Archaeological Studies (ARCG)

* ARCG 030b / ANTH 030b / LAST 030b, Inca Culture and SocietyRichard Burger

History of the Inca empire of the Central Andes, including the empire's impact on the nations and cultures it conquered. Overview of Inca religion, economy, political organization, technology, and society. Ways in which different schools of research have approached and interpreted the Incas over the last century, including the influence of nationalism and other sources of bias on contemporary scholarship. Enrollment is limited to first-year students.   SO
HTBA

* ARCG 031a / EVST 030a / NELC 026a, Origins of Civilization: Egypt and MesopotamiaHarvey 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 161a / CLCV 161a / HSAR 247a, Art and Myth in Greek AntiquityStaff

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.  HU0 Course cr
HTBA

ARCG 215a / ANTH 215a, Archaeology of ChinaAnne 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 232a / ANTH 232a / LAST 232a, Ancient Civilizations of the AndesRichard Burger

Survey of the archaeological cultures of Peru and Bolivia from the earliest settlement through the late Inca state.  SO
HTBA

ARCG 244b / NELC 109b / RLST 245b, The Age of AkhenatonNadine Moeller and John Darnell

Study of the period of the Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaton (reigned 1353–1336 B.C.E.), often termed the Amarna Revolution, from historical, literary, religious, artistic, and archaeological perspectives. Consideration of the wider Egyptian, ancient Near Eastern, African, and Mediterranean contexts. Examination of the international diplomacy, solar theology, and artistic developments of the period. Reading of primary source material in translation.  HU0 Course cr
TTh 11:35am-12:50pm

ARCG 245a / NELC 243a, Archaeology of Ancient Egypt: An IntroductionGregory Marouard

This lecture is an introductory class that examines in detail the archaeology of ancient Egypt following the chronological order of Egyptian history and covering almost 4000 years, from the late Neolithic period to the end of the Greco-Roman period. The aim is not only to give a comprehensive overview of major sites and discoveries but also to use as much as possible information from recent excavations, discuss problems and priorities concerning this field, offer an introduction to new fieldwork methods and approaches used in Egypt as well as a short history of this discipline.  none  HU0 Course cr
MW 11:35am-12:25pm

* ARCG 253b / ANTH 253b, Introduction to Experimental ArchaeologyEllery Frahm

Experimental archaeology is one of the most important tools to develop and test models which link human behaviors and natural forces to the archaeological record.  This class explores the elements of good experimental design and procedures. ANTH 316L, ARCG 316L recommended.  SO
W 1:30pm-3:20pm

ARCG 264a / ANTH 264a / SPAN 404a, Aztec Archaeology and EthnohistoryOswaldo 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 316La / ANTH 316La, Introduction to Archaeological Laboratory SciencesEllery 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
W 1:30pm-4:30pm

* ARCG 326b / ANTH 326b, Ancient Civilizations of the Eurasian SteppesWilliam 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 3:30pm-5:20pm

* ARCG 362b / EPS 362b / EVST 362b, Observing Earth from SpaceXuhui Lee

A practical introduction to satellite image analysis of Earth's surface. Topics include the spectrum of electromagnetic radiation, satellite-borne radiometers, data transmission and storage, computer image analysis, the merging of satellite imagery with GIS and applications to weather and climate, oceanography, surficial geology, ecology and epidemiology, forestry, agriculture, archaeology, and watershed management. Prerequisites: college-level physics or chemistry, two courses in geology and natural science of the environment or equivalents, and computer literacy.  QR, SC0 Course cr
HTBA

* ARCG 363a / EVST 371a / NELC 189 / NELC 330a, Archaeologies of EmpireHarvey 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
TTh 2:30pm-3:45pm

* ARCG 385a / ANTH 385a, Archaeological CeramicsAnne 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
Th 1:30pm-3:20pm

* ARCG 399b / EVST 399b / NELC 399, Agriculture: Origins, Evolution, CrisesHarvey Weiss

Analysis of the societal and environmental drivers and effects of plant and animal domestication, the intensification of agroproduction, and the crises of agroproduction: land degradation, societal collapses, sociopolitical transformation, sustainability, and biodiversity.  SO
Th 3:30pm-5:20pm

* ARCG 450a / ANTH 450a, Analysis of Lithic TechnologyStaff

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
HTBA

* ARCG 454b / ANTH 454b, Statistics for Archaeological AnalysisWilliam 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-11:15am

ARCG 464b / ANTH 464b / E&EB 464b, Human OsteologyStaff

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, SO0 Course cr
TTh 1pm-2:15pm

* ARCG 473b / EVST 473b / NELC 373b, Climate Change, Societal Collapse, and ResilienceHarvey Weiss

The coincidence of societal collapses throughout history with decadal and century-scale abrupt climate change events. Challenges to anthropological and historical paradigms of cultural adaptation and resilience. Examination of archaeological and historical records and high-resolution sets of paleoclimate proxies.  HU, SO0 Course cr
Th 9:25am-11:15am