Archaeology Concentration (ARCN)
Coordinators: Professors Mary E. Savina, Nancy C. Wilkie
Archaeology is an interdisciplinary study of material artifacts in their cultural and environmental context. The introductory and core courses of the concentration are designed to give students a methodological introduction to these three elements of artifacts, culture, and environment. In the supporting course projects, students take an interdisciplinary view, analyzing and interpreting material remains in a variety of ways. The range of supporting courses provides students with the flexibility to plan their own programs.
Students from any major may participate in the Archaeology Concentration. Students interested in the concentration are encouraged to consult with the coordinators early in the sophomore year in order to plan ahead and retain as much freedom of choice as possible in meeting the requirements of the program.
Requirements for the Concentration:
Eight courses are required for the concentration, including two introductory courses, two core courses, projects in three supporting courses, and one capstone seminar.
Introductory Courses (2):
GEOL 110: Introduction to Geology or
GEOL 120: Introduction to Environmental Geology and
SOAN 110: Introduction to Anthropology
Core Courses (2):
GEOL 210: Geomorphology or
GEOL 258: Geology of Soils
SOAN 246: Archaeological Methodology
Projects in Supporting Courses (3):
A minimum of three supporting coursesmust be selected from among the college's offerings (other than the courses required for the concentration listed above). At least one of these courses must help students become familiar with a culture other than their own through work in History, Sociology/Anthropology, Latin American Studies, Asian Studies or any other program in which the material aspects of a given culture can be examined. In the three supporting courses, as part of the regular course requirements (or as a separate independent study, growing out of the course), students will write a paper or complete a project involving interpretation of archaeological materials. The topic of the paper should be negotiated by the student and the course instructor. If it is not possible to complete a project that uses archaeological data while taking the supporting course, the student must enroll in a separate two to six credit independent study for the purpose of writing such a paper. Students must fulfill normal prerequisites for the supporting courses before enrolling.
The concentration coordinators can advise students about which courses may fulfill these requirements. These courses are in many college departments and include courses taught by visiting professors. Students are encouraged to consult with the concentration coordinators for suggestions.
The concentration coordinators are available to help students and instructors of supporting courses. Students are responsible for giving a copy of each completed paper/project to the concentration coordinators who will decide if the project is acceptable for the concentration.
Capstone Seminar (1):
ARCN 395: Archaeology Seminar
Field Experience
Concentrators are strongly urged to gain practical field experience in archaeology over and above what is available through the capstone seminar. Field projects and off-campus programs with an archaeological component offer opportunities for such practical experience. For example, the ACM Costa Rica program offers field work in archaeology. The concentration coordinators can help arrange internships for concentrators with archaeological projects and laboratories, such as the Archaeometry Lab at the University of Minnesota - Duluth.
Archaeology Courses
ARCN 112. Introduction to Chinese Archaeology Cross-listed with ARTH 114,SOAN 112. This course presents a general survey of early Chinese art and archaeology from the Neolithic period (beginning of agriculture, before 5000 BCE) through the Eastern Han Dynasty (before the Introduction of Buddhism into China, ca. 100 AD). The course will focus on the main issues and major bodies of materials in archaeology of early China. While centered upon archaeological theory and practice, this course will also consider interdisciplinary approaches to material culture and its context. 6 credits cr., SS, Fall—G. Lai
ARCN 248. Archaeology and Cultural Heritage: East and West, Past and Present Cross-listed with SOAN 248. Archaeology and conservation philosophy were introduced into China from the West in the 1920s. This course will survey the parallel developments of archaeology and conservation theory and practice in modern China by focusing on the tension between traditional Chinese learning and practice and Western methodology and theory. We will examine issues and controversies surrounding the so-called different approaches to conservation in the East and the West, the international cooperation in archaeological and conservation projects, and the politics of cultural heritage. 6 credits cr., SS, Winter—G. Lai
ARCN 395. Archaeology Seminar Cross-listed with SOAN 395. The capstone seminar in archaeology is an interdisciplinary course that integrates the work of concentrators. Students will work with original field records of one or more excavations from Greece and/or Egypt. The course also includes reading and discussion about current issues in archaeology. 6 credits cr., SS, Not offered in 2000-2001.