2023-24 Academic Catalog

This class will examine how archaeologists know the past, focusing on North and South America. The course is organized by themes including migration (first peopling of the Americas, trans-Atlantic slave trade), early cities (Caral in South America, Teotihuacan in Central America, Cahokia in North America), and the environment (domestication, over hunting). Remember--the past is not something natural and static that waits to be “discovered.” The past changes depending on who gets to tell the story--it is not neutral! Whose past is legitimate? Which voices get heard or ignored? In this course, you will find out!