Archaeology Program


Complete Archaeology Course List


 Anthropology:

  • ANTH 054 First-year seminar. The Indians' New Worlds: Southeastern Histories from 1200 to 1800 (AMST 054) (3). This course uses archaeological and historical scholarship to consider the histories of the Southern Indians from the Mississippian period to the end of the 18th century.

  • ANTH 121 Ancient Cities of the Americas (3). An introduction to archaeology through the study of towns and cities built by the ancient peoples of the Americas. The focus is on historical processes by which these centers arose.

  • ANTH 143 Human Evolution and Adaptation (3). Evolutionary and ecological approach to understanding the human species’ past and contemporary human variation. Emphasis on evolutionary processes, biological adaptation, and biocultural interactions with diverse environments.

  • ANTH 145 Introduction to World Prehistory (3). Introduction to world prehistory and archaeological methods. Examines the development of human society from the emergency of modern human beings 100,000 years ago through the formation of ancient civilizations.

  • ANTH 148 Human Origins (3). Study of human evolution. Focus on the fossil record of humans and human-like ancestors. Topics include communication, aggression, dietary adaptations, locomotion, major anatomical changes and behavioral shifts in an evolutionary framework.

  • ANTH 220 Principles of Archaeology (3). Introduction to method and theory in archaeology. An examination of how archaeologists make inferences about past societies, including reconstruction of culture histories, lifeways, ideologies and social, political and economic relationships.

  • ANTH 231 Archaeology of South America (3). An examination of the prehistory of Andean South America (Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia) from first colonization 12,000 years ago to the fall of the Inca Empire in AD 1532.

  • ANTH 232 Ancestral Maya Civilizations (3). Maya civilization is prominent among American societies that flourished prior to European incursions. Archaeological, epigraphic, and historical materials provide the foundation for understanding this past and its romance allure.

  • ANTH 252 Prehistoric Foodways (3). Archaeological investigations of prehistoric and historic foodways. Surveys the questions asked, the data and methods used to answer those questions and the contributions of subsistence studies to archaeological knowledge.

  • ANTH 350 Archaeology of North American Indians (3). The history of American Indian cultures from 10,000 BC to the time of the European colonization as reconstructed by archaeological research. Special emphasis on the eastern and southwestern United States.

  • ANTH 359 European Prehistory (3). A survey of cultures on the European continent from the emergence of first humans to the rise of civilization and the Roman conquest.

  • ANTH 411 Laboratory Methods in Archaeology (3). An examination of the laboratory techniques used by archaeologists to analyze artifacts and organic remains, including the analysis of stone tools, pottery, botanical remains and bone.

  • ANTH 412 Paleoanthropology (3). This course traces the evolution of humans and non-human primates, including behaviors, tools and bodies of monkeys, apes, and human hunters and gatherers, evolutionary theory, and paleoanthropological methods.

  • ANTH 413 Archaeobotany Lab Methods (3). Prerequisite, any course in archaeology or permission of instructor.

  • ANTH 413L Archaeobotany Lab (1). Prerequisite, any course in archaeology or permission of instructor. This is a required one-hour laboratory section to be taken in conjunction with ANTH 413.

  • ANTH 414 Laboratory Methods: Human Osteology (4). This course will focus on the analysis of human skeletal materials in the laboratory and in the field, with an emphasis on basic identification, age and sex estimation, and quantitative analysis.

  • ANTH 414L Human Osteology Lab (1). Must be taken concurrently with ANTH 414. The laboratory analysis of human skeletal materials with an emphasis on basic identification, age and sex estimation, and quantitative analysis.

  • ANTH 415 Zooarchaeology (3). This course will focus on the analysis of animal remains from archaeological sites. Introduction to laboratory methods, analytical approaches and interpretive frameworks for zooarchaeology.

