ANTH 256 - A History of Archaeological Thought

Institution:

Wellesley College

Subject:

Description:

NOT OFFERED IN 2009-10. A History of Archaeological Thought is an intermediate level course intended to introduce students to the development of archaeological theory from the early nineteenth-century realization that the remote past could be reconstructed solely on the basis of the archaeological record to later developments, such as attempts to identify ethnic/linguistic groups exclusively from material remains. It will trace the emergence of archaeology as a subfield within anthropology and its continuing close interaction with broader de-velopments in anthropological theory. The course contrasts perspectives that emphasize internal social evolution and adaptation to local environmental settings with postmodern responses that stress multiple perspectives on a contingent past. Students will be introduced to different theoretical approaches to interpreting the archaeological record, such as cultural ecology, feminist or engendered archaeology, Marxist historical materialism, world systems theory, and so-called symbolic/cognitive archaeology. The suitability of these theoretical ap-proaches for interpreting the archaeological record will be critically examined. Prerequisite: 104 or 206 or permission of instructor. Distribution: Social and Behavioral Analysis Semester: N/O Unit: 1.0

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.wellesley.edu

Phone Number:

(781) 283-1000

Regional Accreditation:

New England Association of Schools and Colleges

Calendar System:

Semester

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