Instructor: Gerry
Waite
Office: BB311 Phone: 765-285-3279 
E-mail gwaite@bsu.edu
Graduate Assistant:
I. Course Rationale:
Anthropology 103 is a university core curriculum course that can be
used to meet a portion of the social and behavioral sciences
requirement.
Its goals are 1) to familiarize the students with the nature of
archaeology
as a science and the basic methods and theory involved, 2) to explain
the
nature of anthropology as a holistic study of the human species and the
place of archaeology within the discipline, 3) to show the links
between
archaeology and other disciplines, and, 4) foremost, to acquaint
students
with the results of archaeological research, i.e., the main themes in
the
development of human culture from its earliest beginnings through the
appearance
of locally documented history in different world regions and the
relevance
of an understanding of these to a broader understanding of human
behavior.
An understanding of the early history of our species, and of
how we have recovered that history, should be part of the knowledge of
any educated individual. Further, since archaeology is
fascinating
to many people, the course contributes to life-long learning by
teaching
them to critically evaluate the frequent reports on archaeological
discoveries
that appear in the mass media.
By learning about the development of our species and the
accompanying
development of culture--learned patterns of behavior and thinking
transmitted
and built upon from generation to generation within communities--as an
alternative to genetic adaptation and indeed as our primary means of
adaptation
to our environments, students gain an understanding of the importance
of
the interrelationship between biology and culture in the human
species.
Further, they see how a changing environment, a resulting variation in
the availability of resources, and long-term increases in human
populations
have interacted to produce major changes in technology, subsistence
adaptation,
and social organization as well as differences in culture in various
geographical
regions. By learning how humans have solved their problems in the
past, students become aware of the changing nature of culture and how
cultural
behavior can be used to solve future problems as well. They also
come to see that culture is cumulative, that our knowledge and
capabilities
of today are the outcome of a long history of both minor and major
advances.
And they become aware of the threads of continuity that link today's
cultures
to even our distant, Stone Age past.
Learning about the nature of archaeology acquaints the students
with one of the ways we acquire historical and behavioral
knowledge.
Within this segment of the course is included a general discussion of
the
scientific method as a means of seeking explanations that account for
an
ever-increasing range of observations and the application of this
method
within archaeology. Also included are activities designed to give
them a deeper understanding of the type of problem-solving required
within
archaeology, often compared to trying to describe the picture on a
jigsaw
puzzle when 95% of the pieces are missing. For example, a
computer-based
simulation is used that requires the students to make decisions about
sampling
and look for patterns in the data recovered from a series of
excavations.
They must then seek explanations for those patterns that allows them to
interpret the nature of the cultures that left the remains. This
encourages development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills
generalizable to various other contexts. Also stressed is the
multidisciplinary
nature of modern archaeological research, which requires archaeologists
to work cooperatively and acquire a degree of understanding of various
other disciplines, such as history, geography, biology, geology,
physics,
and computer science.
The combination of various methods of transmitting knowledge
to the students--such as required readings, lectures, films and videos,
realia (e.g., artifacts and replicas), case studies, in-class
exercises,
computer simulations, field trips, or discussion--assists the students
in learning to acquire knowledge in various ways and gives them the
opportunity
to gain a better understanding of how they learn and what methods of
learning
work best for them.
A deemphasis of multiple-choice questions and use of questions
requiring organization of thoughts and clear writing encourages the
students
to learn to communicate at a level acceptable for college
graduates.
The questions are drawn from the readings, lectures, audiovisual
presentations,
and other sources of information used in the course and require an
integration
of information from these sources. Students are encouraged to
study
for the quizzes in groups--e.g., in study sessions under the guidance
of
a graduate teaching assistant or independently organized--considering
likely
questions and critiquing each other's proposed answers to them.
This
fosters a cooperative approach to problem-solving characteristic of the
discipline, where teamwork is essential in both the field and
laboratory.
Because the segment of the course on the nature of archaeology
includes videos and discussion of such ethical issues in archaeology as
responsibility for adequately recording the nature and results of one's
research activities, the problems posed by hobby collectors of
artifacts
as well as site looters, and the debate between archaeologists and
indigenous
peoples over excavation of burials, reburial, and repatriation of
artifacts
deposited in museums in the past, it also encourages students to become
sensitive to the values of others and to think about their own values.