  • ANTH 415L Zooarchaeology Lab (1). Corequisite, ANTH 415. Prerequisite, an archaeological course or permission of instructor. Examination of identification techniques, quantitative methods and interpretive frameworks used to analyze animal remains recovered from archaeological sites.

  • ANTH 416 Bioarchaeology (3). The study of human skeletal remains from archaeological contexts. The collection and interpretation of quantitative and qualitative data is emphasized to assess the relationship between past biology, environment, culture and behavior.

  • ANTH 417 Laboratory Methods: Lithic Seminar (3). Laboratory techniques in stone tool research and experimental practice.

  • ANTH 417L Lithic Analysis Lab (1). Prerequisite, any course in archaeology or permission of instructor. This is a required one-hour laboratory section to be taken in conjunction with ANTH 417.

  • ANTH 418 Laboratory Methods: Ceramic Analysis (3). A survey of the laboratory techniques used by archaeologists to study and draw social and behavioral inferences from ancient pottery.

  • ANTH 421 Archaeological Geology (GEOL 421) (3). Prerequisite, permission of the instructor. Archaeological geology is the application of geological principles and techniques to the solution of archaeological problems. Geological processes and deposits pertinent to archaeological sites, geological framework of archaeology in the southeastern United States, and techniques of archaeological geology and site analysis are studied. Students make field trips to three or more sites in the Southeast and write required reports on geological aspects of the sites. Three lecture hours a week.

  • ANTH 450 Archaeology of North American Indians (3). The history of American Indian cultures from 10,000 BCE to the time of the European colonization as reconstructed by archaeological research. Special emphasis on the eastern and southwestern United States.

  • ANTH 451 Field School in North American Archaeology (6). Intensive training in archaeological field methods and techniques. Students participate in the excavation, recovery, recording and interpretation of archaeological remains. Instruction given in survey, mapping, photography, flotation recovery, etc.

  • ANTH 452 The Past in the Present (3). Memory and history, history and politics, national narratives, the past in the present, and the present in the past -- a cross-cultural examination of ways of connecting the present and the past.

  • ANTH 453 Field School in South American Archaeology (6). Intensive study of archaeological field and laboratory methods and prehistory of the Andes through excavation and analysis of materials from archaeological sites in Peru. Includes tours of major archaeological sites.

  • ANTH 455 Ethnohistory (FOLK 455) (3). Integration of data from ethnographic and archaeological research with pertinent historic information. Familiarization with a wide range of sources for ethnohistoric data and practice in obtaining and evaluating information. Pertinent theoretical concepts will be explore

  • ANTH 456 Archaeology and Ethnography of Small-Scale Societies (3). The study of small-scale hunter-gatherer and farming societies from archaeological and ethnographic perspectives. Methods and theories for investigating economic, ecological, and social relations in such societies are explored. .

  • ANTH 458 Archaeology of Sex and Gender (WMST 458) (3). A discussion of gender and sex roles and sexuality in past cultures -- a cross-cultural examination of ways of knowing about past human behavior.

  • ANTH 460 Historical Ecology (ENST 460) (3). Historical ecology is a framework for integrating physical, biological and social science data with insights from the humanities to understand the reciprocal relationship between human activity and the Earth system.

  • ANTH 456 Archaeology and Ethnography of Small-Scale Societies (3). The study of small-scale hunter-gatherer and farming societies from archaeological and ethnographic perspectives. Methods and theories for investigating economic, ecological and social relations in such societies are explored.

  • ANTH 468 State Formation (3). The course examines the state, from its initial appearance 5,000 years ago to newly established nation states, exploring the concepts of ethnicity, class, race and history in state formation and maintenance.

Classical Archaeology:

  • CLAR 050 First Year Seminar: Art in the Ancient City (3). This course offers a comparative perspective on the archaeology of ancient Egypt and Bronze Age Greece (3000-1100 B.C.) exploring the public art produced by these two early Mediterranean societies: the Aegean Bronze Age palace centers of Crete and Mainland Greece and the territorial state of ancient Egypt.

