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Department: ANTH

Course No. : 262W

Credits : 3

Title : Laboratory techniques in Archaeology

Contact: Kevin McBride

WQ: W

Catalog Copy: 262W. Laboratory Techniques in Archaeology. Either semester. Three credits. McBride. The analysis, interpretation and presentation of archaeological data sets including lithics, ceramics, floral and faunal remains and spatial information from excavated sites.

Course Information: a. Course description: Laboratory Techniques in Archaeology will cover the basic principles of archaeological analysis and laboratory procedures. Through research projects, laboratory exercises, readings and discussions, students will acquire the analytical skills to conduct archaeological research, problem solving and presentation of research results orally and in writing.

b. Course Format: The course is organized into lectures and laboratory sessions. Students will be assigned various problems, lab exercises and data sets dealing with chronology, historical archaeology, lithic analysis, environmental reconstruction, dietary reconstruction and spatial analysis. Students will be expected to attend class, complete all lab exercises and organize and analyze assigned data sets and draw meaningful conclusions regarding various aspects of human behavior as expressed in the archaeological record. Students will complete several assigned laboratory projects as well as three major research projects. In addition, several quizzes will be assigned during the course of the semester. The final grade will be based on the three research projects (50%), lab exercises (25%) and quizzes (25%).b.

c. Major Themes: Archaeological Methods, Dietary reconstruction, material Correlates of Human behavior, Chronology, Environmental Reconstruction

Meets Goals of Gen Ed .: 1. Become articulate: Through readings, discussions and laboratory sessions students will be asked to analyze field data, integrate data sets from archaeology, botany, biology, geography and history, draw conclusions and present their findings orally and in writing. Students will present research design, data and results of their final research projects in a formal setting. Students will have an opportunity to provide comments and ask questions.

2. Acquire intellectual breadth and versatility: Archaeology is a very eclectic field, requiring knowledge and integration of data and information from a wide range of sources and disciplines in addition to anthropology including biology, history, sociology and geography. As such, students will learn the value of interdisciplinary approaches to analysis and problem solving.

3. Acquire a working understanding of the processes by which they can continue to acquire and use knowledge: Students will be introduced to a variety of methods, techniques and theories used to reconstruct the past. Students will learn to use and integrate a variety of data and information to address specific problems in the archaeological record.

W Criteria: 1. Describe how the writing assignments will enable and enhance learning the content of the course. Describe the page requirements of the assignments, and the relative weighting of the “W” component of the course grade: Students are required to submit three research papers of a minimum of 5 pages on research problems/topics assigned in class. The content of the research papers will draw from assigned readings, lectures, class discussions and analysis of assigned data sets. In all of the papers, students will e expected to integrate a variety of data and information sources and critically assess the information and how it relates to their research topic/question.

2. Describe the primary modes of writing instruction in the class (e.g. individual conferences, written commentary, formal instruction to the class, and so on): Formal instruction will be given to the class on what a research paper is, the various components and how it should be structured. Individual conferences will be used to help students formulate their research questions, organize data and other information, structure their arguments and present conclusions.

3. Explain how opportunities for revision will be structured into the writing assignments in the course: Students will submit a first draft of each writing assignment for comments and editorial changes by the instructor. Each student will then be required to re-submit the paper for additional comments which will be incorporated into the final draft.