ANT 2423 
Section 3198
Introduction to Archaeology
Self-Paced- Short Semester

Instructor: Michael Pool

Office Hours:

• Rio Grande Campus, Annex 250.1 223-3403
• Monday 9:00-11:00, 12:00-3:00 pm
• Tuesday 9:30-10:30

Sept. 23-Oct. 25

• Out of the Past, Chapters 1-5
• Adventures in Fugawiland
• Objectives: Learn the basic concepts and methods of archaeology; how professional archaeology developed and its relationship to the field of anthropology; the scientific process and how to apply it; and how archaeologists design and carry out research, using specific case examples.

Test 1 Due Oct. 27 (Chapters 1-5)

Oct. 26- Nov. 1

• Out of the Past, Chapter 6
• Video 1: New Worlds [Shows Nov.1 11:00 am-12:00 pm
• Objective: Understand the theories of cultural adaptation and culture change developed by anthropologists, using information gathered by archaeologists and ethnographers
• Out of the Past, Chapter 7
• Video 2: The Hearth [Shows Nov. 1 12:00-1:00 pm]
• Objective: Understand basic social organization and its archaeological evidence in houses, communities, and settlement systems.

Nov. 2-8

• Out of the Past, Chapter 8
• Video 3: Artisans and Traders [Shows Nov. 8 11:00 am- 12:00 pm]
• Objective: Understand economic organization and how material needs are met and how goods are produced, distributed, and consumed.
• Out of the Past, Chapter 9
• Video 4: Signs and Symbols [Shows Nov. 8 12:00-1:00 pm]
• Objective: Learn the principles and examples of communication systems, including the development of the earliest writing.

Nov. 9-15

• Out of the Past, Chapter 10
• Video 5: Power, Prestige, and Wealth [Shows Nov. 15 11:00 am- 12:00 pm]
• Objective: Understand the way political authority and power develop, how they are used, and how archaeologists detect them.

Nov. 9-Nov. 15

• Out of the Past, Chapter 11
• Video 6: Realms [Shows Nov. 15 12:00-1:00 pm]
• Objective: Understand the extent of political power and the archaeological manifestations of capitals, hinterlands, and borders.

• Out of the Past, Chapter 12
• Video 7: The Spirit World [Shows Nov. 22 11:00 am- 12:00 pm]
• Objective: Learn how archaeologists recognize and interpret evidence of religion and ideology.

Nov. 26 Last Day to Withdraw

Nov. 23-Nov. 29

• Out of the Past, Chapter 13-15
• Video 8: Collapse [Shows Nov. 29 11:00 am- 12:00 pm]
• Objectives: Understand the events and processes of the rise of civilizations in the Old and New World regions and why civilizations fall, using as a case study the collapse of Maya civilization.

Nov. 30-Dec. 6

• Out of the Past, Chapter 16
• Objective: Explore the theories explaining cultural processes, especially the development of sociopolitical complexity.

Webster, Daniel L., Susan T. Evans, and William T. Sanders (1993) Out of the Past: An Introduction to Archaeology. Mountain View, Ca.:Mayfield Publishing Co.

Gonlin, Nancy, Susan T. Evans, and David L. Webster (1993) Study Guide to Accompany Out of the Past: An Introduction to Archaeology. Mountain View, Ca.:Mayfield Publishing Co.

Price, T. Douglas and Anne Brigitte Gebauer (1997) Adventures in Fugawiland: A Computer Simulation in Archaeology Second Edition. Mountain View, Ca.:Mayfield Publishing Co.

Based on an eight-part PBS video series and integrated textbook and study guide, this course uses on-site filming to explore how archaeologists reconstruct ancient societies, explain how and why these societies evolved, and understand how archaeology and anthropology interact. Mayan research provides the core of the presentation, but a broadly comparative perspective, including many other societies from both the Old and New Worlds, is presented. In addition, a computer simulation workbook, Adventures in Fugawiland, will be used to operationalize archaeological thinking and analysis.

1. To introduce students to the practice of archaeology (techniques, methods, and theories) and to the archaeological record;

2. To show what kinds of research questions archaeologists ask and why these questions are important;

3. To inform students how archaeologists structure their research to answer these questions and how the questions are used and answered in actual field situations;

4. To provide a broadly comparative approach using images and information about many cultures and to teach critical thinking skills necessary to understand how cultures function and change; and

5. To introduce the archaeological perspective on how and why cultures function and change, what similarities are broadly shared among cultures, and why cultures differ.