  • CLAR 075 First-Year Seminar: The Archaeology of Death in the Ancient Mediterranean (3). This course explores the archaeology of ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt and Greece by focusing on cemeteries - methods of burial, the treatment of the dead, burial rituals, post-burial cults, curses and curse tablets, and human sacrifice.

  • CLAR 076 First-Year Seminar: Art in the Ancient City (3). This course offers a comparative perspective on the archaeology of ancient Egypt and Bronze Age Greece (3000-1100 B.C.) exploring the public art produced by these two early Mediterranean societies: the Aegean Bronze Age palace centers of Crete and Mainland Greece and the territorial state of ancient Egypt.

  • CLAR 120 Ancient Cities (3). An introduction to Near Eastern and classical archaeology through study of representative cities from Neolithic times to the period of the Roman Empire. May not be used to help satisfy the degree requirements for the major in classical archaeology.

  • CLAR 241 Archaeology of Ancient Near East (3). A survey of the cultures of the ancient Near East, Mesopotamia, Anatolia (modern Turkey) and the Levant, from the first settled villages of the ninth millennium to the Persian conquest of Babylon in 539 B.C.

  • CLAR 242 Archaeology of Egypt (3). A survey of the archaeological remains of ancient Egypt, from the earliest settlements of the neolithic period until the second century B.C.

  • CLAR 243 Minoans and Mycenaeans: The Archaeology of Bronze Age Greece (3). The course is a survey of the material culture of Greece, the Cyclades and the eastern Mediterranean from the paleolithic period (ca. 50,000 years ago) until the end of the Bronze Age (ca. 1,200 B.C.). The primary focus will be the urbanized palatial centers that emerged in mainland Greece (Mycenaean) and the island of Crete (Minoan) in the second millennium B.C.

  • CLAR 244 Greek Archaeology (3). The historical development of the art and architecture of Greece from the Bronze Age through the Hellenistic period.

  • CLAR 245 Archaeology of Italy (3). The historical development of the Italian peninsula as seen in its physical remains, with emphasis upon Etruscan and Roman sites.

  • CLAR 247 Roman Archaeology (3). This course explores the archaeology of the Roman world between the 8th c BCE and the 5th c CE, focusing on issues of urbanization, trade and consumption, colonization, and the Roman army.

  • CLAR 262 Art of Classical Greece (ART 262) (3). Prerequisite, any introductory art history course. A chronological study of the main development of Greek sculpture, architecture and painting from the fifth to the first centuries BCE.

  • CLAR 263 Roman Art (ART 263) (3). The arts of Rome, particularly architecture, sculpture and painting, preceded by a survey of Etruscan and Hellenic art and their influence on Rome.

  • CLAR 268 Hellenistic Art & Archaeology: 350-31 BC (3). Survey of the archaeology of the Hellenistic Mediterranean from the time of Alexander the Great until the Roman conquest (350-31BC) with emphasis on art and architecture of cities and sanctuaries.

  • CLAR 375 The Archaeology of Cult: The Material Culture of Greek Religion (RELI 375) (3). This course examines the archaeological context of Greek religion, cults and associated rituals from the Bronze Age until the Hellenistic period with emphasis on urban, rural and panhellenic sanctuaries, and methods of approaching ancient religion and analyzing cult practices.

  • CLAR 411 Archaeological Field Methods (3). Systematic introduction to archaeological field methods, especially survey and excavation techniques.

  • CLAR 448 Constantinople: The City and Its Art (3). Prerequisite, any course in history, art history, classics, or permission of instructor. Interdisciplinary study of the city of Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine empire from 325 to 1453, with emphasis on the artistic, social and cultural context. Includes study of monuments and their decoration, objects, contemporary documents and sources, all within a chronological, historical framework.

