The objective of this course is to introduce you to the methods, techniques, and approaches which can be applied to archaeological materials. This is an introductory course, and thus I assume no prior knowledge about the subject. What you will learn during the semester will enable you to better understand how archaeologists can tell us about human history and prehistory. Unlike our colleagues in history, however, archaeologists must rely (for the most part) upon unwritten sources of information in order to recreate the past. This makes archaeology a unique discipline in many respects, and we will explore the ways in which archaeologists develop their ideas about the past. The ways in which this is accomplished is the major order of business for this class. I do not ignore the shared interests we have with other natural scientists, social scientists and the humanities. In some respects archaeology is the most eclectic and diverse historical discipline represented in the university today. We have linkages and our research can be relevant to virtually any other discipline. Consequently, there will be many illustrations of archaeological research throughout the semester. This will provide substance to the methods and techniques that you will learn about this semester. Many of the examples will be drawn from the Pacific region, but we will also consider the archaeology of the Americas and selected areas of the Old World. Finally, archaeology cannot exist without some set of theory to guide our research into the past. Although this is not a course on theory, you will learn some of the principles employed by archaeologists and some of the different ways in which archaeologists interpret or explain human history. There are 6 assignments or quizzes distributed throughout the semester and a final exam (scheduled for finals week). The assignments will involve either writing, problem-solving of various kinds and participation in a laboratory project and will typically cover material corresponding in the course schedule. The quizzes will cover material in the previous weeks of class. The archaeology laboratory will extend throughout the semester and will involve your participation in the analysis of a collection of archaeological objects from a site in Hawai_i. More information on this project will follow. The final exam will be cumulative, covering the material from the entire semester. The breakdown of points you may earn on each of the assignments, quizzes, and the final exam is as follows:
Grade assignments follow a percentile distribution, with 91-100% of total points = A, 81-90% = B, 71-80% = C, and so on. The assignments and the exam will drawn from the text, but will also require you to do some outside reading. The assignments will be distributed well in advance of their due date. The text for this course is In the Beginning (10th Edition) by Brian M. Fagan and is available at the University Bookstore. On the course schedule which follows, I indicate the readings for each week of the semester as well as the dates (they are bolded) for quizzes and on which the writing and seriation assignments are due. You should come to class each week with the reading completed and prepared to discuss and/or ask or be asked questions. There is a small amount of outside reading that you will have to do. And those materials will be made available to you to check out. I will also ask you to do a bit of work on-line as the web is increasingly important to archaeologists. Much of this will involve locating web sites and materials relevant to the various topics we cover in this class. Typically, each class will begin with a review of the topics assigned for that day. Students will have an opportunity to discuss those topics and to ask questions. The Syllabus, Schedule of Readings, and Assignments can be accessed on-line through the Anthropology web page at: http://www2.soc.hawaii.edu/css/anth/faculty/graves/graves210/. For both readings and assignments, go to the end of the syllabus and click on the week number for the lecture notes and on the writing assignments for writing assignments. Currently, the on-line version has notes from 1998 but they will be up-dated early in the semester. There will be at least one field trip scheduled this semester, to visit archaeological sites and discuss their research potential. This is an optional but recommended portion of the course. Tentatively, I am working on a field trip to the Big Island to see archaeological sites in the Kohala area on the northwestern tip of the island. The field trip will take place over a weekend, most likely during February.
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