Undergraduate Program

Fall 2012-13 Courses

 

GENERAL ANTHROPOLOGY

 

A105 Human Origins and Prehistory           
Sept (15807)
FA 015
2:30-3:20pm MW

This course will introduce you to the study of human evolution - a branch of Anthropology which seeks to understand human uniqueness by studying the human past using scientific methods. The story of our past can be found in clues from a wide range of sources - everything from details of DNA to Ice Age art. This is why the scientific quest for human origins requires the curiosity of a philosopher coupled with the skills of a skeptical detective! We will begin with an introduction to evolutionary principles, and a discussion of the nature of scientific reasoning. While people often think of themselves as very different from other animals, you will discover that we can learn a lot about ourselves by studying the genes, bodies and behavior of our closest living relatives, chimpanzees and other primates, and apply this knowledge to help interpret ancient evidence. During the second half of the class we will dig into the past, to look at fossils and archaeological sites for the evidence revealing when and where humans first began to behave like "odd animals." When did our ancestors begin to walk upright? Where were tools and art invented?
Who were the “cave men”? What do we know about the origins of language, or the roots of human bio-cultural diversity today? Throughout the semester we will examine examples of how researchers think about "evidence" and how scientific theories about human evolution have been built, piece by piece, from a variety of sources. We will look at examples of contrasting interpretations of scientific evidence for the human past, and study why some arguments have stood the tests of time, and are more convincing than others. Sitting at the beginning of a new millennium, our goal is to help you appreciate how a knowledge of the human past is relevant to your own life, whether as a student at IU today, or as a future parent, medical patient, consumer…. or I-life professional!

E105 Culture and Society
Wilk (15823)
MY 130
1:25-2:15pm MW

Have you ever wondered how and why people of other cultures and groups act and think differently, and see the world in different ways? Sociocultural and linguistic anthropology study human cultural difference, and the universal aspects of the human experience that bring all people together. The course challenges you with a wide variety of films, readings, discussions, and short research assignments, to help understand the kinds of cultural diversity you face every day here in Indiana, and will encounter for the rest of your life in our increasingly interconnected world. Our goal is to open your eyes to the origin and value of cultures, in a way that will be useful in almost any kind of major and career, from business to musical performance.

E105 Culture and Society
AI (27487)
WI C111
7:00-8:15pm TR

This course is an introduction to the ethnographic and comparative study of contemporary and historical human society and culture. This section meets twice a week and requires no additional discussion sections.

A205 Citizenship, Immigration, Globalization
Friedman (29256)
SB 138
1:00-2:15pm TR

One of the most controversial issues in the world today is the massive movement of people across national borders.  What kinds of people migrate today and why?  How does immigration affect how countries define their national identity and their citizenship laws?  Immigration and citizenship involve more than questions of rights and responsibilities; they also inspire debates about what it means to “belong” in a society or nation.  This course will look at anthropological approaches to studying citizenship, belonging, and immigration around the world.  We will focus on current debates about topics such as the European Union, headscarves in France, indigenous rights, post-9/11 U.S. immigration policy, multiculturalism, “mail order brides,” and post-national citizenship.

A208 Anth:Arts & Expressive Behavior
AI (29187)
SB 131
5:45-8:00pm TR

TBA

A399 Honors Tutorial
Cook (15814)
Arranged

The Honors Tutorial (3 cr.) involves research and writing, culminating in an Honors Thesis.

A403 Introduction to Museum Studies
Kirk (21655)
BH 219
2:30-3:45pm  TR

This course provides a general overview of the museum profession, with particular emphasis on museums in American society. The first half of the course explores the history and philosophy of museums; the second half examines museum functions.

Although the class is not restricted to students seeking careers in museums, it does serve as the first step in the training needed by aspiring museum professionals. Students who have completed the course will be prepared to enroll in more advanced course such as A408/Museum Practicum, or to take advantage of other opportunities for experience in museum work.