Adventures in Fugawiland (20%): You will be graded on Part IV of the work book; attach a printout of the multiple choice test given in the computer program. Instead of writing the essay in the work book, type it using double spacing and one inch margins; minimum length is three pages. Used work books will not be accepted without instructor approval.

Tests (20% each): There will be three objective tests available at any of the testing centers. Each test will consist of 50 multiple choice and, possibly, matching questions. The answer sheets must be dated by the testing center by the due date to receive full credit. Permission slips are required for each test. There are no re-tests.

Questions on the videos will be based on the video discussion questions found in the study guide; keep these questions in mind while viewing the videos. Some of the other questions are based on the overview, discussion questions, testing comprehension questions found in the study guide.

Study Guide (10%): Complete sections II.B.1. and III.A. (except for essay questions) for each chapter. Hand the Study Guide in at the end of the semester. Used study guides will not be accepted without instructor approval.

Participation (10%): This part of your grade will be based on the three hand ins for Adventures in Fugawiland.

Test 3 and the Study Guide must be handed in by Dec. 8 or a score of 0 will be recorded, unless permission is received from the instructor to hand it in late.

Adventures in Fugawiland and the Study Guide may handed in either by giving it to me during my office hours, placing it in my mail box in the VP's of Students office at the Rio Grande Campus after getting a date stamp from the receptionist, or by routing it to me from any campus through the ACC mail system after getting a date stamp from the receptionist (route to

Michael Pool at Rio Grande Campus). If a date stamp is not on the item, I will assume it was handed in one day before I got it and deduct any points accordingly.

It is not my policy to drop students; it is the students responsibility to drop the class.

Book Review: You will receive up to 15 points added to your final grade for writing a 10 page review of two professional publications that you select and I approves. An A on the review will get 15 points, a B 10 points, and a C 5 points. You will be quaranteed at least a C if you meet the following guidelines:

• typed, double-spaced with one inch margins, no more than 12 point type (10 CPI or more)
• a minimum of 10 pages (9 1/2 pages not accepted).
• received by the due date and not later
• instructor approval of the book
• readable

Major articles from Current Anthropology with comments will count as two references as long as the summary and length of the summary (2 pages) reflect the comments and reply. No more than 3 articles can come from one source (journal or book).

A maximum of 15 points will be added to your final grade for an A, 10 points for a B, and 5 points for a C.

Internet Review: Review 10 internet archaeological resources and write a minimum one page review of each source. Include a 1 page overview introduction. Please consult with the instructor if you wish to choose this option. The same grade range applies as the other extracredit options.

ACC Libraries/LRC (Cypress Creek, Eastridge, Fredericksburg, Northridge, Rio Grande, Riverside, and Pinnacle); and ACC access cable channels. There will be no programs on access cable from Sept. 23-Oct. 31.

Adventures in Fugawiland is a computer simulation of archaeological excavation and analysis. I included the workbook in the course to give you a better idea of what archaeologists do. Both Windows and Macintosh versions of the program are available from the publisher; availability depends on the bookstore. You are expected to read the manual and complete the exercises in the manual. Computers are available for use in the LRS computer labs; a computer can be reserved for use for a period of time. Expect to spend at least 10 hours doing the simulation and exercises plus at least several more writing it

You will be graded on completing all the exercises in Part IV.

Requirements:

• Windows 3.1 or 95: 2 megabytes ram, VGA monitor and card with 256 colors. If you use the LRS computers install the program to a floppy disk and run it from the floppy. The LRS does not allow the installation of student programs on their computers due to copyright laws.
• Macintosh: 2.5 megabytes of hard drive space, 4 megabytes ram, system 7.x; color monitor preferred. You will not be able to use the LRS Macintosh computers as you can not run the program off a floppy disk.

Unit 1 (Oct. 13)

• Read Chapter 1, pp. 70-86 in Chapter 3, and pp. 116-120 in Chapter 4 of Out of the Past
• Read Parts I and II and Part III, Chapters 4 and 5 in Adventures in Fugawiland.
• Familiarize yourself with how the program and computer work.
• Use the map and information in Chapter 5 of the workbook to familiarize yourself with the region.
• Complete the exercises in the first part of Part IV that do not use the computer program (pp. 84-91) (Discovering Sites, Dating and Chronology, and Radiocarbon Dating).

