I. ASCRC General Education Form
Group
Group VII Social Science
Dept/Program
Anthropology
Course Title
Prerequisite
Course #
Introduction to Archaeology
None
Credits
ANTH 250
3
II. Endorsement/Approvals
Complete the form and obtain signatures before submitting to Faculty Senate Office
Please type / print name Signature
Date
John E. Douglas
9/15/08
4246
john.douglas@umontana.ed
u
Program Chair
John E. Douglas
9/15/08
Dean
Gerald Fetz
III. Description and purpose of the course: General Education courses must be introductory
and foundational. They must emphasize breadth, context, and connectedness; and relate course
content to students’ future lives: See Preamble:
http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/gened/GEPreamble_final.htm
Instructor
Phone / Email
The purpose of this course is to provide students with a working knowledge of the methods,
theory, and practice of archaeology. Archaeology is the study of material culture to understand
human behavior, culture, and societies; that is, it is the branch of social science that examines
humans from the perspective of made objects, built environment, and landscapes.
Archaeology’s emphases tend to be on long term processes and human experiences that were
not recorded by writing or other media, and these unique aspects of archaeology are highlighted
in this course. The emphasis, however, are on the systemic analysis and interpretation of
societies, just as in any social science class: (1) the connections between material culture and
human society, whether those connections are in the subsistence, economic, social, or symbolic
realm; (2) the process of. making inferences in archaeology, including the systematic collection
of data, archaeological-specific analytical methods, such as inferring social structure from
archaeological remains or monitoring change through the seriation of artifacts, and the
incorporation of natural science methods, such as trace element analysis, to serve social science
questions; (3) the contemporary social relevance of archaeological knowledge and
archaeological remains, including ethical issues.
IV. Criteria: Briefly explain how this course meets the criteria for the group. See:
http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/ASCRCx/Adocuments/GE_Criteria5-1-08.htm
systematically study individuals, groups, or
social institutions
A major theme of this course is
reconstructing social institutions from the
archaeological record. Students are
challenged to understand how we can link
certain kinds of patterns in of artifacts (and
ultimately, behavior) with different
subsistence and economic patterns, how the
characteristics of ranked societies and states
can be identified in the archaeological
record, how we might characterize gender
relations from iconography and artifact
patterns, etc.
analyze individuals, groups, or social problems Archaeology is inherently comparative and
and structures
long-term. We therefore touch on many
social science issues such as the transition of
hunter-gatherer bands to village farmers, the
effects of economic specialization on
societies, etc. We also analyze why modern
societies study the archaeological record, and
the issues of ownership, nationalism, and
ethics that archaeology introduces.
give considerable attention to ways in which
This is a strength of this class. It is not
conclusions and generalizations are developed
immediately obvious how to take objects and
and justified as well as the methods of data
observations found by digging up
collection and analysis
archaeological sites and produce
scientifically justified hypotheses about
subsistence systems, economic systems,
social systems, etc. Understanding this
process—and thoroughly understanding
what it means to be “scientific”—is at the
heart of this course.
V. Student Learning Goals: Briefly explain how this course will meet the applicable learning
goals. See: http://www.umt.edu/facultysenate/ASCRCx/Adocuments/GE_Criteria5-1-08.htm
Much of the course is organized around
Describe the nature, structure, and historical
development of human behavior, organizations, social institutions, with lectures spent on
social phenomena, and/or relationships
topics such as “Social Organization”
(sociopolitical organization), “Trade and
Exchange” (economics), and “Art and
Religion.” In each case, the course surveys
not only the archaeological methods of
inference in these areas, but also introduces
the wide-ranging, comparative perspective
of anthropological archaeology.
use theory in explaining these individual, group,
or social phenomena
Archaeology, like the rest of the social
sciences, does not have a single, unifying
theory. The course takes the approach that
there has been a wide range of social
science theory adopted and adapted by
archaeologists, and that students need to
understand these, their strengths, their
weaknesses, and possibly look to synthetic
approaches. The “History” and
“Explanations in Archaeology” sections of
the class, comprising about 15% of the class
and presented late in the semester, is where
the issues of scientific explanation are
systematically explored, as well as the “big
picture” theoretical approaches in
archaeology.
understand, assess, and evaluate how
Presentation of how archaeologists work as
conclusions and generalizations are justified
social scientists, liberally peppered with
based on data
examples, is a major portion of the text and
lecture content of this course. I’m now using
small group in-class assignments to get
students to work through some examples of
archaeological reasoning to solidify their
“textbook” understanding of the process,
improving the success of the class. The goal
is to move them from an “Indiana Jones”
understanding of archaeology as treasureseeking to a broad and interesting social
science.
