Brown University
Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World
Box 1837
Providence, RI 02912-1916
Fall 2011
Course Syllabus
ARCHAEOLOGY 1050 – Old World and New World Perspectives in Archaeology
(Link to course webpage at http://proteus.brown.edu/perspectives11/home)
Prof. John F. Cherry
Phone: 863-6412
Email: John_Cherry@brown.edu
Office Hours: Monday 2-4
Office: Rhode Island Hall 105
Dr. Thomas G. Garrison
863-6935
Thomas_Garrison@brown.edu
Tuesday 2-4
Rhode Island Hall 208
Course Description
This course examines how archaeologists working on different sides of the world approach
various topics when studying the past. Each seminar will include a comparative treatment of a
major thematic issue put into context by weekly case studies from the Old World and New
World. The class will draw heavily on examples from the complex societies of the
Mediterranean and Mesoamerica. There will be a number of guest faculty discussants who
specialize in the topics being discussed.
Prerequisite: An introductory course in archaeology, either through the Joukowsky Institute or
the Anthropology Department.
Introduction, Aims, and Objectives
The practice of archaeology in the Old World and New World has developed on parallel, but
separate trajectories. While there is often significant overlap in our methods and theoretical
frameworks, we are equally likely to find ourselves interpreting archaeological data in ways that
feel contradictory or alienating. In this course we will view archaeological topics from both the
Old World and New World perspective and in the process try to better understand, and perhaps
bridge the gap between some of our differences.
The aims of this course are threefold.
• First, to introduce you to some of the current major topics that are being dealt with today
in the archaeology of complex societies.
• Second, to present you with sometimes conflicting perspectives on the same topic, in
order to encourage you to think critically about the topic and form your own opinions on
archaeological interpretation.
• Finally, to help you to research your own topic from a comparative perspective. This last
requirement will manifest itself in a final term paper.
In order to achieve these aims the course will be taught in a seminar format. Each week you will
be assigned Old World and New World case studies on the coming seminar’s topic. You will be
responsible for short response papers to the week’s reading that will be disseminated to the rest
of the class by email prior to the seminar. Each meeting of the seminar will begin with an
introductory consideration of that week’s topic, followed by a presentation of the case studies,
and ending with a concluding comparative discussion. We have invited a number of guest
discussants to enliven the seminar with their expertise on that week’s topic; but it will be you, the
students, who will be responsible for leading the seminar discussion. Each student in the class
will be responsible for being a seminar leader at least twice. Finally, the last two weeks of the
course will be dedicated to presenting your own archaeological topic from an Old World and
New World perspective, as you work on finishing your term paper.
By the end of the course you should:
• Have a strong grasp of some of the major topics that archaeologists encounter over much
of the globe
• Be able to lead a discussion by highlighting critical issues and encouraging participation
• Have an in-depth comparative knowledge of an archaeological topic, which will be
demonstrated by your term paper
Assessment Overview
The following is a list of the major assignments upon which your course grade will be based.
Assignment
Weekly write-ups
Seminar leader (x2)
General participation
Final presentation
Final paper
% of grade
20%
30% (15% each)
10%
10%
30%
Due date
24 hrs. before seminar
TBA
Weekly seminar
Weeks 12 and 13
Week 13
Readings
The readings are PDFs available for download on the course wiki. There is no course textbook.
PROVISIONAL COURSE SCHEDULE
Week 1 –
Topic: Introduction to Course
Sign-up for seminar leading
Week 2 –
Topic: Settlement Patterns and Landscapes
Readings:
GENERAL
Earle, T. (2011), Comparative Archaeology: Archaeology’s Responsibility. In
Comparative Archaeologies: The American Southwest (AD 900-1600) and the
Iberian Peninsula (3000-1500 BC), edited by K. T. Lillios, pp. 1-20. Oxbow
Books, Oxford.
OW –
Cherry, J.F. (2003), Archaeology Beyond the Site: Regional Survey and Its Future, in J.
K. Papadopoulos and R.M. Leventhal (eds.), Theory and Practice in
Mediterranean Archaeology: Old World and New World Perspectives, pp. 137159. Los Angeles: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology.
NW –
Kowalewski, S.A. (2008), Regional Settlement Pattern Studies. Journal of
Archaeological Research 16:225-285.
Week 3 –
Topic: Rise of Complex Societies
Readings:
OW –
Yoffee, N. (2005), Myths of the Archaic State, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Pp. 196-232.
Wright, H. T. (1977), Recent Research on the Origin of the State. Annual Review of
Anthropology 6:379-397.
NW –
Estrada-Belli, F. (2010), The First Maya Civilization: Ritual and Power before the
Classic Period. Routledge, London. (Selections TBD).
Sanders, W., and B. Price. (1968), Mesoamerica: The Evolution of a Civilization.
Random House, New York. Pp. 139-239.
