ANTHROPOLOGY 3300
ARCHAEOLOGY IN NORTH AMERICA
Fall 2007
3 credits
Professor: Steven Simms
Office: Main 245g. Phone: 797-1277 Email:s.simms@usu.edu
Class: M, W, F 8:30 – 9:20 pm
COURSE DESCRIPTON
This is an introduction to the ancient history of North America north of Mexico as known through archaeology. It is a general education depth course designed for non-majors, but assumes a strong general education foundation, advanced reading skills, and university-level writing skills.
We begin by introducing the notion of “alternative histories” to draw attention to the largely independent cultural developments of the Americas. We will discover that many popular notions about Indians and America’s past are mere reflections of our own culture, more than an accurate portrayal of a Native American history. Even such thoroughly American concepts such as “wilderness” and “frontier” are artifacts of alternative histories. This vantage may be uncomfortable at first, but it is my hope that as we proceed, you will find that your knowledge of ancient America overcomes the racist and romanticized stereotypes so commonly applied to the First Americans.
There are many ways to “know” the past, but the only scientific path we have into America’s deep past is archaeology. Before jumping into the ancient history of North America, we provide a brief introduction to archaeological method and theory including how we decode the archaeological record, how we date things, the importance of context, and the socio-political context in which archaeology occurs.
Our excursion through the ancient histories is a mixed bag of chronology and geography. The text tends to be encyclopedic, but the class periods will be modular and focus on specific topics in each period and place. The Course Outline identifies the topics.
My hope for you is to take away much more than an ensemble of stories. I seek more than an imagination of other people’s pasts or politically correct interpretations. The past is fascinating without having to be gratuitously romanticized. But short of having a time machine, no one can know what actually happened. This is not a “how-to” course in archaeology, nor does it go through all the scientific, data-based, hypotheses-testing that underpins so much archaeological interpretation. From the scientific standpoint we will take in this course, we assume that regardless of what we believe happened in the past, something did happen, and that may be dramatically different from what we believe. Scientific findings are the basis for most of the interpretations presented, but we will allow some indulgence into speculation to add humanity to an admittedly murky past. In the end, perhaps the greatest value of learning to rationally evaluate the past is the glimpse we gain of ourselves and our present world. The study of archaeology is thus a distant mirror that both enlightens and disturbs.
REQUIRED READINGS
Textbook
Fagan, Brian
2005 Ancient North America: The Archaeology of a Continent. 4 th Edition. Thames &
Hudson, N.Y.
Electronic Reserve
Additional required readings for this course are on electronic reserve. See the Course Outline for their appearance during the semester. To locate Electronic Reserve:
ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING
Attendance and Responsibilities
Simms basic rules:
1. You must attend all classes.
2. You must do the work.
3. You are responsible for everything that happens in class whether you are present or not.
Attendance will be recorded, and two absences dropped. Attendance, along with other measures of responsibility including tardiness, participation, intellectual engagement etc. will be allocated up to 35 points.
Quizzes
There will be three quizzes for 35 points each. They may consist of multiple choice, true/false, and short answer questions. Quizzes include material from the text, other assigned readings, and especially the class meetings.
Final Exam
The final exam is worth 55 points. It will be cumulative, but with greater weight to material subsequent to Quiz 3.
Student Presentations and Report
Students will have to opportunity to conduct research on specific topics. Students may work in teams of two if you choose. Short presentations will be made to the class and written reports will be submitted. Presentations will be scheduled according to period/geography. For instance, if you want to investigate ancient DNA and the origins of Native Americans, then your presentation will occur in week 3. If you want to investigate Ancestral Puebloan astronomical alignments, then your presentation will be in week 10. This means slots are limited and that assignments will be made in consultation with me. A list of suggestions will be distributed in class. Students who delay will have less freedom of choice. Research reports on the same topic will be submitted by each student.
Presentations
15-20 minutes of class time will be allotted to share your research with the class. Introduce your topic, describe what research you did, and your findings. I encourage the use of visuals including photos, illustrations, video clips, internet, etc. The presentations can be done in teams of two, but both student must play a significant role in the presentation. The presentation is worth 35 points.