VII. Syllabus: Paste syllabus below or attach and send digital copy with form. ⇓ The syllabus
should clearly describe how the above criteria are satisfied. For assistance on syllabus
preparation see: http://teaching.berkeley.edu/bgd/syllabus.html
INTRODUCTION TO ARCHAEOLOGY
Professor: John Douglas; Office: Social Sciences 233; Office hours: Monday and Wednesday
9-11, Tuesday 1-2 or by appointment; Tel: 243-4246; E-mail: John.Douglas@umontana.edu.
Teaching Assistant: Maggie Thurlo; margaret.thurlo@umontana.edu, Office: Social
Sciences 254a, 243-5865; Office hours: MWF 10-12, 1-2.
Purpose: Archaeology is the study of material culture to make inferences about human
behavior. Anthropological archaeologists apply these inferences to increase our understanding
of all human societies: contemporary, historic, and prehistoric. This class surveys the issues and
questions that motivate archaeologists to examine material culture, as well as the techniques
used by archaeologists. Case examples illustrating goals and techniques are examined. Students
who satisfactorily complete this course will gain an understanding of the goals and methods of
contemporary archaeology as well as the challenges facing archaeology.
Required text: Colin Renfrew and Paul Bahn, 2007, Archaeology Essentials: Theories,
Methods, and Practice. Thames and Hudson, New York.
Course prerequisites and requirements it fills: There are no prerequisites. This class serves
as an Anthropology minor and major lower division core course as well as a Social Science
perspective in the General Education Requirements. Note that to fufill either of these
requirements, you must take the course for a traditional grade.
Grade Determination: Students are responsible for all assigned materials: lectures, videos,
powerpoints presentation, and readings. Class attendance is crucial to gain mastery of the
material. There are four exams, each worth 100 points. Each exam covers about a fourth of
the course's lecture material and readings. All regular tests will consist of true-false and
multiple-choice questions. Objective midterm exams will not be available at any time other
than their scheduled class time Students must bring a sharpened, soft pencil and scantron
sheet (pink, ⅓ sheet size, available in the bookstore) to take the exam. Students who miss tests
may take the comprehensive short answer/essay exam in the final period or may petion to
arrange a short answer/essay makeup exam covering the same material as the missing test, at
the discretion of the Instructor. The optional comprehensive essay final can can also be taken to
substitute for a low test score. This optional final cannot lower your grade.
There are four in-class assignments, each worth 10 points with bonus points possible. There is
no make up for missed in class assignments. You will need to complete an extra credit
assignment if you need a makeup.
There are two extra credit assignments that can be completed.
1) Attend the lecture The Great Warming, Drought, and the Flail of God: An Archaeologist
Looks at Climate Change by Brian Fagan, a nationally-known archeologist on Tuesday,
February 5 at 7pm in Urey Underground Lecture Hall, and write a brief essay (2-3 double
spaced pages) on Dr. Fagan’s lecture that answers the question “What can archaeologists
contribute to the current discussion of world-wide climate change?” The essay is due in class
on February 11, and will be worth up to 10 points.
2) Complete the written assignment given on the last page, which is worth up to 20 points, and
is due May 2.
The final grade is based on a 440-point scale: 4 tests@ 100 points each plus 4 inclass
assignments @ 10 points each = 440 (plus any additional points from extra credit assignments
or bonuses). Grades are based on a straight point system:
396 points (90%+) = A
307-264 points= D
395-352 points = B
less than 264 points = F
352-308 points = C
more than 263 points = “Credit”
Drops: Please note that February 11 (4:30 pm) is the last day to add or drop a course without
penalty, and March 5 is the last day to add, drop, or change grading option with signatures and
fees.
Other issues:
To the wireless crowd: Please turn off you cell phone ringer during class!
Disability Accommodations: When requested by the student, learning disabilities
recognized by Disability Student Services (DSS) will be ameliorated with any reasonable
accommodation: copies of notes, special testing environment, extended testing time, and
special forms of the tests.
Incompletes: An incomplete will be considered only when requested by the student. At the
discretion of the instructor, incompletes are given to students who missed a portion of the
class because of documented serious health or personal problem during the semester.
Students have one year to complete the course; requirements are negotiated on a case-bycase basis.
Plagiarism and misconduct: All students must practice academic honesty. Students
unfamiliar with the Plagiarism Warning in the catalog are urged to read it. Plagiarism and
Academic misconduct is subject to an academic penalty (up to and including failing the
class) by the instructor and/or a disciplinary sanction by the University. All students need
to be familiar with the Student Conduct Code. The Code is available for review online at
www.umt.edu/SA/VPSA/index.cfm/page/1321.