Week 4 –
Topic: Architecture and Urbanism (Visitor: Prof. Ömür Harmansah)
Readings:
OW –
Palyvou, C. (2003), Architecture and Archaeology: The Minoan Palaces in the TwentyFirst Century, in J. K. Papadopoulos and R.M. Leventhal (eds.), Theory and
Practice in Mediterranean Archaeology: Old World and New World Perspectives,
pp. 205-233. Los Angeles: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology.
Von Falkenhausen, L. (2003), Architecture and Archaeology: A View from China, in J.
K. Papadopoulos and R.M. Leventhal (eds.), Theory and Practice in
Mediterranean Archaeology: Old World and New World Perspectives, pp. 247266. Los Angeles: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology.
NW –
Houston, S.D. (1998), Finding Function and Meaning in Classic Maya Architecture. In
Function and Meaning in Classic Maya Architecture, edited by S.D. Houston, pp.
519-538. Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, D.C.
Fash, W.L., and B.W. Fash. (1996), Building a World View: Visual Communication in
Classic Maya Architecture. RES: Anthropology and Aesthetics 29/30:127-147.
Smith, M.E. (2008), Aztec City-State Capitals. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.
Pp. 1-26, 187-204.
Week 5 –
Topic: Empire (Visitor: Prof. Sue Alcock)
Readings:
OW –
Sinopoli, C. (2001), “Empires,” in G.M. Feinman and T.D. Price (eds.), Archaeology at
the Millennium: A Sourcebook, 439-471.
Alcock, S.E., et al. (eds.) (2001), Empires: Perspectives from Archaeology and History.
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Pp. 1-9, 125-127, 195- 200, 279-282,
369-373.
NW –
Berdan, F.F. (1993), Trade and Tribute in the Aztec Empire. In Current Topics in Aztec
Studies: Essays in Honor of Dr. H. B. Nicholson, edited by A. Cordy-Collins and
D. Sharon, pp. 71-84. San Diego Papers 30. San Diego Museum of Man, San
Diego, California.
Smith, M.E., and L. Montiel. (2001), The Archaeological Study of Empires and
Imperialism in Pre-Hispanic Central Mexico. Journal of Anthropological
Archaeology 20:245-284.
Week 6 –
Topic: Feasting
Readings:
OW –
Isaakidou et al.(2002), “Burnt animal sacrifice at the ‘Palace of Nestor,’ Pylos,” Antiquity
76: 86-92.
Hamilakis, Y., and E. Konsolaki (2004), “Pigs for the Gods: Burnt animal sacrifices as
embodied rituals at a Mycenaean sanctuary,” Oxford Journal of Archaeology
23.2.: 135-151.
Wright, J.C. (2004), “The Mycenaean feast: an introduction,” Hesperia 73.2: 121- 132.
NW –
Joyce, R.A., and J.S. Henderson. (2007). From Feasting to Cuisine: Implications of
Archaeological Research in an Early Honduran Village. American Anthropologist
109(4):642-653.
Rosenswig, R.M. (2007), Beyond Identifying Elites: Feasting as a Means to Understand
Early Middle Formative Society on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. Journal of
Anthropological Archaeology 26(1):1-27.
Week 7 –
Topic: Writing (Visitor: Prof. Matthew Rutz)
Readings:
OW –
Zimansky, P. (2005), Archaeology and Texts in the Ancient Near East. In Archaeologies
of the Middle East: Critical Perspectives, edited by S. Pollock and R. Bernbeck,
pp. 308-326. Blackwell, Oxford.
Palaima, T. (2003), Archaeology and Text: Decipherment, Translation, and
Interpretation, in J. K. Papadopoulos and R.M. Leventhal (eds.), Theory and
Practice in Mediterranean Archaeology: Old World and New World Perspectives,
pp. 45-73. Los Angeles: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology.
Morris, S.P. (2003), New Worlds, Ancient Texts: Perspectives on Epigraphy and
Archaeology, in Mediterranean Archaeology: Old World and New World
Perspectives, pp. 81-85. Los Angeles: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology.
NW –
Houston, S.D. (2004), Writing in Early Mesoamerica. In The First Writing: Script
Invention as History and Process, edited by S. Houston, pp. 274-310. Cambridge
University Press, Cambridge.
Stuart, D. (1993), Historical Inscriptions and the Maya Collapse. In Lowland Maya
Civilization in the Eighth Century A.D., edited by J.A. Sabloff and J.S.
Henderson, pp. 321-354. Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, D.C.
Week 8 –
Topic: Violence and Sacrifice (Visitor: Prof. Andrew Scherer)
Readings:
OW –
Campbell, R., ed. (in press). Violence and Civilization. Joukowsky Institute Publication 3.
(Chapter TBD).
Dickson, D.B. (2006), “Public transcripts expressed in theatres of cruelty: the Royal
Graves at Ur in Mesopotamia,” Cambridge Archaeological Journal 16.2: 123144.