• Read the rest of chapters 3 and 4 in Out of the Past; Chapters 1, 3, and 4 will help you to derive hypotheses concerning the settlement system and devise a sampling strategy prior to excavation.
• Review Chapters 4 and 5 in the Fugawiland workbook and read Chapters 6 and 7 and the Help section in the program.
• Develop some hypotheses concerning the nature of the settlement of the region based on the topography and distribution of resources (Chapter 5) and background knowledge (Chapters 3, 6, and 7) presented in the workbook and in the Help section of the program. Basically answer the following questions based on this information and the distribution of known sites (Regional Map of Fugawiland):
• 1. What foods do you expect to be utilized? What season are they available? Where are they available? What is the subsistence cycle?
• 2. Where would settlements be located to exploit what resources? What time of year would the settlements be occupied? What is the annual cycle?
• 3. How many groups of people are there and what distinguishes them?
• 4. Are there any special or ceremonial sites?
• It is not important that your hypotheses are correct but that they are sensible and testable and will guide you in the selection of sites for excavation and in your data analysis.
• Select 10 sites for excavation in order to test your hypotheses. Then excavate them in the Fugawiland program (Chapter 6). As you excavate each site examine the site plan and information (Chapter 7) and modify your hypotheses and site selections accordingly.

• Review Chapter 3 in Out of the Past and read Chapters 6-7.
• Review pp. Chapter 7 and read Chapter 8 in the Fugawiland workbook.
• Print out site maps and artifact tables for each excavated site. Begin to analyze your data by completing the analysis exercises Part IV of the Fugawiland workbook. Subsequent analyses should be based on testing your hypotheses rather than simply searching for possible patterns.

• Review Chapter 3-8 in Out of the Past; this is especially relevant to the final interpretation of the project as it discusses basic theoretical concepts in anthropology that guide interpretation
• Compile your maps, data, and analyses of data. Assess whether your analyses have falsified or verified your hypotheses (address the questions in Unit 2). Write a 3-5 page double-spaced type written report (rather than writing the essay in the workbook), discussing your interpretations and conclusions with respect to your hypotheses using relevant maps and data analyses to support your position.

1. What is the distribution of plant and animal remains and of tool types?
2. What foods were utilized at each excavated site and where and when were they obtained?
3. Were fish eaten in the inland sites?
4. Do you find mussels and deer at the same site?
5. Were sites with lots of points used in the spring?
6. How many different kinds of sites are there? What information is useful in distinguishing them? What activities occurred at each type of site?
7. Were these sites occupied for the entire year or for part of the year? If for part of the year, what part of the year? [remember that hunters and gatherers rarely stayed at one site for the entire year.]
8. What is/are the annual subsistence cycle(s)?
9. How many groups of people are there, and how are they different (what distinguishes any groups)?
10. How many people were there at each site, and given their annual cycle, how many people were there in each group? How many people were there in the entire region?
11. Did everyone have chert knives and is the distribution of chert knives related to the nearness to the source?
12. Where are people usually buried and what are the forms of burials?
13. Are there any special/ceremonial sites? Which sites are they, if any? What characteristics make them special/ceremonial sites?
14. What evidence is there for trade or exchange? Is any trade/exchange regional? If not, what is the extent of the trade/exchange?
15. What other kinds of information would you need to better understand the archaeology of Fugawiland in terms of the questions asked above and in terms of other questions? What other questions could be asked?

1. For help on the contour maps in the workbook consult me.

2. When picking sites to excavate , make sure to select sites from all four topographic areas: lakeshore, river, plain, and hills. If you do not, you will miss information important for interpretation.

3. Make sure you use the regional plot analysis.

4. Be sure to complete all parts of the exercises and answer all the questions in Part 4, even if the questions are not printed in bold print (pages 86, 89, 91, 95, 97, and 98).

5. For the graphs on page 100 use the following information:

For points use the following ranges in the left hand column and then record the number of sites with the number of projectile points in that range in the right-hand column:

6. For the seasonality chart on page 101, determine the season of availability rather than use.

Anthropology Program
Last Updated 9-19-97

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