ANTHROPOLOGY 456  

Historical Archaeology

COURSE SYLLABUS

SPRING 2013

TUESDAY AND THURSDAY 11:10 TO 12:30 PM, SS 254
MAX ENROLLMENT: 20, BUT THERE’S ALWAYS ROOM FOR MORE.

INSTRUCTOR: Kelly J. Dixon

Office: Social Sciences Building, Room 232
Email: kelly.dixon@mso.umt.edu
Office hours: Tuesdays 1:00-3:00 pm and by appointment
Course Website: http://www.cas.umt.edu/anthro/courses/anth456

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 careers, research opportunities, and advanced degree programs, and capable of serving as responsible, educated stewards of the world’s cultural heritage.

REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS:

1. Orser, Charles Jr., (2004). Historical Archaeology, 2nd edition, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, Prentice Hall
2. Dixon, Kelly J. Schablitsky, J.M. and Novak, S.A. (eds.) (2011). An Anthropology of Desperation: Exploring the Donner Family’s Alder Creek Camp, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman.

OPTIONAL TEXTBOOKS (REQUIRED FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS):

1. Deetz, James A. (1996) In Small Things Forgotten: An Archaeology of Early American Life.  Anchor Books, New York.
2. Dixon, Kelly J. (2005). Boomtown Saloons: Archaeology and History in Virginia City. University of Nevada Press, Reno.
3. Hall, Martin and Silliman, Stephen W. (2006) Historical Archaeology, Blackwell Studies in Global Archaeology. Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford, UK.

ADDITIONAL READINGS:

Additional readings will be assigned and discussed throughout the semester; see course bibliography for this material. Also, check the course website for hotlinks to pdfs of various articles.

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 these tasks as well as selected book reviews (e.g., can choose from optional readings).

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 require attendance to get full points.   There will be no way to make these up; the point: please just come to class.

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).

COURSE SCHEDULE

SYLLABUS PDF