Courses

ARCHY 482 Geoarchaeology (6 credits)

This Geoarchaeology laboratory class is required of all archaeology graduate students and can be taken by upper level undergraduates. The course is organized around the concept of the deposit; the human-scale unit found in every archaeological site. At the end of the course students will be able to 1) describe deposits using both field and laboratory attributes, and 2) evaluate interpretations of depositional history based on deposits.

1) In this class the description of a deposit starts with the individual grains found within it and expands to include the relationship of those grains to the group. The examination consists of first describing certain attributes in the field (through field trips) followed by a more precise determination in laboratories. Field trips take place on weekends and are not mandatory. Laboratory procedures are demonstrated within the scheduled time for class, but completed at other times. The attributes emphasized are selected for their ability to ascertain the history of sedimentation for the whole deposit at the scale of human occupation.

2) Acquiring the ability to evaluate interpretations of deposits competently will be accomplished through various lectures, readings, papers, and presentations.

ARCHY 320 Northwest Archaeology (5 credits)

This course considers the origins, development, and variations of Pacific Northwest cultures, focusing particularly on those in the State of Washington. Adaptations to maritime and interior environments are included, with special emphasis on the methods archaeologists use to unravel the past and the objects found in sites. Once a week students meet in the Burke Museum classroom to identify real Northwest artifacts from the collection. Areas of special emphasis are: mass media's influence on what the general public learns about archaeology and how we should interpret that information, the laws that protect cultural resources, relationship between archaeology and Native Americans, and identification of objects you could find in your backyard. The course introduces students with no previous training (as well as archaeology majors) to these topics, allowing everyone to appreciate more deeply the past that surrounds us.

ARCHY 530 Northwest Archaeology (for graduate students) (5 credits)

This course is taught for graduate students simultaneously with ARCHY 320. Graduate students attend the lectures with the undergraduates, and attend a separate section once a week with the instructor that focuses on topics such as classification systems for various artifact types, theoretical issues associated with social complexity, and topics of current interest.