* ARCG 0231a / EVST 0030a / NELC 0260a, Origins of Civilization: Egypt and Mesopotamia  Harvey Weiss

The origins of the earliest civilizations in Mesopotamia and Egypt along the Nile and Tigris-Euphrates Rivers explored with archaeological, historical and environmental data for the origins of agriculture, the classes and hierarchies that marked earliest cities, states and empires, the innovative monumental architecture, writing, imperial expansion, and new national ideologies. How and why these civilizational processes occurred with the momentous societal collapses at periods of abrupt climate change. Enrollment limited to first-year students.  HU, SO
TTh 9am-10:15am

ARCG 1110a / HSAR 1110a, Introduction to the History of Art: Global Decorative Arts  Staff

Global history of the decorative arts from antiquity to the present. The materials and techniques of ceramics, textiles, metals, furniture, and glass. Consideration of forms, imagery, decoration, and workmanship. Themes linking geography and time, such as trade and exchange, simulation, identity, and symbolic value.  HU  0 Course cr
HTBA

ARCG 1161a / CLCV 1711a / HSAR 3247a, Art and Myth in Greek Antiquity  Staff

Visual exploration of Greek mythology through the study of ancient Greek art and architecture. Greek gods, heroes, and mythological scenes foundational to Western culture; the complex nature of Greek mythology; how art and architecture rendered myths ever present in ancient Greek daily experience; ways in which visual representations can articulate stories. Use of collections in the Yale University Art Gallery.  HU  0 Course cr
HTBA

ARCG 1171a / ANTH 1171a, Great Civilizations of the Ancient World  Staff

A survey of selected prehistoric and historical cultures through examination of archaeological sites and materials. Emphasis on the methodological and theoretical approaches by which archaeologists recover, analyze, and interpret the material remains of the past.  SO  0 Course cr
HTBA

ARCG 2215a / ANTH 2215a, Archaeology of China  Anne Underhill

Archaeology of China, one of the world's oldest and most enduring civilizations, from the era of early humans to early empires. Methods of interpreting remains from prehistoric and historic period sites.  SO
MW 9am-10:15am

ARCG 2232a / ANTH 2232a / LAST 2232a, Ancient Civilizations of the Andes  Richard Burger

Survey of the archaeological cultures of Peru and Bolivia from the earliest settlement through the late Inca state.  SO
TTh 10:30am-11:20am

* ARCG 2255b / ANTH 2255b / LAST 1255b, Inca Culture and Society  Richard Burger

The history and organization of the Inca empire and its impact on the nations and cultures it conquered. The role of archaeology in understanding the transformation of Andean lifeways; the interplay between ethnohistoric and archaeological approaches to the subject. This course is not open to students who previously enrolled in ARCG 030.  SO
TTh 11:35am-12:50pm

ARCG 2264a / ANTH 2264a / SPAN 4320a, Aztec Archaeology and Ethnohistory  Oswaldo Chinchilla Mazariegos

An anthropological and ethnohistorical examination of the Aztec civilization that dominated much of Mexico from the fourteenth century until the Spanish Conquest of 1521.  SO
TTh 9am-10:15am

* ARCG 2660a / ANTH 2660a, Being Human: The Neanderthal Dilemma  Jessica Thompson

Who were Neanderthals, and how were they different from us? Since their discovery in 1856, they have fascinated the public with their position as our closest, yet extinct, relatives. For decades Neanderthals were portrayed as nasty, brutish, and passively lacking the talent and innovation that allowed humans to survive and thrive. Recently, they have become celebrated as our close cousins or even just another group of ancient humans. But what does modern science say about Neanderthal life and extinction, and what do Neanderthals tell us about ourselves? By asking the question “were Neanderthals human,” this course examines what it actually means to be human. Students learn the archaeological, fossil, and biomolecular records of Neanderthals, early modern humans, and other contemporaneous human relatives.  They also learn the foundations of human evolutionary science, with a focus on the Middle and Late Pleistocene (770,000 to 11,500 years ago), when the genus Homo diversified into as many as seven species–including our own.   SC, SO
MW 2:35pm-3:50pm

ARCG 2667b / ANTH 2667b, Human Evolution  Jessica Thompson

The main objective of this course is for students to learn how evidence and theory intersect with some of the peculiarities of history to form the modern discipline of paleoanthropology. It deals with scientific questions of human origins and evolution, and what we think we know of our own ancestry over the past 6 million years. We cover key tools such as evolutionary theory, paleontology, archaeology, paleoenvironmental reconstruction, phylogenetic analysis, genetics, and functional morphology. Using these tools, we critically examine what key debates have taken place over the last century of exploration and discovery in human evolutionary research, learning how unconventional thinking and spectacular discoveries have shaped current knowledge of our origins. Students learn what a surprising amount of information scientists can discern from fragmentary fossils, and are brought up to date with the most current discoveries and debates in human evolution. Students also see how human origins are conveyed to a broader audience, and how misunderstandings about how it happened can propagate and be misused. Knowledge of introductory biological anthropology or biology are helpful.  SC, SO  0 Course cr
MW 11:35am-12:50pm