COURSE SCHEDULE
Date
23-Jan
25-Jan
28-Jan
30-Jan
1-Feb
4-Feb
6-Feb
8-Feb
11-Feb
13-Feb
15-Feb
18-Feb
20-Feb
22-Feb
25-Feb
27-Feb
29-Feb
3-Mar
5-Mar
7-Mar
Day
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
Topic
Introduction
Formation Processes
Readings
Intro
Chapter 2
Survey and Excavation
Chapter 3
Chronology
Chapter 4
Test 1
Social Archaeology
Washington-Lincoln Day Holiday
Chapter 5
Environmental Reconstruction
Chapter 6
Subsistence and Diet
Test 2
10-Mar
12-Mar
14-Mar
17-Mar
19-Mar
21-Mar
24-Mar
26-Mar
28-Mar
31-Mar
2-Apr
4-Apr
7-Apr
9-Apr
11-Apr
14-Apr
16-Apr
18-Apr
21-Apr
23-Apr
25-Apr
28-Apr
30-Apr
2-May
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
6-May
T
Technology
Chapter 7
Trade and exchange
SPRING BREAK
SPRING BREAK
SPRING BREAK
Art and religion
Chapter 8
Bio-archaeology
Test 3
History
Chapter 1
Explanation in Archaeology
Chapter 9
Whose Past?
Chapter 10
(Extra Credit Assignment due)
Test 4: 10:10-11:00; Comprehensive essay
makeup exam: 11:10-12:10
Extra Credit Homework Assignment, Archaeology: Popular and Scholarly Views:
This extra credit assignment is worth up to 20 points, depending on how well the paper fits the
assignment, the quality of the analysis, and the skill of presentation (including grammar and spelling).
The paper must be no more than 1,500 words (six double spaced typed pages with standard formatting;
you may want to use “word count” under “Tools” on the MS Word tool bar). In addition to the text, you
must provide a full bibliographic citing of the articles that you use, and you must attach a photocopy (or
computer printout, if using web resources) of the FIRST page of the four articles that you use. Pages
torn out of magazines or journals will not be accepted. Papers are due on Friday, May 2, in class;
papers must be the stated length, typed, stapled, and on-time. Early papers will be accepted.
Introduction: Your task is to find four articles about archaeology, two from the popular press and two
from a scholarly journal. They do not need to be exactly the same topic, but they should share some
themes. You need to read and understand these articles, then prepare a short review outlining your
articles and comparing and contrasting the approaches taken in scholarly and popular presentations.
What to do:
1. Find two popular articles from the last 15 years dealing with a subject relating to archaeology. These
might be from a “popular” science magazine such as National Geographic, Scientific American,
Archaeology, or Discover Magazine, popular weekly or monthly magazines such as Atlantic Monthly or
Newsweek, or newspapers, such as The New York Times. The web site, “Anthropology in the News,”
http://www.tamu.edu/anthropology/news.html, may be helpful in your search.
2. Find two scholarly articles from the last 15 years dealing with similar topics as your popular articles. I
recommend four general archaeology journals, American Antiquity, Plains Anthropologist, World
Archaeology, and Journal of Field Archaeology. All of these journals are available in the Mansfield
Library. Early 1990s articles from the journals American Antiquity and World Archaeology are available
as e-journals through the Mansfield Library (using the Jstor database).
3. Write your paper, making sure that you cover the following topics:
Brief summaries of the articles
Compare and contrast popular and academic writing as specifically as possible. Comparisons
that you may want to consider include: 1) voice and language use; 2) how interpretations are
backed with evidence and argument; 3) how the goals of the authors differ
How effective are the popular articles in explaining to the public what archaeologists do? Do
they capture any of the excitement of archaeology?
How might professional archaeologists reach a larger audience?
4. Be very careful to cite quotations. If you do not put clearly mark the source of sentences taken from
the articles, you are committing “plagiarism,” an activity that, at a minimum, will result in a reduced
grade for this class and notification of the Dean of Students. Please be familiar with the warning in the
2004-2005 University of Montana Catalog, reproduced below:
Plagiarism is the representing of another's work as one's own. It is a particularly intolerable offense in the
academic community and is strictly forbidden. Students who plagiarize may fail the course and may be
remanded to Academic Court for possible suspension or expulsion. (See Student Conduct Code section of this
catalog.)
Students must always be very careful to acknowledge any kind of borrowing that is included in their work. This
means not only borrowed wording but also ideas. Acknowledgment of whatever is not one's own original work is
the proper and honest use of sources. Failure to acknowledge whatever is not one's own original work is
plagiarism.
*Please note: As an instructor of a general education course, you will be expected to provide
sample assessment items and corresponding responses to the Assessment Advisory Committee.