Anth 495

Anthropology 495, Section 83

Archaeological Field School:
Big Timber Chinatown and Red Light District

Course Syllabus

The University of Montana
Department of Anthropology
1st Summer Session 2008

3 weeks, May 24-June 14, 2008, 4 Upper Division credits

Instructor: Christopher W. Merritt, Ph.D. Student
Office: Social Sciences Building, Room 226
Telephone: 406.243.6249
Email: christopher.merritt@umontana.edu

Teaching Assistants :

Justin Moschelle, MA Student, University of Montana

Brent Rowley, MA Student, University of Montana

Course Description: An archaeological field school provides an intense “learning lab” where students will decide whether they want to be professional archaeologists. Archaeology is a multidisciplinary field with diverse and numerous topics. This field school will expose students to basic field and lab methods, with special skills related to fieldwork at a historic ghost town. This course will provide instruction in archaeological field methods, such as general survey techniques, map-making, excavation, historic structure recording, research designs, historical records interpretation, laboratory analyses, and will involve students in the culture of archaeological research. At the conclusion of this class you will have acquired the ability to:

• Locate, document, and interpret cultural resources
• Identify the elements of a completed site form
• Locate/place cultural resources on a 7.5 minute USGS map
• Understand how a GPS (Global Positioning System) unit works
• Use a directional compass to survey and to map sites
• Understand how a Total Station works for mapping a site
• Maintain a field notebook
• Prepare a sketch map/report/analysis of a cultural feature
• Understand the basic components of an archaeological research design
• Prepare measured drawings of features and excavation units
• Lay out a grid
• Understand how to organize/execute an archaeological excavation
• Understand basic methods for FIELD cleaning and cataloguing artifacts
• Explain the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) Section 106 process
• Understand Chinese material culture and other historic artifacts

Additional readings will be given to you to include in your field school manual; these will be assigned throughout the duration of field school.

Recommended Readings:
Hidden Heritage: Historical Archaeology of the Overseas Chinese, edited by Priscilla Wegars (1993), Baywood Publishing Company, Amityville, NY.

Directory of archaeological societies and journals: http://archaeology.about.com/blsmokedir.htm

Attendance:
Attendance is essential for this course. It is the point of a field school.

Grades:
You will be assessed on the basis of three assignments:

1. Your field notebook (due at the end of class) 100 points
2. Participation 100 points
3. GRAD STUDENTS: Interpretation of Archaeological Remains (exam/paper) 200 points

TOTAL for Undergraduates 200 points
TOTAL for Graduate Students 400 points
I will assign +/- grades and final grades will be based upon the following average scores for the journals, exam, research paper and in-class, exercises and participation: A (100-95), A- (94-90), B+ (89-88), B (87-83), B- (82-80), C+ (79-78), C (77-73), C- (72-70), D+ (69-68), D (67-63), D- (62-60), F (59 or less).

Students with Disabilities:
The Department of Anthropology is committed to equal opportunity in education for all students, including those with documented physical disabilities or documented learning disabilities. University policy states that it is the responsibility of students with documented disabilities to contact instructors DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF THE SEMESTER to discuss appropriate accommodations to ensure equity in grading, classroom experiences, and outside assignments. The instructor will meet with the student and the staff of the Disability Services for Students (DSS) to make accommodations. Please contact Jim Marks in DSS (243.2373, Lommasson Center 154) for more information.

Course Schedule:

Week 1 , May 24-May 30, 2008

May 24: Course Introduction/Orientation in SS 254/Travel to Project Site
May 25: Orientation to Project Site, Initial Field Training
May25-30: 1. Surface Survey/Mapping; 2. Excavation;
May 30: Store excavation supplies, and travel back to Missoula.

Week 2 , June 1-June 6, 2008

June 1: Return to site at 4 pm;
June 2-6: 1. Surface Survey/Mapping; 2. Excavation
June 6: Travel back to Missoula.

Week 3, June 8-June 14, 2008

June 8: Return to site at 4 pm;
June 9-13: Surface Survey/Mapping;
June 14, morning: Travel back to Missoula – end of field school!

Graphics, Design, by Leta S. Re; Layout by Spectral Fusion Lindsey Weber and Brooke Davidson . Copyright The University of Montana, 2006.