiens. Lab: Hominid identification. Read Campbell & Loy, ch. 16. |
| 27 | Modern Homo sapiens. Lab: Hominoid skulls. Read Campbell & Loy, ch. 17. | |
| 29 | Cromagnon: technology, magic and art.
Lab: Genetic variation
among modern humans."Mystery Fossil"due. Read Campbell & Loy, ch. 18, Gould. To learn more about the Human Genome Project visit http://www.stanford.edu/group/morrinst/hdgp/faq.html. | |
| 4 | Dec. | The human condition. Race as a concept in biology, anthropology and society. |
| 6 | Review for exam. |