ANTHROPOLOGY 456

Historical Archaeology

Spring 2012
Tuesday and Thursday 2:10 to 3:30 pm, GBB 108
Max Enrollment: 25

Course Syllabus

INSTRUCTOR:

Kelly J. Dixon
Office: Social Sciences Building, Room 232
Telephone: 406.243.2450
Email: kelly.dixon@mso.umt.edu
Office hours: Tuesdays 3:30-4:30 pm and by Appointment

TA:

Tory Huey
Office: Social Sciences Building, Room 254a
Office hours: Tuesdays from 12:00-1:00 pm and Thursdays 1:00-2:10 pm

 

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Historical Archaeology is the study of post-prehistoric cultures that uses physical remains, oral and historical sources, and a range of multidisciplinary techniques to study the human condition. Historical archaeologists are trained in the fields of anthropology and history and tend to focus on the migrations, contacts, and changes of various cultures throughout the world over the past 500 years. A text-aided field of archaeology, this discipline has been referred to as "Historic Sites Archaeology" and "Archaeology of the Modern World."

The purpose of this course is to demonstrate how archaeological remains, methods, and theories can be integrated with oral and historical sources to understand and interpret the past. After attending and participating in class –and after doing "A" work on all of their assignments—students will depart with a toolkit of information and experiences to make them competitive for jobs, research opportunities, advanced degree programs, etc.

 

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REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS:

1. Orser, Charles Jr., (2004) Historical Archaeology, 2nd edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, Prentice Hall.

2. Dixon, Kelly J. (2005) Boomtown Saloons: Archaeology and History in Virginia City. Reno: University of Nevada Press.

OPTIONAL TEXTBOOKS (REQUIRED FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS):

1. Deetz, James A. (1996) In Small Things Forgotten: An Archaeology of Early American Life. New York: Anchor Books.

2. Dixon, Kelly J. Schablitsky, J.M. and Novak, S.A. (editors) (2011) An Anthropology of Desperation: Exploring the Donner Family's Alder Creek Camp. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman.

ADDITIONAL READINGS:

Additional readings may be assigned and discussed throughout the semester; see course bibliography for this material.

COURSE STRUCTURE:

This course meets for 80 minutes, two days a week, throughout the semester. Class meetings will include lectures, in-class exercises, documentaries, and visits to lab, archive, and library facilities. Students may be asked to participate in class by sharing their ideas with the rest of the class in informal discussions and/or in brief written assignments. We will examine various archaeological investigations and related data analyses. We will also survey the historical archaeological literature at the worldwide level to understand the RELEVANT contributions of recent historical archaeological research, and then place that within a regional context, using the American West as a case study of a historical archaeology of a region.

As our class evolves throughout the semester, I may assign different or additional readings not listed in this syllabus; such items will provide you with the opportunity to examine more specific subjects that we address in class.

GRADING POLICY:

Course grades will be based upon student performance on assignments, or examinations, and a series of in-class exercises. Graduate students will be responsible for all of the above and book reviews associated with the optional readings.

POUNTS PER ASSIGNMENT:

 

Project 1	75 points
Project 2	75 points
Final Project	100 points
In-class exercises*	50 points
TOTAL	300 points
2 Book Reviews (Graduate Students Only)	200 points
Annotated Bibliography (Graduate Students Only)	100 points
GRADUATE STUDENT TOTAL	600 points (includes undergraduate grading)

I will assign +/- grades for this course and final grades will be based upon the following average scores for the exams, in-class exercises, and graduate student book reviews: 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).

* You must be present to get full points for the in-class exercises.

ATTENDANCE:

I pay attention to student attendance, and, you should know that, if I see you in class all the time, dedicated and eager, this will be considered when I make decisions about your final grade in borderline cases. Similarly, if you rarely come to class, that, too will be considered.

p.s. Carpe diem: any random in-class exercises requires attendance to get full points.

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) (http://life.umt.edu/dss/) to formulate a plan for accommodations. Please contact DSS directly for more information: 243.2243 (voice/text); dss@umontana.edu (email).

 

 

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