Course

20809281 Archaeology and the Prehistoric World
Course Information
Description
This is a course designed for students who are interested in the human past, the period of prehistory for which there are few written records and most of our knowledge comes to us via archaeological investigations. The course is organized both in a historical and a topical fashion. We will trace the evolution of human culture through time, focusing on the best-known archaeological sites throughout human history.
Total Credits
3
Course Competencies (Course Outcomes)
  1. Explore how archaeologists generate information about prehistory
    Assessment Strategies
    Essay, Exam, and/or Written Product
    Criteria
    Use archaeological terms effectively
    Describe general terms used in archaeology, such as stratigraphy, absolute vs relative dating, and artifacts
    Explore several techniques for gaining data in archaeology, such as excavation, radiocarbon dating, survey, and ground-penetrating radar
    Explain the concept of in situ and artifact preservation
    Explore the use of cross-disciplinary research to expand archaeologists’ knowledge of the past

  2. Distinguish between empirical and speculative narratives about the past
    Assessment Strategies
    Essay, Exam, and/or Written Product
    Criteria
    Apply media literacy and analysis to evaluate a chosen source
    Identify who produced a source and for what purpose
    Describe techniques used to persuade
    Assess credibility
    Explain how nations utilize archaeology to aggrandize the state
    Analyze the use of archaeology in helping displaced peoples interpret their past or defend their present

  3. Explore new points of view about who we are as humans, how we came to be, and how we shaped the world around us
    Assessment Strategies
    Essay, Exam, and/or Written Product
    Criteria
    Explore the development of early Homo and their differences from other early hominin
    Identify African sites for early Homo such as Olduvai Gorge, and Swartkrans
    Explore Neanderthals and other early hominin species
    Explore the development and migrations of Homo sapiens

  4. Explore the development of tools and technologies in prehistory
    Assessment Strategies
    Essay, Exam, and/or Written Product
    Criteria
    Describe general terms related to lithic technologies such as debitage, flake, knapping, and handaxe
    Explore the development of stone and metal tools over time
    Explore the use and development of tools for everyday life, art, and weapons for hunting and violence
    Explore how the evolution of crafting and various technologies, such as pottery and metallurgy, encouraged the development of complex societies

  5. Explore domestication and the development of agriculture
    Assessment Strategies
    Essay, Exam, and/or Written Product
    Criteria
    Describe the meaning and development of the Neolithic period in many parts of the world
    Identify external and internal factors in the development of domestication
    Differentiate between domestication, cultivation, and agriculture
    Examine the domestication of key animals such as cattle, dogs, or sheep/goats
    Compare arguments for why the development of agriculture was a mistake, vs indigenous techniques of agriculture, and arguments for the benefits of the development

  6. Explore the rise and development of urbanization and complex states
    Assessment Strategies
    Essay, Exam, and/or Written Product
    Criteria
    Examine Childe and other researchers' theories on the development of cities and complexity
    Describe terms such as social stratification, hierarchy, and heterarchy
    Relate the development of writing and literacy to legitimating and affirming power and identity
    Analyze methods utilized by rulers to control and organize complex societies using economic, military, and ideological control

  7. Explore archaeological theories on the development of the prehistoric world
    Assessment Strategies
    Essay, Exam, and/or Written Product
    Criteria
    Examine early theories on the spread of Homo sapiens and culture such as diffusion
    Describe how racism and colonialism influenced early archaeological studies
    Outline the evolutionary approach to analyzing developing complexity
    Compare and contrast various processual and post-processual theories on human development

  8. Explore the development of various cultures and sites in the Old World
    Assessment Strategies
    Essay, Exam, and/or Written Product
    Criteria
    Describe the development of various cultures in the Near East and Mesopotamia
    Describe the development of major centers of urbanization such as Angkor or Harappa
    Describe the development of Egyptian civilization and culture
    Describe the development of prehistoric art and culture in Europe

  9. Explore the development of various cultures and sites in the New World
    Assessment Strategies
    Essay, Exam, and/or Written Product
    Criteria
    Describe the development of various cultures in North America, such as the Mississippians
    Describe the development of various cultures in Mesoamerica, such as the Maya, the Olmecs, or the Aztecs
    Describe the development of various cultures in South America, such as the Moche or the Inka