PRINCIPLES OF ARCHAEOLOGY

ANTHROPOLOGY 2339 Spring 2012 Mon/Wed/Fri: 10:00-10:50 am University Hall, Room 009

INSTRUCTOR Dr. Angela H. Keller

ahkeller@uta.edu University Hall 416

Office Hours

Mon/Wed 11 - 12 or email for

an appointment

This course will introduce you to the study of archaeology around the world. We will discuss archaeological theory and method, and examine the kinds of evidence that archaeologists draw upon to reconstruct the lives of past peoples. This course will also review major topics in world prehistory from our earliest ancestors to the rise of complex societies. In this sixteen-week tour, we will investigate a relatively small number of the world’s best-studied prehistoric societies focusing on the development of settled life, agriculture, and increasingly complex social structures. By the end of this course, you should:

be familiar with the practice of archaeology today,

have a deeper appreciation of the longevity, diversity, and complexity of human societies

know key information about early complex societies around the world

have a better understanding of the roots of modern human diversity

[Note: This class was formerly ANTH 3339. Credit cannot be granted for both ANTH 2339 and ANTH 3339.]

Required Texts

Discovering Our Past: A Brief Introduction to Archaeology, 5th Edition. Wendy Ashmore and Robert Sharer (2010). McGraw Hill, New York. (ISBN 13: 978-0-07-353099-4).

World Prehistory and Archaeology: Pathways Through Time, 2nd Edition. Michael Chazan (2011). Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. (ISBN 13: 978-0-205-78623-7).

***Texts are available for purchase or rent at the UTA bookstore ***

ANTH 2339 Syllabus [Spring 2012] – Page 2

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Class Attendance and Participation 5% Class attendance is mandatory. You will receive credit for attendance and active participation. I encourage you to raise questions and offer comments during lectures at any time. Your participation grade also includes attentive listening. Therefore, I ask that you silence and leave in your bags ALL electronic devices including cell phones, iPods, and computers. You may miss two (2) class meeting times without penalty. More than two missed class days will affect your grade negatively, and most excuses (illness, etc.) will not be accepted.

Exercises and Quizzes 25% Throughout the term, we will complete several exercises designed to give you a more active learning experience. You must be in class to complete several of the exercises, and there will typically be no make-up alternatives. We will also have regular online quizzes based on material from the textbooks. These will be designed to help you gauge your understanding of the material and keep up with the readings. You may miss two (2) exercises or quizzes without penalty. More than two missed assignments will affect your grade negatively, and most excuses (illness, etc.) will not be accepted.

Short Papers 15% Two short (3-5 page) writing assignments are required for this class (see schedule). The assignments will not involve significant reading or research beyond the material presented in lectures and your textbooks. Late papers will be graded down each day that they are late.

Midterm Exams (2) 30%

The midterms and final exam will be based on material from the lectures, exercises, and readings. The exams will be mixed format with standardized and short answer questions. To each exam, you may bring one sheet of 8.5” x 11” paper with your study notes. No other items (books, electronic devices, etc.) should be within reach during the tests. Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated, and will be reported to the Office of Student Conduct (www.uta.edu/studentaffairs/conduct).

Final Exam 25% The final exam will follow the format of the midterms. The questions will address material covered in lectures and the texts. There is NO make-up exam for the final.

Special Accommodations Please inform me as soon as possible if you require any special assistance or accommodations to participate fully in this class. You must also obtain a letter from the university here:

Office for Students with Disabilities University Hall, Room 102 (first floor) Telephone: (817) 272-3364 Website: http://www.uta.edu/disability/ Email: osd@uta.edu

ANTH 2339 Syllabus [Spring 2012] – Page 3

COURSE SCHEDULE

You are expected to read the assigned reading before the class time devoted to that topic.

Your ability to absorb the lecture material and to participate meaningfully in class depends upon your timely

completion of the assigned readings. Key: A&S = Ashmore and Sharer, CZ = Chazan.

