ANTH-UA 218 - African Archaeology

Institution:

New York University

Subject:

Description:

With the longest record of human occupation in the world and a landmass that represents more than one-fifth the habitable area of the globe, Africa plays a central role in our understanding of human evolution, the prehistory of our species, and the development of complex societies. Explores the experiences of ancient human populations in Africa using evidence drawn from archaeology as well as history, ethnography, linguistics, art history, geography, geology, paleontology, biology, and other disciplines. Focuses not only on the material evidence from across the continent and its interpretation, but also an understanding of the major questions, developing methods of inquiry and problem solving, and situating the African data in the broader context of the archaeological evidence for the evolution of human behavioral diversity. The scope of the course spans hominin origins, the study of Stone Age foragers of the first 2.5 million years of human prehistory, and more recent periods characterized by food production, metallurgy, sedentism, and the development of complex societies (e.g., in Egypt, Mali, Zimbabwe, and the East African coast) with influence and contacts across and outside the continent.

Credits:

4.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.nyu.edu

Phone Number:

(212) 998-1212

Regional Accreditation:

Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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