ARCG 3116La / ANTH 3116La, Introduction to Archaeological Laboratory Sciences  Ellery Frahm

Introduction to techniques of archaeological laboratory analysis, with quantitative data styles and statistics appropriate to each. Topics include dating of artifacts, sourcing of ancient materials, remote sensing, and microscopic and biochemical analysis. Specific techniques covered vary from year to year.  SC
T 1pm-4pm

* ARCG 3122b / NELC 3220b, Urbanism and Urban Society in Ancient Egypt  Nadine Moeller

The aim of this seminar is to challenge prevailing views on Egypt's non-urban past and to investigate Egypt as an early urban society. The emergence of urban features are traced diachronically starting with the Predynastic period up to the disintegration of the powerful Middle Kingdom state into the New Kingdom with its powerful royal cities and up to the urban transformation of the Late Period and Graeco-Roman times. This seminar offers a synthesis of the archaeological data that sheds light on the different facets of urbanism in ancient Egypt and looks at theoretical concepts and models of urbanism more generally, and how they can be applied to ancient societies. Drawing on evidence from recent excavations, the changing settlement patterns are explored by contrasting periods of strong political control against those of decentralization. On a microlevel, the characteristics of households and the layout of domestic architecture are addressed, which are key elements for understanding how society functioned and evolved over time. In addition, settlement patterns provide further insights into the formation of complex society and the role of the state in the urban development of ancient Egypt. Prerequisite: Some background knowledge of ancient Egyptian history is required.  HU
TTh 4pm-5:15pm

* ARCG 3153a / ANTH 3153a, The Archaeology of Trade and Exchange  Richard Burger

This seminar will focus on archaeological approaches to exchange and trade. As background, we will review some of the principal theories of exchange from anthropology and sociology, such as those of Mauss, Malinowski and Polanyi. The role of trade and exchange in different kinds of societies will examined by contextualizing these transactions within specific cultural configurations and considering the nature of production and consumption as they relate to movement of these goods. We will consider methods and models that have been used to analyze regions of interaction at different spatial scales and the theoretical arguments about the social impact of inter-regional and intra-regional interactions involving the transfer of goods, including approaches such as world systems, unequal development and globalization. In addition, we will examine the ways that have been utilized in archaeology to identify different kinds of exchange systems, often through analogies to well documented ethnographic and historic cases. Finally, we will consider the range of techniques that have been employed in order to track the movement of goods across space. These sourcing techniques will be evaluated in terms of their advantages and disadvantages from an archaeological perspective, and how the best technical analyses may vary according to the nature of natural or cultural materials under consideration (ceramics, volcanic stone, metals, etc.). The theme for this year’s seminar is obsidian so students should select some aspect of obsidian research for their final paper and presentation.
W 11:35am-12:50pm

* ARCG 3172b / ANTH 3172b, The Archaeology of Urbanism  Piphal Heng

Archaeological studies of ancient cities and urbanism. Topics include the origin and growth of cities; the economic, social, and political implications of urban life; and archaeological methods and theories for the study of ancient urbanism. Case studies include ancient cities around the world.   SO
T 1:30pm-3:25pm

* ARCG 3185b / ANTH 3185b, Archaeological Ceramics  Anne Underhill

Archaeological methods for analyzing and interpreting ceramics, arguably the most common type of object found in ancient sites. Focus on what different aspects of ceramic vessels reveal about the people who made them and used them.  SO
M 1:30pm-3:20pm

* ARCG 3226b / ANTH 3226b, Ancient Civilizations of the Eurasian Steppes  William Honeychurch

Examination of peoples of the steppe zone that stretches from Eastern Europe to Mongolia. Overview of what archaeologists know about Eurasian steppe societies, with emphasis on the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron, and medieval ages. Attention both to material culture and to historical sources. Topics range from the domestication of the horse to Genghis Khan's world empire, including the impact these events had on neighboring civilizations in Europe and Asia.  SO
F 4pm-5:55pm