A406 Fieldwork in Anthropology
Brondizio (15815)
Arranged

Fieldwork designed and carried out by the student in consultation with faculty members.

A408 Museum Practicum
(15816)
Arranged

The Museum Practicum (1-4 cr.) provides students with the opportunity to gain hands-on work experience in museums while earning academic credit through Indiana University's Department of Anthropology. Practica require prior agreement and must be arranged with museum personnel and the course instructor, Professor Geoffrey Conrad, director of the William Hammond Mathers Museum (conrad@indiana.edu or phone 812-855-6873).

Practica may be arranged at any museum. If you wish to arrange a practicum at a museum other than the Mathers Museum, you must obtain written permission from a designated supervisor at that institution. General guidelines require that you and your supervisor agree upon the number of credit hours to be awarded, the number of hours to be worked per week, and the specific work schedule. Your designated supervisor will be responsible for assessing your performance and assigning a grade. Please bring a copy of the supervisor's statement of permission to Professor Conrad when you request authorization to enroll. Students interested in arranging practica at the Mathers Museum should visit http://www.indiana.edu/~mathers/edu/A408.pdf for detailed information regarding a specific practicum. Practica may involve collections research, conservation, education/programs, the museum store, exhibits, and photography.

To apply for a practicum at the Mathers Museum, please review the information on the website, then contact the appropriate departmental supervisor (noted at the top of each listing) to request an application and arrange an interview. Acceptance of students is limited. The required number of practicum hours worked per week at the Mathers Museum varies according to the number of credit hours of A408 the student is enrolled in, and the semester of enrollment.

A420 UGRD Teaching Practicum
Scheiber (24559)
Arranged

Students assist in preparation and implementation of undergraduate courses, especially those involving hands-on laboratory work. Students prepare materials, implement laboratory activities, and maintain educational collections. Students enrolled in A420 do not assist in grading. Students will need to contact individual faculty members directly.

Build your teaching experience while providing assistance to your peers!

Tasks may include all or some of the following:

-- help with course logistics
-- prepare lab sections
-- scan slides
-- participate in weekly discussion sections
-- tutor students
-- assist with review sessions
-- review books for research purposes
-- contribute to a class lecture
-- assist graduate student AI’s
-- and other duties as requested….

-- help formulate attendance questions and read through the answers
-- library tasks (identify, pick up, return films; search library for books, obtain and return)
Faculty will discuss teaching strategies with the undergraduate interns and provide a mentored learning experience for students enrolled in A420.

The following faculty members are accepting from 1 to 3 undergraduate teaching assistants for their courses.  Interested students should contact faculty directly. 

COLL C104 People and Animals
Faculty member: Laura Scheiber (scheiber@indiana.edu) (and email for additional questions).

ANTH A105 Human Origins and Prehistory
Faculty member: Jeanne Sept (sept@indiana.edu)  

ANTH B200 Biological Anthropology
Faculty member: Rika Kaestle (kaestle@indiana.edu)

ANTH E101 Ecology and Society
Faculty member: Catherine Tucker (tucker@indiana.edu) ***

ANTH E105 Culture and Society
Faculty member: Rick Wilk (wilkr@indiana.edu)

ANTH E200 Social and Cultural Anthropology
Faculty member: Beth Buggenhagen (babuggen@indiana.edu)

ANTH E321 Peoples of Mexico **
Faculty member: Anya Royce (royce@indiana.edu)

ANTH E423 Life Histories
Faculty member: Gracia Clark (gclark@indiana.edu)

ANTH P230 Archaeology and the Ancient Maya
Faculty member: Anne Pyburn (apyburn@indiana.edu)

ANTH P240 Archaeology and the Movies
Faculty member: April Sievert (sievert@indiana.edu)**

ANTH P330 Historical Archaeology
Faculty member: April Sievert (sievert@indiana.edu) **      
 
** first priority to students who have background in the course topic or who have previously enrolled in the class.  *** request for a senior anthropology student with some prior experience or classwork related to sustainability +/ or environmental problems.

