The student will be able to:
A. use and apply basic archaeological terminology.
B. integrate and apply the newer techniques of laboratory analysis as applied to field data.
C. analyze the history of archaeology and its relation to the modern world.
D. evaluate the modern theories and developmental trends in the field.
E. compare archaeology to other subfields within anthropology.
F. understand the basic elements of archaeological field excavations.
G. demonstrate critical thinking skills necessary to understand material culture.
H. evaluate archaeological reports and written analyses.
I. identify the various archaeological theories, methods, and techniques used to investigate the human past.
J. demonstrate an understanding of the nature of scientific inquiry and its application in archaeological research.
K. articulate the goals, and the legal, operational, and ethical framework of cultural resource management and heritage preservation.
L. illustrate the use of archaeological methods with reference to cultural sequences.
M. discuss the relationship between anthropology and archaeology.

A. Introduction to archaeology.
1. Goals of archaeology.
a. Culture history.
b. Past lifeways.
c. Cultural process.
d. Scientific methodology.
e. History of archaeology.
f. Contemporary archaeology.
1) Careers in archaeology.
2) Politics in archaeology.
2. Ethics in archaeology.
a. Working in someone else's backyard.
b. Case histories from archaeology.
1) Ohlone in the Silicon Valley.
2) Maya and museums.
3) Other cultures.
B. Archaeological approaches.
1. Culture historical interpretation.
2. Processual archaeology.
3. The systems-ecological approach.
4. Postprocessual archaeology.
5. Evolutionary archaeology.
C. The basic units of archaeology.
1. Artifacts.
2. Stratigraphy.
3. Archaeological sites.
4. Settlement patterns.
5. Context.
6. Culture.
D. Exploration and discovery: conducting fieldwork.
1. Site surveying and locating sites.
2. Site surveying and collecting data.
3. Excavation: the dig, tools, techniques.
4. Excavation: recording and preserving.
E. Analysis and description.
1. Dating techniques.
2. Soil analysis.
3. Floral and fauna analysis.
4. Artifact analysis.
5. Classification, taxonomy, and systematics.
6. Bioarchaeology: human remains.
F. Explaining the past.
1. The environment.
2. Environmental archaeology.
3. Human biological adaptation.
4. Human cultural adaptation.
5. Domestication and agriculture.
G. Settlement and subsistence.
1. Subsistence systems.
2. Ecofactual evidence.
3. Settlement archaeology.
4. Site catchment.
5. Site hierarchy.
H. Understanding cultural systems.
1. Political organizations.
2. Social stratification.
3. Origins of states.
4. Religious organization.
5. Cosmology.
6. Archaeoastronomy.
I. Understanding cultural change.
1. Systems theory.
2. Diffusion.
3. Contact and conflict.
4. Warfare.
J. Archaeology - its history and future.
1. Collectors and antiquarians.
2. Geological developments and human evolution.
3. Public archaeology.
a. Cultural resource management.
b. NAGPRA.
c. Public education.
d. Ethics in archaeology.
4. Archaeology today and tomorrow.

Not applicable.

A. Library research analysis based on topics pertinent to class
B. Group presentations based on classroom hands on exercises
C. Fieldwork and fieldnotes from attendance at a local field experience
D. Research paper based on topic pertinent to class
E. Oral presentations based on archaeology workbook assignments with archeological scenario that is analyzed
F. Essay and objective midterm and final exams

A. Lecture
B. Discussion
C. Cooperative learning exercises
D. Field work
E. Oral presentations
F. Field trips

Renfrew, Colin, and Paul Bahn. Archaeology Essentials. 4th ed. New York: Thames and Hudson, 2018.
Sutton, Mark Q., and Robert M. Yohe II. Archaeology: The Science of the Human Past. 5th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2018.
Sullivan, Mary C., and Samuel Connell. A Case Study in Archaeology: A Student's Perspective. 2nd ed. Dubuque, IA: Kendall-Hunt, 2012.
 

A. Student required to analyze detailed reports from two archaeology workbooks which allow them to interpret data and present conclusions.