* ARCG 3260a, Age of Empires: Archaeology of Ancient Powers  Piphal Heng

Empire is one of the most complex political forms in human history, reshaping landscapes, economies, technologies, and ideologies across vast territories. This seminar examines premodern empires prior to European colonialism through their material signatures: cities, agrarian systems, craft production, infrastructure, ritual landscapes, and provincial integration. Using comparative case studies from Qin/Han China, Angkor, the Aztec and Inka, Achaemenid Persia, Egypt, Vijayanagara, Mongol polities, and others, students analyze how imperial centers projected authority across diverse geographies and how provincial communities negotiated autonomy. The course concludes with examination of imperial fragility, environmental stress, transformation, and memory. We adopt a comparative anthropological archaeology framework and emphasize material evidence—settlement archaeology, bioarchaeology, geospatial analysis, archaeometry, and production systems—as the primary basis for interpretation. The course complements existing Yale offerings on empire and social complexities by foregrounding archaeological method and non-European case studies within a global comparative framework.  HU, SO
HTBA

* ARCG 3263b / EVST 3263b / HIST 2750 / NELC 189 / NELC 3300b, Archaeologies of Empire  Harvey Weiss

Empire is rarely studied cross-culturally, although it is second only to hunting-and-gathering as the most successful, longest-lived, regional politico-economic organization. Despite major empire-specific research efforts, there remains, as well, little consensus as to empires' genesis and function. Here we attempt to define the features of empire, their genesis and their function, in ancient and modern times. Comparative study of origins, structures, efficiencies, and limitations of imperialism, ancient and modern, in the Old and New Worlds, from Akkad to "Indochine" and from Wari to Aztec. The contrast between ancient and modern empires examined from the perspectives of nineteenth- and twentieth-century archaeology and political economy.  HU, SO
Th 4pm-5:55pm

* ARCG 3290b / ANTH 3290b, Archaeological Ceramics II  Ellery Frahm

Ceramics are one of the most common archaeological materials. This course introduces students to techniques in the archaeological, geological, and materials sciences (microscopy, analytical chemistry, etc.) for the study of ceramic artifacts. Learning methods include (1) engaging with and assessing the literature on scientific studies of archaeological ceramics, (2) learning the mechanisms, strengths, and weaknesses of scientific techniques used for such students (X-ray fluorescence analysis, petrographic and electron microscopy, neutron activation analysis, etc.), and (3) gaining experience in a research project that combines both literature engagement and hands-on experience. Students are permitted to enroll with either previous/concurrent enrollment in (1) ANTH 316L or 716L: Introduction to Archaeological Laboratory Sciences or (2) ANTH 385 or 785: Archaeological Ceramics I or (3) instructor permission due to commensurate prior coursework or experience (for example, undergraduate coursework by doctoral students).  SO
W 9:25am-11:20am

* ARCG 4150a / ANTH 4150a, Analysis of Lithic Technology  Oswaldo Chinchilla Mazariegos

Introduction to the analysis of chipped and ground stone tools, including instruction in manufacturing chipped stone tools from obsidian. Review of the development of stone tool technology from earliest tools to those of historical periods; relevance of this technology to subsistence, craft specialization, and trade. Discussion of the recording, analysis, and drawing of artifacts, and of related studies such as sourcing and use-wear analysis.  SO
T 1:30pm-3:25pm

* ARCG 4154a, Statistics for Archaeological Analysis  William Honeychurch

An introduction to quantitative data collection, analysis, and argumentation for archaeologists. Emphasis on the exploration, visualization, and analysis of specifically archaeological data using simple statistical approaches. No prior knowledge of statistics required.  QR
F 9:25am-11:20am

* ARCG 4217b / ANTH 4217b, Maya Hieroglyphic Writing  Oswaldo Chinchilla Mazariegos

Introduction to the ancient Maya writing system. Contents of the extant corpus, including nametags, royal and ritual commemorations, dynastic and political subjects, and religious and augural subjects; principles and methods of decipherment; overview of the Maya calendar; comparison with related writing systems in Mesoamerica and elsewhere in the ancient world.  SO
TTh 9:25am-11:20am

* ARCG 4273a / EVST 3473a / NELC 373 / NELC 3730a, Climate Change, Societal Collapse, and Resilience  Harvey Weiss