A495 Individual Readings in Anthropology
A496 Field Study in Anthropology
Brondizio (15817 and 15818)
Arranged

These courses provide opportunities for students to work on independent projects, create their own courses, and combine fieldwork, lab work, or other kinds of research in creative ways, under faculty supervision.

Individual Readings in Anthropology (1-4 cr.) allows the student to work with a particular professor on a specific topic chosen by the student and agreed to by the professor. Field Study in Anthropology (3-8 cr.) gives the student a chance to earn academic credit for work "in the field."

BIOANTHROPLOGY

B200 Bioanthropology
Kaestle (15821)
BH 013
12:20-01:10pm MW

B200 is an introductory course in bioanthropology. It is required for the undergraduate major in anthropology, and it is a prerequisite for many advanced courses in bioanthropology. B200 carries NMNS credit toward the COAS distribution requirements. You will NOT be able to count this course toward the S & H requirement. We recommend B301, a three credit lab course that also carries NMNS credit, concurrent with or following B200 for anyone who plans a career in anthropology, and for significant hands-on experience in bioanthropology. In B200 we will survey the field of bioanthropology, emphasizing the ways in which ideas about human evolution are tested using evidence from the fossil record, from living non-human primates, and from contemporary human groups. There will be an emphasis on understanding the underlying principles and science of evolution. Grades are based on four objective exams (each worth 15% of the final grade), as well as several short essays, laboratories and other hands-on activities, making up the remainder of your grade (a total of 40%). Exams and essay questions will be based on lectures, videos, assignments from your textbook, and on short, article-length readings. The objective in the essay assignments is to build skills in reading and assessing scientific articles. Labs will emphasize an understanding of evolutionary forces, analysis of research videotape taken by primatologists observing wild chimpanzees, and observations of physical and biochemical features of living humans. THERE WILL BE NO MAKE-UP LABS. Exams are multiple choice. The exams are not cumulative, and all four are similar in length and structure. Make-up exams are short-answer/essay in format. Your fourth exam is on the day listed in the schedule of classes as the final for this class and you must plan your travel around the exam schedule. Please contact the instructor before ANY exam you must miss.

B200 Bioanthropology
AI (21654)
7:00-8:15pm TR

This course is the same as the class above regarding course content; however, grading procedures, assignments and text may differ.

B301 Laboratory in Bioanthropology
AI (15822)
SB 060
08:55-10:45am MW

This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the basic research techniques used by biological anthropologists through hands-on experience and an introduction to the literature of the field. The course is divided into two main sections. The first focuses on human skeletal anatomy, and the second covers methodologies used in forensic anthropology, paleontology, primatology, human growth and development, and population genetics. This course counts for the NMNS distribution requirement.

B301 Laboratory in Bioanthropology
AI (27482)
SB 060
06:50-8:40pm MW

Same as above class. 

B310 Bioanthropology: A History of Ideas
Cook (29721)
SB 060
2:30-3:45pm TR

This is a course in the history of physical anthropology. We will discuss the emergence of this field as an academic discipline, emphasizing the careers of prominent scholars and their contributions to theory. This is also an intensive writing course. We will stress writing in a style appropriate to journals in anthropology and other social and biological sciences. You will write four short 5-8 page essays and a final paper. The final paper is a longer biography of a physical anthropologist active in the first half of the twentieth century. You will present this project orally to the remainder of the class during our final three weeks of class.

