AE201 Section 01
Graduate Seminar:
Approaches to Archaeological Survey in the Old World
Fall semester 2006, Tuesdays 7-9:20 pm
Prof. John Cherry (Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology & the Ancient World)
Office: Room 301, JIAAW, 70 Waterman Street
Phone: 401-8636412; E-mail: john_cherry@brown.edu
The period since World War II, and especially since the 1960s, has witnessed a
marked development of interest in regional approaches to the ancient world and its
landscapes; in some areas, indeed, as much time and resources are now spent on
archaeological field survey as on traditional excavation. This seminar will explore
some of the reasons for this growth of interest, as well as survey’s impact on the
work of both ancient historians and archaeologists. The chief subject for discussion
will be how ‘human landscapes’ have been created, and how we can try to
understand them, using the full variety of types of data and analytical method at our
disposal.
Though various techniques and approaches will be touched upon, emphasis will be
placed squarely on regional field survey and landscape archaeology. Topics to be
covered include the history of regional work in the Mediterranean and the Classical
lands (including the Near East), survey design and methodology, and the wider
implications of survey; particular stress will be placed on the integration of regional
studies into wider inquiries about the ancient economy, agricultural regimes and
settlement on the land, past demographic trends, town-country relations,
colonization and ‘Romanization’, and the nature of religious, ceremonial, or
'imaginary' landscapes. The case studies we discuss will be limited only by
reference to the Classical lands, in their broadest sense, and may occasionally stray
yet further afield.
Tentative Schedule
September 12
September 19
September 26
Organizational meeting
Introductory readings** —1. (What is survey? How and why do
survey? What constitutes “good” survey? The intellectual frameworks
of survey-based research)
Introductory readings — 2. (Overview of the development of survey
and settlement archaeology worldwide).
Cherry. CA 820 Syllabus, p. 1
October 3
October 10
October 17
October 24
October 31
November 7
November 14
November 21
November 28
December 5
Introductory readings —3. (The joy of methodology: sampling; off-site
data; surface vs. sub-surface data; survey pottery and its problems)
Ways of looking and recording (guest appearance by Christopher
Witmore, postdoctoral fellow in JIAAW).
Individual reports: summaries and critiques of specific survey projects
1,000-word book review due
Approaches to landscapes and landscape archaeology
Survey from space, from the air, and underwater
“Side-by-side” comparative survey
Individual reports: topical presentations
The survey of individual sites; subsurface survey
Survey and Geographical Information Systems
Mock NGS grant application due
Evaluation of mock grant applications by the reviewing panel (i.e., the
class!)
** Readings for discussion in the seminar are to be found either on the reserve shelf for
the class in the Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology’s library and/or as pdf files
mounted on the wiki for this class at
http://proteus.brown.edu/oldworldsurvey/Home
Your obligations:
(1) Active involvement in all class discussions. This will be the primary determinant of
your final class grade.
(2) Two class reports:
(a) Read about and report critically (for no more than ~20 minutes) on one specific
survey project (October 17)
(b) Give a presentation (for no more than ~20 minutes) on a thematic topic, ideally one
that links survey data to wider problems in archaeology, anthropology and the
classics that currently interest you (week of November 13). The bibliography for
this class suggests some possible areas to explore.
(3) Two pieces of written work:
(a) The first class report (2a, above) written in the form of a 1,000 word (max.) book
review suitable for the American Journal of Archaeology. Due week of October 16.
(b) A mock grant application, to the Committee for Research and Exploration of the
National Geographic Society, for funds to support a survey of your own design
anywhere in the Old World. Go to:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/research/grant_application.html
for the guidelines and on-line forms actually issued to would-be applicants by NGS.
These applications are due no later than November 27, preferably in electronic form.
You will read and carefully evaluate these applications during the last week of
classes, and at our final class meeting, we will convene as a mock panel of the
funding agency to discuss the proposals and award “funds” as seems appropriate!
Cherry. CA 820 Syllabus, p. 1
JFC/September 2006
Cherry. CA 820 Syllabus, p. 1