Why do civilizations collapse? Debates rage among anthropologists, archaeologists, and historians about societal collapse causality, the role of abrupt onset century-scale megadroughts, and adaptive resilience strategies. The seminar examines archaeological, historical, and paleolclimate data and arguments for (1) the synchronous collapses of Early Bronze Age 2200 BCE Mediterranean, West Asia, Egypt, Indus, China, (2) Late Bronze Age 1200 BCE Mediterranean, West Asia, Egypt collapses, (3) the abrupt fall of the Assyrian Empire 612 BCE, (4) Maya region disintegration ca. 800 CE,  (5) Ancestral Pueblo 1300 CE abandonments, and (6) the Late Victorian Holocausts late 19th century India. To judge from the competing claims of social scientists and paleoclimatologists, we are not likely to resolve all arguments. We will, however, illuminate weaknesses, strengths, and "data frontiers. Advancing the frontiers of knowledge about the past also elevates discussion and analysis of the present. We might ask, "How are we adapting to an abrupt anthropogenic climate change?" as productively as we ask, "Is the present the past?" In the context of the abrupt climate change and societal collapse frame that we have created, the last seminar meeting examines the Anthropocene and "The Mystery of Anthropocene Causality."  HU, SO  0 Course cr
Th 4pm-5:55pm

* ARCG 4278b / EVST 3399b / NELC 3990b, Agriculture: Origins, Evolution, Crises  Harvey Weiss

Seminar analysis of agriculture, from its revolutionary origins ten thousand years ago out of a million years of hunting and gathering, through selected periods of intensification, upheaval, and social transformation, to the post-industrial environmental and hyper-capitalization crises. When, where, and why did hunters and gatherers first practice agriculture? What were its societal effects? When, how, and why was agricultural surplus first produced? What were its transformative consequences? Are you surplus? What are the social and technological characteristics of intensive and extensive agricultural systems? Which agricultural system forces engendered western European capitalism? What environmental and social forces drive agricultural changes such as the invention and now global use of ammonium nitrate fertilizer? What will be the future relationship between agricultural innovation  and social change? The seminar integrates modern formulations and critical recent appraisals within articles, book chapters, and five classic films for analytic weekly discussion.  SO
Th 9:25am-11:20am

* ARCG 4292b / ANTH 4292b / NELC 3210b, Imaging Ancient Worlds in Museum Collections  Klaus Wagensonner and Agnete Lassen

What is Digitization of Cultural Heritage? What are its merits, challenges, and best practices? The course highlighst the documentation and interpretation of archaeological artifacts, in particular artifacts from Western Asia. The primary goal of the course is the use of new technologies in computer graphics, including 3D imaging, to support current research in archaeology and anthropology. The course does put particular emphasis on the best practices of digitizing artifacts in collections. The prime study subjects are the artifacts housed in the Yale Babylonian Collection (https://babylonian-collection.yale.edu). For some background information on the Collection see here. Students engage directly with the artifacts while practicing the various imaging techniques.  HU  0 Course cr
W 1:30pm-3:25pm

* ARCG 4471a and ARCG 4472a, Directed Reading and Research in Archaeology  Oswaldo Chinchilla Mazariegos

Qualified students may pursue special reading or research under the guidance of an instructor. A written statement of the proposed research must be submitted to the director of undergraduate studies for approval.
HTBA

* ARCG 4491a, Senior Research Project in Archaeology  Oswaldo Chinchilla Mazariegos

Required of all students majoring in Archaeological Studies. Supervised investigation of some archaeological topic in depth. The course requirement is a long essay to be submitted as the student's senior essay. The student should present a prospectus and bibliography to the director of undergraduate studies no later than the third week of the term. Written approval from the faculty member who will direct the reading and writing for the course must accompany the prospectus.
HTBA

ARCG 4564a or b / ANTH 4564a or b / EEB 3464a or b, Human Osteology  Eric Sargis

A lecture and laboratory course focusing on the characteristics of the human skeleton and its use in studies of functional morphology, paleodemography, and paleopathology. Laboratories familiarize students with skeletal parts; lectures focus on the nature of bone tissue, its biomechanical modification, sexing, aging, and interpretation of lesions.  SC, SO  0 Course cr
HTBA

* ARCG 4669b / ANTH 4669b, Evolution of Human Diet  Jessica Thompson

This seminar examines human nutrition and subsistence behavior from an evolutionary perspective. It begins with human nutritional literature and discussions of our biological requirements, then moves into comparison of modern human dietary ecology with those of other primates, especially our closest living relatives, the great apes. We then turn to literature that demonstrates the methods and theoretical approaches that are currently used to reconstruct past diets. As we begin to follow the evidence for changes in subsistence in the hominin lineage, case studies using these methods are integrated into discussions of how we know what we do about past nutrition. The course spends time on key issues and debates such as changes from closed-habitat to open-habitat foraging, the origins of meat-eating, the role of extractive foraging in human social systems, variation in hunter-forager subsistence systems, the origins of domestication, and the phenomenon of fad diets in industrialized nations. Prerequisite: one of ANTH 061, ANTH 267, ANTH 116, or by instructor permission.  WR, SC, SO
W 1:30pm-3:25pm