41 - 50 of 78 results for: ARCHLGY

Archaeological studies in contemporary East Asia share a common concern, to contribute to building a national narrative and cultural identity. This course focuses on case studies from China, Korea, and Japan, examining the influence of particular social-political contexts, such as nationalism, on the practice of archaeology in modern times.

Advances in material science over the 20th and 21st centuries have greatly expanded archaeologists' tool-kit for studying the material remains of the past. In particular, isotopic chemistry has come to play an important role in answering questions of prime importance to archaeological research: How old is this artifact? Where did it come from? What did people and animals eat in the past? How did humans and animals move in the landscape? In this course, we will explore a variety of methods that use isotopic chemistry to answer anthropological questions about human lives in the past. The course will provide a background in the science of isotopic abundance and fractionation in natural and technological systems. It will also investigate wide variety of archaeological case studies that use chemistry to explore topics of anthropological interest, including: migration, technology, social inequality, food & nutrition, human-animal interactions, and human-environment interactions.

New trends in Roman numismatics (from the late Republic to the early Empire, 3rd-c. BCE-1st-c. CE). Archaeology from coins. Barter, money, and coinage. The introduction of coinage in Rome and the provinces. Making money (coin production), using money (monetary, non-monetary and ritual uses), losing money (coin circulation, hoards, single finds): contextual interpretations. Monetary systems: coins from Rome and coins from the provinces. Coinage and identity. False coinage.

(Formerly CLASSART 145.) Why do we care about shipwrecks? What can sunken sites and abandoned ports tell us about our past? Focusing primarily on the archaeological record of shipwrecks and harbors, along with literary evidence and contemporary theory, this course examines how and why ancient mariners ventured across the "wine-dark seas" of the Mediterranean for travel, warfare, pilgrimage, and especially commerce. We will explore interdisciplinary approaches to the development of maritime contacts and communication from the Bronze Age through the end of Roman era. At the same time, we will engage with practical techniques of maritime archaeology, which allows us to explore the material record first hand.

This Course will provide an overview of global heritage by focusing on the UNESCO World Heritage Program, which is based on an international treaty, the 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. The first part of the course will provide an historical overview on the development of the international preservation movements, the second part of the course will concentrate on how anthropology can contribute to the study of intergovernmental organizations and cultural bureaucracies, the third part and will discuss specific issues related to heritage by providing case studies from the World Heritage. This course will provide theoretical and empirical interpretations of contemporary issues in heritage and will give students a critical understanding of the complexities related to various uses of past in the present.

Heritage is always political, it is typically said. Such a statement might refer to the everyday politics of local stakeholder interests on one end of the spectrum, or the volatile politics of destruction and erasure of heritage during conflict, on the other. If heritage is always political then one might expect that the workings of World Heritage might be especially fraught given the international dimension. In particular, the intergovernmental system of UNESCO World Heritage must navigate the inherent tension between state sovereignty and nationalist interests and the wider concerns of a universal regime. The World Heritage List has over 1000 properties has many such contentious examples, including sites in Iraq, Mali, Syria, Crimea, Palestine and Cambodia. As an organization UNESCO was born of war with an explicit mission to end global conflict and help the world rebuild materially and morally, but has found it¿s own history increasingly entwined with that of international politics and violence.

The analysis and interpretation of ceramic remains allow archaeologists to accomplish varied ends: establish a time scale, document interconnections between different areas, and suggest what activities were carried out at particular sites. The techniques and theories used to bridge the gap between the recovery of ceramics and their interpretation within archaeological contexts is the focus of this seminar.

(Formerly CLASSART 113/213.) Connections among science, technology, society and culture by examining the design of a prehistoric hand axe, Egyptian pyramid, ancient Greek perfume jar, medieval castle, Wedgewood teapot, Edison's electric light bulb, computer mouse, Sony Walkman, supersonic aircraft, and BMW Mini. Interdisciplinary perspectives include archaeology, cultural anthropology, science studies, history and sociology of technology, cognitive science, and evolutionary psychology.

Long-term, comparative and archaeological view of urban planning and design. Cities are the fastest changing components of the human landscape and are challenging our relationships with nature. They are the historical loci of innovation and change, are cultural hotspots, and present a tremendous challenge through growth, industrial development, the consumption of goods and materials. We will unpack such topics by tracking the genealogy of qualities of life in the ancient Near Eastern city states and those of Graeco-Roman antiquity, with reference also to prehistoric built environments and cities in the Indus Valley and through the Americas. The class takes an explicitly human-centered view of urban design and one that emphasizes long term processes.