ANNOUNCEMENT: we have a new seminar room, as of October 28: Denny 402. AW

Class meetings: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1:30-3:50, Denny 402.

Office hours: Wednesdays 10:00-11:30, Denny M49.

The focus of this seminar is the history of archaeological theory and practice, specifically, the formation of scientific and counter-scientific ideals in the context of North American anthropological archaeology.

Patterson's Social History of Archaeology in the United States (1996) will be the anchor for an exploration of the conditions that shaped the formation of this family of research traditions, while Trigger's History of Archaeological Thought (2006), will provide comparative breadth, situating these North American histories in the context of diverse national and disciplinary traditions of archaeological practice. We will also consider more specialized histories of research on particular problems, like Grayson's Establishment of Human Antiquity (1983) and Sommer's Red Lady of Paviland (2007); biographies that trace the influence of key figures and that document the unrecognized contributions of women and minority practitioners; studies of regional research traditions, as examined in Browman and Williams' New Perspectives on the Origins of Americanist Archaeology (2002); critical histories of archaeology's entanglement with race politics and colonial agendas; and histories that to articulate the possibilities embodied in "alternative" archaeologies.

• To situate contemporary theory debates in historically and socially specific contexts of practice; to understand the problems to which particular archaeological theories and research traditions are a response.
• To cultivate historically grounded skills of critical analysis in assessing the goals and standards of practice that underpin contemporary practice.
• To develop an historical analysis of archaeological theory relevant to research design and practice in an area of active research interest.

I. Seminar participation and presentations

Participation: This course will be run as a seminar with the emphasis on discussion informed by weekly reading responses and in-class presentations. Attendance and active participation are essential. (5%)

Presentations: Members of the seminar will lead discussion in at least one class each week. Choose topics/weeks for your presentation in the workshop on October 2. (20%)
Presentations should be no longer than 15-20 minutes and should provide an analysis of a selection of assigned readings designed to raise key issues for discussion. Keep the following questions in mind:

• Why has an author chosen a particular topic for investigation and focused on particular evidence or aspects of their historical subject?
• What interpretative or explanatory thesis informs their account or, to put this another way, what conclusions or lessons do they draw from the history they tell?
• What type of history are they doing and why have they chosen a particular style of historical narrative?
• How does this history bear on contemporary debates, theoretical assumptions, or conventions of practice?

II. Written assignments

Reading Responses: in the course of the quarter prepare 5 one-page reading response papers; consider the same focal questions here as recommended for the in-class presentations.

• Everyone should prepare a reading response for the first class in which readings are assigned (September 30).
• In the workshop on October 2, choose 4 additional weeks in which you will write reading responses, avoiding the week of your presentation and, if possible distributing presentations so roughly half the class members are submitting presentations each week.
• Post your responses on the "History of Archaeology" Go-Post board (linked to the course website) by 9:00 am Tuesday, before the first class meeting of the week in which the readings are assigned. (25%)

Undergraduate Essay Assignment: those enrolled in ARCHY469 have two option. (50%)

• write two short papers (4-5 pages each; 1000-1250 words) on specific issues or concepts raised by the assigned readings;
• or, develop one longer (8-10 page, 2000-2500 word) historical project of your own. Take Trigger's or Patterson's treatment of an historical episode, figure, tradition, concept or debate as a point of departure and explore background material relevant for developing your own analysis of what is at issue.

Graduate Essay Assignment:  those enrolled in ARCHY570 should develop one substantial term paper (12-15 pages, 3000-3750 words) on the history of a particular debate or concept, research community, program or form of practice.

• Choose an historical topic relevant to a field area in which you expect to work or a research project in which you are actively engaged.
• Use the assigned readings to frame your focal question, but address it using original and secondary sources that go beyond the course texts.

October 2: Seminar participants develop a schedule for presentations and response papers.
October 14: Declare essay topics
    - two paper option: confirm this option and identify a first topic
    - research papers: submit a one-paragraph statement of your topic
October 31: first submissions
    - two paper option: first short paper due
    - research papers: two-page abstract and source list due
November 3-5: research project workshops (to be scheduled)
December 8: final papers due

Background in archaeological research in at least one field area, and familiarity with contemporary theoretical debate in Americanist archaeology are recommended.