Rubinson, Karen S. (2003), “Silver Vessels and Cylinder Sealings: Precious Reflections
of Economic Exchange in the Early Second Millennium BC”, in A.T. Smith and
K.S. Rubinson (eds.), Archaeology in the Borderlands: Investigations in Caucasia
and Beyond, pp. 128-143. Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, University of
California, Los Angeles.
NW –
Carrasco, D. (1987), Myth, Cosmic Terror, and the Templo Mayor. In The Great Temple
of Tenochtitlán: Center and Periphery in the Aztec World, edited by Johanna
Broda, Davíd Carrasco, and Eduardo Matos Moctezuma, pp. 124-169. University
of California Press, Berkeley.
Demarest, A.A., M. O’Mansky, C. Wolley, D. Van Tuerenhout, T. Inomata, J. Palka, and
H. Escobedo. (1997), Classic Maya Defensive Systems and Warfare in the
Petexbatun Region: Archaeological Evidence and Interpretations. Ancient
Mesoamerica 8:229-253.
Week 9 –
Topic: Volcanoes, Disasters and Risk
Readings:
OW –
Beard, M. (2008), Fires of Vesuvius: Pompeii Lost and Found, Introduction.
Driessen, J. (2002), “Towards an archaeology of crisis: defining the long-term impact of
the Bronze Age Santorini eruption,” in R. Torrence and J. Grattan (eds.), Natural
Disasters and Cultural Change, 250-263.
NW –
Dunning, N., and S. Houston. (in press), Chan Ik: Hurricanes as a Disruptive Force in the
Maya Lowlands. In Ecology, Power, and Religion in Maya Landscapes, edited by
B. Persson and C. Isendahl. Verlag Anton Saurwein, Berlin.
Plunket, P., and G. Uruñuela. (1998), Preclassic Household Patterns Preserved Under
Volcanic Ash at Tetimpa, Puebla. Latin American Antiquity 9(4):287-309.
Week 10 –
Topic: Human Impacts on the Environment
Readings:
OW –
Redman, Charles L. (1993), Human Impacts on Ancient Environments. University of
Arizona Press, Tucson. Pp. 81-126.
Redman, C.L., and A.P.Kinzig (2003), Resilience of past landscapes: resilience theory,
society, and the longue durée, Conervation Ecology 7.1: 14.
NW –
Hunt, Terry L. (2007) Rethinking Easter Island’s Ecological Catastrophe, Journal of
Archaeological Science 34: 485-502.
Mieth, Andrew, and Hans-Rudolf Bork (2010), Humans, Climate or Introduced Rats —
Which Is To Blame for the Woodland Destruction on Prehistoric Rapa Nui
(Easter Island)?, Journal of Archaeological Science 37: 417-426.
Dunning, N.P., S. Luzzadder-Beach, T. Beach, J.G. Jones, V. Scarborough, and T.P.
Culbert. (2002), Arising from the Bajos: The Evolution of a Neotropical
Landscape and the Rise of Maya Civilization. Annals of the Association of
American Geographers 92:267-283.
Hodell, D.A., M. Brenner, and J.H. Curtis. (2005), Terminal Classic Drought in the
Northern Maya Lowlands Inferred from Multiple Sediment Cores in Lake
Chichancanab (Mexico). Quaternary Science Reviews 24(12- 13):1413-1427.
Week 11 –
Topic: Ethics and Conservation in Archaeology
Readings:
OW –
Stanley-Price, N. (2003), Site Preservation and Archaeology in the Mediterranean
Region, in J. K. Papadopoulos and R.M. Leventhal (eds.), Theory and Practice in
Mediterranean Archaeology: Old World and New World Perspectives, pp. 269283. Los Angeles: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology.
Lyons, C.L. (2003), Archaeology, Conservation, and the Ethics of Sustainability, in J. K.
Papadopoulos and R.M. Leventhal (eds.), Theory and Practice in Mediterranean
Archaeology: Old World and New World Perspectives, pp. 299-308. Los Angeles:
Cotsen Institute of Archaeology.
NW –
Fash, W.L., H.F. Beaubien, C.E. Magee, B.W. Fash, and R.V. Williamson. (2001),
Trappings of Kingship among the Classic Maya: Ritual and Identity in a Royal
Tomb from Copán. In Fleeting Identities: Perishable Material Culture in
Archaeological Research, pp.152-169. Center for Archaeological Investigations,
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.
Beaubien, H.F. (1995), “Low-tech” Methods for Characterizing Materials in the Field.
Materials Issues in Art and Archaeology 4(352):641-651.
Week 12 –
Topic: Undergraduate Student Presentations
Week 13 –
Topic: Graduate Student presentations and Conclusion of Course
FINAL PAPERS DUE: 13 December 2011