B400 Language Evolution        
Schoenemann (27483)
BH 221
2:30-4:45pm

Above class Junior/Senior status required or permission of instructor

This course will survey research and theories concerning the origin and evolution of language. This question has been approached from many perspectives, including linguistics, evolutionary psychology, anthropology, computer science, and philosophy. Typically, the evolution of language (the human communication system) is seen as separate from the evolution of languages (e.g., Spanish from Latin). The first is seen as a problem of biological evolution whereas the second is seen as an example of cultural evolution. However, an evolutionary perspective suggests that these two are not independent: cultural evolution in humans has played a major role in driving biological evolution. Therefore, we will also discuss aspects of how languages change historically, to see what this might predict about the origins and evolution of language itself. Specific topics we will cover may include: What is language and how does it work? What is historical linguistics and what can it tell us about language change? Is language properly thought of as an adaptation, that evolved by natural selection? Do other animals have language, or can they be taught to? What can the fossil record tell us about language evolution? How have the language centers of our brain changed during human evolution? Did our brain evolve to fit language, or did language evolve to fit our brain? How have people explored language evolution through computer modeling?

B400 Primate Socioecology Beh Evol        
Hunt/Muehlenbein (29728)
SB 138
4:00-6:15pm R

This course will provide an advanced review and analysis of the evolution of nonhuman primate behaviors. Why and how do nonhuman primate behaviors differ among species, between primates and other species, and between nonhuman primates and humans? What are some commonalities across these species, and what evolutionary and ecological principles can explain variation in behaviors among nonhuman primate taxa? By the end of this course, students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of primate socioecology and behavioral evolution through effective communication (via written and oral presentation to others). Major topics will include: primate evolution and modern primate behaviors; life history evolution and variation; kin selection, altruism and reciprocal altruism; game theory and evolutionarily stable strategies; sexual selection: mate choice, competition and coercion; parental investment; hunting and foraging theories; socioecological models of grouping, philopatry and dispersal; predator avoidance; communication; dominance relationships; agonism and affiliation; and intra- and inter-sexual bonding.

This course will utilize a number of techniques for effective learning. In addition to instructor-lead discussions, this course will bring in seven different speakers with expertise in primate behavioral ecology. These internationally recognized primatologists will be involved in a variety of activities, including both public lectures and private meetings with the class for discussion. Class discussion will also be organized by students, which will require discussion leaders to prepare overviews of reading materials using PowerPoint. Beyond the topics listed above, class will also involve the development of student projects and formal student presentations.

Enrollment for this course is limited. All students require instructor consent for enrollment.

ETHNOGRAPHY AND ETHNOLOGY

 

E101 Ecology and Society
Tucker (27486)          
09:30-10:45am MW

What can we do to help create a sustainable world? Almost every day we hear news about degradation or pollution of the air, water, soils, forests, and other natural resources on which people and all living things depend for survival. We hear little about what can be done to mitigate or reverse these processes. This class will examine human interactions with natural resources, and explore the cultural ideas and values that shape challenges and potential for environmental, economic and social sustainability. We will take an interdisciplinary perspective to explore concrete examples from Indiana and around the world, on issues such as growing energy demands, water scarcity, waste management, soil erosion and degradation, deforestation, and changing weather patterns. Readings, films, discussion and class activities will encourage critical thinking about contradictions and conundrums related to sustainability. For example, why is it that apples grown in Indiana sometimes cost more than apples produced half a world away? Students will carry out individual and team research projects to gain an understanding of what is happening on the Indiana University campus and in Bloomington to address local environmental issues, and examine progress and shortcomings. In the process, we will endeavor to envision a sustainable world, understand the challenges, and think about ways to make wise changes. Course evaluation will depend on individual and team projects, exams, writing exercises, exams, and regular attendance.

E200 Social and Cultural Anthropology
Buggenhagen (15830)
SB 150
01:00-02:15pm TR

This course will introduce students to cultural anthropology, which involves the study of social, cultural and historical processes in their local, comparative and global dimensions. Students will be asked to think both critically and comparatively about the ways in which we create meaning through the analysis of human institutions such as kinship, politics, economies, ritual and religion, art, race, gender, the nation and globalization. Throughout the course we will consider what anthropologists do. While historically anthropologists have engaged in fieldwork that involved the long term study of a place many anthropologists also conduct fieldwork in corporate offices, urban streets, stock market floors and in international organizations.
Classes will integrate lecture, discussion and often lively debate. Occasionally we will break into small groups as a sort of practicum where you can engage in a more in depth discussion of the issues. You will read ethnographies, the mode of anthropological writing, and conduct your own ethnographic fieldwork, the primary method in anthropology. Readings will be oriented toward a history of anthropological thought and current ethnographies, some of which will focus on Africa and globalization.