Research Report
The research report will be from 1,500 – 2,000 words. Introduce your topic, describe the results of your research, and provide a discussion of the implications and/or conclusions. Reports will include references. Use an in-text style of citation and provide a bibliography of only the materials you cite in your report. Include a minimum of five sources (and I don’t imply that the minimum equates with A quality work), with no more than 30% of your sources from the Internet. Further instructions about the research report will be provided in class with time to answer your questions. The research report is worth 35 points. Research reports are due at the beginning of class one week after your class presentation. Late reports lose 5 pts/day.
Points and Grades
Quizzes (3 @ 35 points each) = 105 points
Final exam = 55 points
Presentation = 35 points
Research Report = 35 points
Expectations and responsibilities = 35 points
___________
Total = 265 points
COURSE OUTLINE
Topic Reading
Fagan = class text
ERS = Electronic Reserve
Week 1
M Course introduction. Images of archaeology.
W Alternative histories and North American Archaeology. Fagan, C.1
F Some basic archaeology. Fagan, C. 2
Week 2
M Holiday. No class Monday.
W Basic archaeology (contd.). Fagan, C. 3
F Public archaeology and Cultural Resource Management Web reading: Archaeology and You
http://www.saa.org/publications/ArchAndYou/index.html
Week 3
M The colonization of the Americas: continents, climate, and routes. Fagan, C. 4
W The first settlers: who were the people and what was life like? Fagan, C. 5
F Megafauna extinctions: human or “natural”? ERS: Krech, Pleistocene Extinctions
Week 4
M Student presentation allotment (Note: the exact day may vary to fit with student topics). Review for Quiz 1.
W Quiz 1
F Head-Smashed-In and six millennia of bison kills. Fagan, C. 6
Week 5
M The first farmers of the American Plains. The Crow Creek Massacre. Fagan, C. 7
W The Arctic. Life before the Eskimos. Fagan, C. 8
F Student presentation allotment.
Week 6
M Migration: the Inuit, the Vikings, and first “Contact.” Fagan, C. 9
W A mosaic of cultures on the west coast. Fagan, C. 10
F California: complexity, and trouble in Paradise? Fagan, C. 11
Week 7
M Student presentation allotment.
W Case Study: The Coast Chumash. ERS: Kennett & Kennett; Johnson
F The ancient Great Basin Fagan, C. 12
Week 8
M Review for Quiz 2. Water, People and Place (go outside and “see” ancient Utah).
W Quiz 2
F Fall Break. No class.
Week 9
M The Southwest: an introduction Skim Fagan, C. 13-15
W Archaeology, language and immigration ERS: Matson, The Spread of Maize
Agriculture into the U. S. Southwest
F Student presentation allotment.
Week 10
M The Chaco Meridian?
W Cliff Dwellers, cooperation, and conflict ERS: LeBlanc, Conflict &
Language Dispersal
F Student presentation allotment.
Week 11
M The Fremont of Utah.
W The relationship of the Ancestral Puebloans to the modern tribes.
F Review for Quiz 3. Student presentation allotment.
Week 12
M Quiz 3.
W Archaic Foragers of the eastern United States Fagan, C. 16&17
F The Eastern Agricultural Complex and the Moundbuilders Fagan, C. 18&19
Week 13
M TBA
W Thanksgiving break. No class.
F Thanksgiving break. No class.
Week 14
M The Mississippian chiefdoms and Cahokia, America’s “ London.” Fagan, C. 20
W Student presentation allotment.
F The Northeast: Algonquians and Iroquois Fagan, C. 21
Week 15
M Video: Myths and the Moundbuilders. Fagan, C. 22
W A.D.1491: A Human Wilderness and Vectors of Death ERS: Mann, 1491
F Cultural patrimony and indigenous voices. Student presentation allotment.
Final exam. Friday, December 14 @ 7:30am in our regular classroom.
LEARNING GOALS AND ASSESSMENT
The Utah State University Anthropology Program identifies learning goals to guide students through the coursework in a discipline. The USU web site identifies goals generic to the Anthropology Program http://www.usu.edu/sswa/assessment.htm and the list below describes goals and assessment specific to this course.
1) Develop baseline culture-historical knowledge about ancient North America.
Assessment goals: Know patterns of culture and the chronology of ancient America. Know basic archaeological terms as they apply to topics in the archaeology of North America.