  • CLAR 449 In Constantinople (3). Prerequisite, CLAR 448 or permission of instructor. This course, taught primarily in Istanbul, once Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine empire 325-1453, provides first-hand experience with monuments and an overview of the history, topography and culture of this great city.

  • CLAR 460 Greek Painting (ART 460) (3). Prerequisite, any intermediate art history course or permission of the instructor. A survey of the development of Greek art from geometric to Hellenistic painting through a study of Greek vases, mosaics, and mural paintings.

  • CLAR 464 Greek Architecture (ART 464) (3). Prerequisite, CLAR 244 or permission of the instructor. The course is a survey of Greek architectural development from the Dark Age through the fourth century BCE, with particular emphasis given to the archaic and classical periods. Among the special topics to be considered are the beginnings of monumental architecture in Greece, the evolution and development of the orders, the merging of the orders, and the varying interpretations of individual architects in terms of style, the definition of space, and proportions.

  • CLAR 465 Architecture of Etruria and Rome (ART 465) (3). Prerequisite, CLAR 245 or permission of the instructor. The development of architecture in Italy and in the Roman world from the ninth century BCE through the fourth century CE. The course will focus upon the development of Roman urbanism and on the function, significance, and evolution of the main building types, as well as their geographic distribution. In addition, particular attention will be paid to the political, social, economic, and cultural implications of public monumental as well as private residential architecture.

  • CLAR 470 History and Archaeology of Bathing (500 BC to today) (3). Cross-cultural survey of the socio-cultural and archaeological history of bathing from antiquity (500 BC) to today, including bathing customs, baths, bathing images, and toilets of different cultures around the world.

  • CLAR 475 Rome and the Western Provinces (3). Survey of the material remains of the Western provinces of the Roman Empire, with attention to their historical context and significance.

  • CLAR 488 Constantinople: The City and Its Art (3). Interdisciplinary study of the city of Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine empire from 325 to 1453, with emphasis on the artistic, social, and cultural context. Includes study of monuments and their decoration, objects, contemporary documents, and sources, all within a chronological, historical framework.

  • CLAR 489 The Archaeology of Anatolia in the Bronze and Iron Ages (3). Prerequisite, CLAR 241 or permission. A survey of Anatolian archaeology from the third millennium through the sixth century B.C.

  • CLAR 490 The Archaeology of Early Greece: 1200-500 B.C. (3). The course surveys the development of Greek material culture from 1200 to 500 B.C., exploring the origins of Greek art, architecture, cities, and sanctuaries in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean.

  • CLAR 561 Mosaics: The Art of Mosaic in Greece, Rome and Byzantium (3). Prerequisite, any course in classics, art history or religious studies. Traces the development of mosaic technique from Greek antiquity through the Byzantine Middle Ages as revealed by archaeological investigations and closely analyzes how this dynamic medium conveyed meaning.

  • CLAR 650 Field School in Classical Archaeology (6). This course is an introduction to archaeological field methods and excavation techniques. For a period of five and one-half weeks, the student will participate in all aspects of archaeological fieldwork. The purpose is to allow the student to work directly with field archaeologists and specialists in the field and to do the actual digging and data processing, while reflecting on the broader aims of archaeological research.

Religious Studies:

  • RELI 063 First-Year Seminar. The Archaeology of Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls (3). In this seminar students learn about the Dead Sea Scrolls, ancient manuscripts dating to the time of Jesus from caves around the site of Qumran by the Dead Sea. They include early copies of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and sectarian works of the Jewish community that lived in Qumran.

  • RELI 110 The Archaeology of Palestine in the New Testament Period (CLAR 110, JWST 110) (3). This course surveys the archaeology of Palestine (modern Israel and Jordan) from the Persian period (circa 586 BC) to the Muslim conquest (640 AD).

  • RELI 512 Ancient Synagogues (JWST 512, RELI 512) (3). Prerequisite, RELI 110 or consent. This is a course on ancient synagogues in Palestine and the Diaspora from the Second Temple period to the seventh century AD.