E210 Rethinking Race Globally
Greene (29756)
BH 005
4:10-5:15pm TR   

Who invented the term "race" and what does it mean? Is race a legitimate way to talk about human diversity? If so, with what social and scientific understanding? If not, what other terms might we employ to substitute or complement discussions regarding racial matters? In this course we seek to address these broad questions about human diversity in terms of the legacy of the concept of race. To do so we will identify how anthropology and related disciplines have played a fundamental role in shaping our understanding about physical variation, culture, gender, and language as means to talk about differences in the human species. We will also identify the multiple ways in which such academic thought has fundamentally misconceived human difference in order to perpetuate stereotypes, justify various forms of domination, and to propagate simple misunderstandings instead of recognizing the complex interactions that exist between physical variation and social constructions of human difference. We will examine ideas from past and present; and read about current cases from different parts of the globe.

E300 Islam In & Out of Africa         
Buggenhagen (27489)
BH 018
9:30-10:45am TR

Students will be introduced to Muslim thought and practice in sub-Saharan Africa countries and will come to understand the major differences between Sunnis and Shiites, Sufis and non-Sufis, and Islamist or reformist movements. In the first part of the course, students will learn about the place of Sufi Islam, to which the majority of African Muslims belong, within the wider Muslim world. Students will consider debates over everyday, localized, historical practices and calls for reform based on textual interpretations. In particular we will focus on debates concerning between women’s practices, indigenous religions and relations between Christians and Muslims. In the second part of the course students will be introduced to debates over migration, global Islam, and the nation-state.

E321 Peoples of Mexico
Royce (27490)
SB 150
9:30-10:45am TR

Mexico: After Canada, Mexico is the United States’ most important trading partner in terms of exports and imports; After Tokyo, Mexico City is the biggest city in the world with more than 21 million people; Mexico, with 112 plus million people, ranks #eleven in the most populated countries in the world; Before the Spanish came to the New World, Mexico had three of the world’s greatest civilizations--the Maya, the Aztec, and the Zapotec, a population of about 25 million living in cities and rural areas, with trade networks that connected the entire country, arts, astronomy and mathematics, a complex calendrical system, religions and a priesthood, sophisticated laws, courts and judges; Mexico’s indigenous population today is 11% of the total and represents some 60 different groups.

Behind these facts, lie the stories of Mexico’s people--who they are, what they do, what their dreams are. We will learn about the lives of Mexicans living in the second largest city in the world. We will follow the story of the Zapatistas as they seek justice and land and we will look at similar movements of resistance and strategies for political reform. The old stories of indigenous belief, art, and survival will teach us about Mexico’s indigenous peoples. Individual stories of emigrating to El Norte will help us understand better the realities of immigration and its effect on people of both countries. Stories of ingenuity and imagination, of change and continuity, of family and community, of becoming an active partner in globalization while recognizing ancient roots--these are the paradoxes of contemporary Mexico.

Course requirements will include:
*two unannounced quizzes
* midterm examination
*class participation
*a final examination
Course readings will be selected from the following:
Basta! Land and the Zapatista Rebellion in Chiapas. 1999. George Collier with Elizabeth Lowery Quaratiello.
Sons of the Shaking Earth: The People of Mexico and Guatemala--Their Land, History, and Culture. 1959. Eric Wolf.
We will Dance Our Truth: Yaqui History in Yoeme Performances. 2010. David Delgado Shorter. Becoming an Ancestor: The Isthmus Zapotec Way of Death. 2011. Anya Peterson Royce.