WEEK 1

Wed (1/18) Introduction to the Course Reading: No reading

Fri (1/20) In-class Exercise Reading: No reading

WEEK 2 Mon (1/23) Archaeology and Indiana Jones

Reading: CZ – Introduction to Part One A&S – Introduction (pp. 1-10)

Wed (1/25) The Practice and Ethics of Archaeology Today Reading: CZ – Epilogue A&S – Ch 10: Archaeology Today

Fri (1/27) Paper Assignment #1 Data Collection Reading: No reading

WEEK 3 Mon (1/30) Archaeology Basics

Reading: CZ – Ch 1: Getting Started in Archaeology A&S – Introduction (pp. 11-24) & Ch 4: How Archaeology Works

Wed (2/1) A (very) Brief History of Archaeology Reading: A&S – Ch 2: Archaeology’s Past

Fri (2/3) Archaeological Fieldwork Reading: A&S – Ch 5: Fieldwork

WEEK 4 Mon (2/6) Analysis, Classification, and Dating Reading: A&S – Ch 6: Analyzing the Past & Ch. 7: Dating the Past Wed (2/8) Classification Exercise Reading: No reading Fri (2/10) Analogy and Activity ***Paper #1 Due Today 2/10***

Reading: A&S – Ch 8: Reconstructing the Past CZ – Ch 2: Putting the Picture Together

WEEK 5

Mon (2/13) Interpretative Frames Reading: A&S – Ch 9: Understanding the Past & Ch. 3: Contemporary Approaches

Wed (2/15) Midterm Review Reading: No Reading

Fri (2/17) ***MIDTERM EXAM #1***

ANTH 2339 Syllabus [Spring 2012] – Page 4

WEEK 6 Mon (2/20) Our Earliest Ancestors Reading: CZ – Introduction to Part Two & Ch 3 Early Hominins

Wed (2/22) Upright-Walking Apes (2-4 million years ago) Reading: CZ – Ch 3: Early Hominins

Fri (2/24) Almost Us: The Story of the Genus Homo Reading: CZ – Ch 4: From Homo erectus to Neanderthals

WEEK 7 Mon (2/27) Neanderthals and Modern Humans

Reading: CZ – Ch 5: The Origin of Modern Humans Wed (2/29) Life in the Paleolithic

Reading: CZ – Ch 5: The Origin of Modern Humans Fri (3/2) Peopling the World

Reading: CZ – Ch 6. The Peopling of Australia and the New World

WEEK 8

Mon (3/5) Origins of Food Production: Concepts and Theories Reading: CZ –Introduction to Part Three

Wed (3/7) Food Production in the Old World Reading: CZ – Ch 7: Towers, Villages, and Longhouses Fri (3/9) Food Production in the New World Reading: CZ – Ch 8: Mounds and Maize & Ch 9.5: Questioning the Neolithic

WEEK 9

Mon-Fri (3/12-3/16) Spring Break

WEEK 10

Mon (3/19) Understanding Complexity: Chiefdoms and States Reading: CZ – Introduction to Part Four

Wed (3/21) Stonehenge: The Oldest Chiefdom? Reading: CZ – Ch 10: Complexity without the State

Fri (3/23) Cahokia: A Prehispanic New World Chiefdom Reading: CZ – Ch 10.3: Cahokia

WEEK 11

Mon (3/26) ***MIDTERM EXAM #2*** Wed (3/28) Mesopotamia and the First Cities, Part One

Reading: CZ – Ch 11.1: Mesopotamia Fri (3/30) Mesopotamia and the First Cities, Part Two

Reading: CZ – Ch 11.1: Mesopotamia [NOTE: 3/30 Last Day to Drop Classes]

ANTH 2339 Syllabus [Spring 2012] – Page 5

WEEK 12 Mon (4/2) Egyptian Dynasties: Pre-Dynastic to Middle Kingdom

Reading: CZ – Ch 11.2: Egypt Wed (4/4) Egyptian Dynasties: New Kingdom

Reading: CZ – Ch 11.2: Egypt Fri (4/6) African Kingdoms

Reading: CZ – Ch 11.3: Africa Beyond the Nile Valley & Ch. 10.4: Great Zimbabwe

WEEK 13 Mon (4/9) Harappan Civilization

Reading: CZ – Ch 12.2: The Indus Valley Wed (4/11) Harappa/Highland Mesoamerica

Reading: CZ – see Mon 4/9 and Fri 4/13 Fri (4/13) Highland Mesoamerica: Teotihuacan

Reading: CZ – Introduction to Ch 13 & Ch 13.2: Teotihuacan

WEEK 14

Mon (4/16) The Olmec and the Preclassic Maya Reading: CZ – Ch 13.1: The Origins of Urbanism and Social Complexity

Wed (4/18) The Classic Maya Reading: CZ – Ch 13.3: The Maya

Fri (4/20) Dynastic China Reading: CZ – Ch 12.3: China

WEEK 15

Mon (4/23) The Maya Collapse Reading: CZ – Ch 13.3: The Maya

Wed (4/25) Origins of the Aztecs Reading: CZ – Ch 13.4: The Aztec Empire

Fri (4/27) The Aztec Empire ***Paper #2 Due Today 4/27*** Reading: CZ – Ch 13.4: The Aztec Empire