2) Know some of the general issues in North American archaeology using lecture, reading and student presentations.
Assessment goals: Knowledge of what the major issues are in North American archaeology (e.g., colonization of Americas, development of agriculture, regional interaction spheres, Native American graves repatriation, ethics and archaeological site destruction).
3) In-depth knowledge of specific topics in North American archaeology gained through research, writing, and student presentations (e.g., Anasazi abandonment, the Eastern Agricultural complex, Mississippian social inequality, Iroquois warfare, disease and depopulation).
Assessment goals: Class presentation and research report assignment enable you choose an issue of interest, conduct research, and present your knowledge to various audiences.
4) Introductory ability to use archaeological data relative to other kinds of information encountered in the social sciences. Critical thinking as practiced in archaeological science.
Assessment goals: Sophistication in formulation of subject matter for written work and class discussion. Ability to conduct interpretation and discussion in empirical and probabilistic terms. Distinguish between scientific and other forms of knowledge.
5) Experience in spoken communication skills.
Assessment goals: Class Presentation assignment requires oral communication as students work singly or in groups of two. Spoken communication is also important during frequent class discussions.
6) Experience in written communication skills.
Assessment goals: Students prepare a research report on the topic studied for their class presentation.
Criteria for assessment include: Writing that reflects a conceptual synthesis, a sense of problem, and a clear thesis. Use of effective rhetoric. Audience awareness. Virtually all errors (conceptual, grammatical, spelling etc.) corrected, with very few, or no errors remaining. Assigned bibliographic style followed.
MISCELLANEOUS POLICIES
Late assignments and missed class days
The grade for a late assignment will be lowered 5 points for each day an assignment is late (weekends = 1 day). Note that assignments are due at the beginning of the class period. Two days of missed attendance will be omitted from your grade calculation. After that, no accommodations will be made.
Exam make up policy
Quizzes may be approved for make up under exceptional circumstances and by prior arrangement. No make ups will be given more than one week after the quiz was administered in class.
The Final exam cannot be made up, but may be administered early under exceptional circumstances and by prior arrangement.
Reasons for make-ups include calls to military duty, hospitalization and things of this magnitude. Reasons that do not qualify include: weddings, non-school related trips, a job, family reunions etc.
General University Policies
USU policies on dropping courses, incompletes, plagiarism, and cheating are adhered to and can be found in your Class Schedule or on the university web site www.usu.edu
Students with Disabilities
Any student with a disability who requires accommodation must contact the instructor. The disability must be documented by the Disability Resource Center. Course materials may be requested in alternative formats. If you have a documented disability and need reasonable accommodation to participate in this course, please visit with me immediately, or notify the Disability Resource Center to contact me so we can make reasonable accommodations.
FERPA
In compliance with the Family Education Right to Privacy Act (FERPA), it is the policy of our department to maintain the confidentiality of students’ records. Quizzes and assignments will be returned only to the individual student.
FULL REFERENCES FOR ELECTRONIC RESERVE READINGS
Johnson, John R.
2004 Social Responses to Climate Change Among the Chumash Indians of South-Central California. In
Prehistoric California: Archaeology and the Myth of Paradise, edited by L. M. Raab and T.L. Jones, pp. 149-
159. University of Utah Press, Salt Lake City
Kennett, Douglas J. and James P. Kennett
2000 Competitive & Cooperative Responses to Climatic Instability in Coastal Southern California.
American Antiquity 65:379-395.
Krech, Shepard
1999 Pleistocene Extinctions. In The Ecological Indian: Myth and History. Norton, New York.
LeBlanc, Steven A.
2002 Conflict and Language Dispersal: Issues and a New World Example. In Examining the Farming/Language
Dispersal Hypothesis, edited by C. Renfrew and P. Bellwood, pp. 357-365. McDonald Institute for
Archaeological Research, London.
Mann, Charles C.
2002 1491 The Atlantic. 289(3):41-53.
Matson, Richard G.
2002 The Spread of Maize Agriculture into the U. S. Southwest. In Examining the Farming/Language Dispersal
Hypothesis, edited by C. Renfrew and P. Bellwood, pp. 341-356. McDonald Institute for Archaeological
Research, London.