For those considering archaeology as a career, this course will
also allow them to better assess their interest and ability through
description
of the nature of archaeological careers, the training required,
opportunities
for gaining field experience and for summer employment during college,
and the opportunities for career employment.
II. Objectives:
The student should be able to demonstrate through writing, talking,
and/or computer aided excerises the following:
a. Anthropology as a four field area of study,
b. The place of Archaeology within the discipline
of Anthropology.
c. An elementary concept of
research design and archaeological methodology.
d. Familiarity with themes of human development
through time
III. Textbooks:
Ashmore, Wendy and Robert J. Sharer
2000. Discovering our Past: A Brief Introduction
to Archaeology. Third edition. Mayfield Publishing Company,
Mountain
View, California
Dibble, Harold L., Shannon P. McPherron and Barbara J. Roth.
2000 Virtual Dig: A Simulated Archaeological
Excavation of a Middle Paleolithic Site in France. Mayfield
Publishing
Company, Mountain View, California.
Additional resources: Web sites and Internet resources as assigned in the syllabus
IV: evaluation and grading:
Three
in class exams
50 points each
150 points
A
cumulative
final
100
points
100 points
The
Virtual
Dig
100
points
100 points
Attendance
and
participation
50 points
There are 400 possible
points,
therefore each increment of 40 points will represent one letter grade:
Schedule of classes and topics:
Week
one, Jan 7: Introduction to Anthropology. Geological time and human
origins. Read Ashmore and Sharer (hereafter referred to as "A &
S") chapter one.
Week two, Jan. 14: Is there a Neandertal among
us?
Check out this link timeline.
Also read this link Evolution
and Selection
Week 3, Jan 21: 
Read the background material in your Virtual Dig text, the
Middle
Paleolithic, specifically
Combe-Capelle.
Prehistory,
and human development. The first Europeans.
Week 4, Jan 28: An Anthropological concept of culture.
Visit this link and take good lecture notes: Mesoamerica
. In "Mesoamerica" select those pages that are specifically Mayan
and read them for later reference.
Week five, Feb. 4: A short history of
Archaeology
and the "scientific method". A & S ch 2-3 Test 1 is
on
Friday of this week
.
Week six, Feb. 11: Archaeology and fieldwork. A & S ch 4. Visit The Virtual Library of Archaeology Pick an article that interests you and read it carefully, one of your essay questions on the next exam will be on this. Assignment one of the Virtual Dig is due on Thursday of this week.
Week
seven, Feb 18: Mapping and surveying. G.I.S.A
& S ch 5
Week eight, Feb. 25: The looting of America's past. NAGPRA and Archaeology. Your readings for this week are in the form of handouts and these sites: NAGPRAand The Roots of NAGPRA
Week nine, Mar 4: Artifacts , analyzing the past. Guest speaker, Beth McCord, ARMS lab manager. Read A & S ch 6. Assignment 2 of the Virtual Dig is Due Thursday.
Week of March 11th Spring Break!! Be Safe!
Week ten, Mar. 18: Dating
the past . Possible guest speaker from ARMS. A & S ch
7.
Test two is this week
Week eleven, Mar. 25: Reconstructing the past. Read lithics and A & S ch 8. Plus USA Today site and Mousterian Industries . Guest lecturer will be Daniel Reid graduate lab assistant from ARMS.
Week
twelve, Apr. 1: Historical Archaeology. Lecture and handouts.
Assignment
three of the Virtual Dig is due A & S ch 9
Week thirteen Apr. 8: Ethnoarchaeology
and ethnohistory Exam three
Week fourteen, Apr. 15: We will discuss interpretation-understanding the past A&S ch 10
Week fifteen, Apr 22: .. Virtual Dig is due.Archaeology Today. CRM. Job Opportunities. Look at The AAA ON-line Career Center .
Thursday May 2, 12:00 Final
*If you need course
adaptations
or accommodations because of disability, or you have emergency medical
information to share with me, please see me as soon as possible.*