WEEK 16

Mon (4/30) Complexity in the Andes before the Inca Reading: CZ – Ch 9.3: The Andes & Ch 14: States and Empire in the Andes

Wed (5/2) The Inca Empire Reading: CZ – Ch 9.3: The Andes & Ch 14: States and Empire in the Andes

Fri (5/4) Final Review Reading: No reading

FINAL EXAM: Monday, May 7, 2012 8:00 am – 10:30 am

ANTH 2339 Syllabus [Spring 2012] – Page 6

Syllabus Changes Any element or elements of this syllabus may be changed or amended by the instructor as necessary. Changes to this syllabus and unexpected class cancellations will be communicated in class and/or online through Blackboard and the UTA email system.

ANTH 2339 Syllabus [Spring 2012] – Page 7

Important University Policies

Drop Policy: Students may drop or swap (adding and dropping a class concurrently) classes using MyMav self-service from

the beginning of the registration period through the late registration period. After the late registration period, students must see their academic advisor to drop a class or withdraw. Undeclared students must see an advisor in the University Advising Center. You may drop a class until two-thirds of the way through the term or session. As the student, it is your responsibility to officially withdraw from a class if you do not plan to attend after registering. Students will not be automatically dropped for non-attendance. Repayment of certain types of financial aid administered through the University may be required as the result of dropping classes or withdrawing. For more information, contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships (http://wweb.uta.edu/ses/fao).

Americans with Disabilities Act: The University of Texas at Arlington is on record as being committed to both the

spirit and letter of all federal equal opportunity legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). All instructors at UT Arlington are required by law to provide "reasonable accommodations" to students with disabilities, so as not to discriminate on the basis of that disability. Any student requiring an accommodation for a course must provide the instructor with official documentation in the form of a letter certified by the staff in the Office for Students with Disabilities, University Hall 102. Only those students who have officially documented a need for an accommodation will have their request honored. Information regarding diagnostic criteria and policies for obtaining disability-based academic accommodations can be found at www.uta.edu/disability or by calling the Office for Students with Disabilities at (817) 272-3364.

Academic Integrity: At UT Arlington, academic dishonesty is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated in any

form, including (but not limited to) “cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts” (UT System Regents’ Rule 50101, §2.2). Suspected violations of academic integrity standards will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct. Violators will be disciplined in accordance with University policy, which may result in the student’s suspension or expulsion from the University.

Student Support Services: UT Arlington provides a variety of resources and programs designed to help students

develop academic skills, deal with personal situations, and better understand concepts and information related to their courses. Resources include tutoring, major-based learning centers, developmental education, advising and mentoring, personal counseling, and federally funded programs. For individualized referrals, contact the Maverick Resource Hotline by calling 817-272-6107, sending a message to resources@uta.edu, or visiting www.uta.edu/resources.

Electronic Communication: UT Arlington has adopted MavMail as its official means to communicate with students

about important deadlines and events, as well as to transact university-related business regarding financial aid, tuition, grades, graduation, etc. All students are assigned a MavMail account and are responsible for checking their inboxes regularly. There is no additional charge to students for using this account, which remains active even after graduation. Information about activating and using MavMail is available at http://www.uta.edu/oit/cs/email/mavmail.php.

Student Feedback Survey: At the end of each term, students enrolled in classes categorized as lecture, seminar, or

laboratory will be asked to complete an online Student Feedback Survey (SFS) about the course and how it was taught. Instructions on how to access the SFS system will be sent directly to students through MavMail approximately 10 days before the end of the term. UT Arlington’s effort to solicit, gather, tabulate, and publish student feedback data is required by state law; student participation in the SFS program is voluntary.

Final Review Week: A period of five class days prior to the first day of final examinations in the long sessions shall be

designated as Final Review Week. The purpose of this week is to allow students sufficient time to prepare for final examinations. During this week, there shall be no scheduled activities such as required field trips or performances; and no instructor shall assign any themes, research problems or exercises of similar scope that have a completion date during or following this week unless specified in the class syllabus. During Final Review Week, an instructor shall not give any examinations constituting 10% or more of the final grade, except makeup tests and laboratory examinations. In addition, no instructor shall give any portion of the final examination during Final Review Week. During this week, classes are held as scheduled. In addition, instructors are not required to limit content to topics that have been previously covered; they may introduce new concepts as appropriate.