This course provides an overview of the 4-field discipline of Anthropology. Each of the four fields is covered in order to provide students with a broad-based introductory knowledge of Anthropology. The four topics include Archaeology (the study of the material remains of the past), Cultural Anthropology (the study of human diversity), Physical Anthropology (the study of the human body and human evolution), and Linguistics (the study of language).
Special Topics in Anthropology.
Ever wondered about our human history? Fascinated by archaeological finds you hear about in the news? This course provides a world tour through time as we travel from our early origins in Africa through the cognitive development seen to emerge in the rock art caves of France. We then travel through the development of agriculture to the emergence of complex societies throughout prehistory. Explore Stonehenge, the Maya, Ancient Egypt, and more.
SOCI 270
An anthropological study of diverse cultures, past and present, focusing upon technologies and structure, kinship and family patterns, political relations, religious concepts, and artistic forms. This course provides background into the Cultural sub-discipline of Anthropology while engaging students with skills necessary in a rapidly globalizing world.
The course provides an introduction to Archaeology, one of the four fields of anthropology. Archaeology is the study of the human past through material culture, however archaeological research and methods are often applied to modern day issues. This course is designed to provide hands on experience in archaeological methods as well as provide a basis for understanding archaeological theory and practice. Special attention will be focused on methodology and techniques available to archaeologists (mapping, photography, and artifact preparation/analysis).
Museums serve a critical function in modern society, acting as repositories of knowledge, culture, and history. Without museums, much of our cultural and historical heritage would be lost. Using this fundamental concept as an entry point, this course explores the history of the modern museum, its functions in contemporary society, and the roles that “museum professionals” play in their institutions and their communities. Through this exploration, students will be exposed to the concepts of cultural patrimony, (de)colonization, nationalism, inclusivity (and exclusivity), and ownership, and they will become familiar with the roles open to them as emerging professionals in the field of museum studies.
This course is designed to provide a general introduction to Biological (Physical) Anthropology. The course traces the nature of human evolution, the hominin past, including the study of primates. Further, it examines human skeletal remains as a means of understanding the evolutionary and archaeological past. Finally, the study of Forensics provides practical, real-world applications for the principles of Biological Anthropology.
Special Topics in Anthropology.
Zooarchaeological analysis and identification are a vital skill in Physical Anthropology and Archaeology. While learning the fundamentals of osteological investigation students will identify and analyze faunal remains. Students will analyze growth, age, sex, disease. damage and zooarchaeological use of bones. Zooarchaeology is the study of animal and human interactions through archaeological remains and context. Humans have interacted with animals as predators, prey, and even pets and hunting companions throughout prehistory into today. This course provides students with the skills to analyze animal remains, keep careful journal records, and report their findings both verbally, visually, and in writing.
none
none
none
A survey of the dynamics of cultural systems in prehistoric Mesoamerica with a focus on the Tehuacan Valley of Central Mexico. This will provide the basis for discussion of the higher energy transforming systems of the Olmec, Teotihuacan, Maya and Aztec. Special attention given to causal models, including ecological and environmental, materialistic trade and exchange and religion and ideology provide the theoretical framework which the rise of civilization occurs.
The Northern Plains of North America is a vast territory stretching from central Manitoba and Saskatchewan south to Nebraska, east to northern Iowa and west to the Rocky Mountains. It is a stark and harsh landscape but one with abundant streams, animals (particularly bison), and wild plants. These resources sustained Native American populations for over 12,000 years. The course will trace the earliest small nomadic mammoth and bison hunting groups, through the development of agricultural groups living in large permanent earthlodge villages to the ultimate dramatic collapse of Native culture in the 19th century through a combination of intertribal warfare, epidemic disease and the colonization of the area by Euroamericans.
This four to five week field school offers basic instruction in all aspects of Archaeological Fieldwork. Students will be instructed in excavation, mapping, photography, plan view map drawing, as well as the initial processing of recovered artifacts.
The first week of the course will be spent on campus reading and discussing the history of the Southwest from an archaeological and cultural perspective. The southwest is a region rich in archaeological sites. This region also provides a unique setting to explore the living cultures whose ancestors created those sites. We will visit ancient sites built into cliffs, walk the river courses of cultures long past, and visit with the living descendants of the archaeological sites we’ll explore on this unique tour of the Southwest.
Internship in Anthropology.
Additional fees may apply.
Special Topics in Anthropology.
The anthropological research methods and theory class teaches students the fundamentals of Anthropological theory and it’s application to research. In this class students will design a research project in the sub field of their choice. Students will write a strong research proposal, carry out a research project, and deliver a final report and presentation on their findings. This experiential class is designed to train anthropologists for hands on interactive research to prepare them for fieldwork after graduation.
Anthropology Major or minor - to be taken junior or senior year