Teaching

Archaeology (Anthropology 2311). Archaeology is the study of past human behavior through the analysis of material remains left behind. Since more than 99% of human existence on earth occurred prior to writing and historical records, scientific knowledge of our lengthy prehistory must come from archaeology. This course reviews the history, goals, theories, and methods of archaeological research, especially as influenced by the natural sciences. The focus is thus on what scientific archaeologists want to learn about the past and how they learn it. We will explore and discuss intriguing examples of archaeological research from a diverse set of times and places, although western North America will be emphasized.

North American Prehistory (Anthropology 3311). With extremely high diversity in both environmental settings and human population densities, the prehistory of North America was dynamic and intricate. In this course, we will describe and analyze the complexity of North America's archaeological record from an evolutionary ecological perspective. We will proceed chronologically, emphasizing key trends and processes that dominate developments during particular periods. Beginning with the peopling of North America, Paleo-indian occupations, and Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions, we will trace the so-called "Archaic" adaptations to changing early and middle Holocene environments. We will then examine the evidence for late Holocene population growth and the ultimate effects of that growth on native American lifeways, including the origin and spread of agriculture and the emergence of "complex societies." Finally, we will examine the impacts of European-introduced diseases on native American populations and the implications of those impacts for North American ethnographies.

California Prehistory (Anthropology 3312). This course examines the complexity of California's archaeological record from an evolutionary ecological perspective. With this approach, the focus is on why and how California developed as it did when it did, rather than simply on what kinds of artifacts and sites characterize particular times and places. We will proceed chronologically, emphasizing key trends and processes that dominate developments during particular periods. Beginning with the peopling of California, Paleoindian occupations, and Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions, we will trace human adaptations to changing early and middle Holocene environments. We will then examine the evidence for Late Holocene population growth and the ultimate effects of that growth on California subsistence economies and social landscapes. Finally, we will examine the impacts of European-introduced diseases on demography and native lifeways and the implications of those impacts for California ethnographies.

Human Osteology (Anthropology 4271). Knowledge of human osteology provides an essential background for a number of anthropological research domains, ranging from analyses of early hominid fossils to the study of the more recently deceased in forensic settings. This intensive laboratory-based course provides an introduction to the identification of human osteological material from archaeological and forensic settings. In particular, students will gain general competence in identifying complete and fragmentary specimens to element and side, as well as recognizing important osteological landmarks. In addition, students will gain experience in determining the age, sex, and racial affinity of individuals from their osteological remains as well identifying pathologies, post-mortem damage, and non-human vertebrate materials.

Zooarchaeology (Anthropology 4372). Analyses of archaeological vertebrate remains can address problems that range from resource acquisition strategies and human paleoecology to paleoclimatic reconstruction. Addressing such issues minimally requires the identification of vertebrate bones and teeth from archaeological contexts. This laboratory-based course provides an introduction to the identification and analysis of fragmentary vertebrate osteological material from archaeological settings. Students will gain competence in the identification of fragmentary remains of fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals, focusing on taxa native to western North America and the Great Basin. More specialized expertise will be gained through individual projects where students will develop and address a research problem through the analysis of a specific set of archaeological vertebrate materials. Students will also gain experience in the preparation and curation of vertebrate skeletal specimens for an osteological comparative collection.

Behavioral Ecology and Archaeology (Anthropology 6361). Theoretical innovations in behavioral ecology have important implications for the study of human prehistory and evolution, but are difficult to apply in practice given the peculiar nature of the archaeological record. Recent research designed to overcome these difficulties and achieve novel and important insights on our past is explored.

Seminar in Archaeology (Anthropology 6399). Seminar on current topics in archaeology; graduate standing required.