E398 Peoples and Cultures of Central Asia
Shahrani (29777)
SB 231
9:30-10:45am TR

A general anthropological introduction to the societies and cultures of the contemporary Muslim successor states of former Soviet Central Asia and the adjacent areas of Iran and Afghanistan --i.e., western Turkistan. Topics include ecology, ethnohistory and the structure of traditional subsistence strategies (nomadic pastoralism, sedentary farming, and urban mercantilism); forms of marriage, family, kinship, gender relations, identities and organization; religious beliefs and practices; and the assessment of socio-economic change and recent political transformations experienced by the peoples of this region under the colonial rules of tsarist and Soviet Russia, and the modern nation states of Iran and Afghanistan. The consequences of war on terrorism, volatile sociopolitical conditions and future prospects for the peoples of this region will be also critically examined. No special knowledge of the region on the part of students is presumed. However, a background in general anthropology would be helpful, but not essential. The course will consist of lectures, reading assignments, film and slide presentations and class discussions.

Required Texts (some title may vary):
Bacon, Elizabeth Central Asia Under Russian Rule: A Study in Culture Change. Ithaca: Cornell U. Press (1980).
Rashid, Ahmed The Resurgence of Central Asia: Islam or Nationalism? (1994)
Schimmel, Annemarie Islam: An Introduction. Albany, N.Y.: SUNY Press (1992)
Shahrani, M. Nazif The Kirghiz and Wakhi of Afghanistan: Adaptation to Closed Frontiers and War. Seattle: University of Washington Press (2002)
Shalinsky, Audrey Long Years of Exile: Central Asian Refugees in Afghanistan and Pakistan. New York: University Press of America, Inc. (1994)

Course Requirement:
Undergraduate students course grades will be based on:
Mid-Term exam = 30% of course grade
Final exam = 45% of course grade
An eight page (double-spaced typed) critical comparative written review of two of three ethnographic case studies = 20% of the course grade.
Participation in class discussions = 5% of the course grade.
All examinations will be in class and essay type.

E400 Undegrad Res Practicum in Med Anthropology
Phillips (30030)
SB 050
2:30-3:45pm MW

This seminar will be an intensive research practicum with a special focus on the anthropology of pharmaceuticals from a medical anthropology perspective. The research practicum is a unique opportunity for undergraduate students to gain valuable experience in designing, conducting, and analyzing research in sociocultural and medical anthropology. In addition to working through topical, theoretical and methodological readings, students will develop research skills by collaboratively designing and carrying out a multifaceted semester-long research project. Primary research methods will include surveys, focus groups, personal interviews, and media and discourse analysis. Students will also participate in data analysis, and will learn how to use qualitative data analysis software. Prerequisites: 300-level course in cultural anthropology, or permission of instructor

E423 Life Histories          
Clark (32748)
AN 101 (Archaeology Annex)
9:30-10:45am TR

Ethnographers like working with life histories because of their emotional impact, readability and depth of insight. This time-honored genre presents a deceptively simple, transparent opening for authentic voices and experiences. Avant-garde approaches grapple with complex questions of power and knowledge. We will read and discuss examples of both, covering interviewing techniques, ethical issues of consent and confidentiality, and editing strategies. We also consider what you can learn from them and how. Class assignments include a journal, a practice interview and three short essays.

E485 Art & Craft of Ethnography
Royce (29796)
SB 138
2:30-3:45pm TR

Ethnography is the heart of social and cultural anthropology. Fieldwork is at the heart of ethnography. While anthropology has experienced many and powerful changes in the last one hundred years, fieldwork and ethnography remain a constant defining feature. Where the field is and how ethnography is realized and presented have undergone shifts and transformations but the basic desire to understand how individuals and communities meet the challenges that face all human societies persists and colors the questions we ask and the ways in which we hear the infinity of answers.

Ethnographers are interpreters. Their ability to do this depends on mastering both the theory and the craft of anthropology. How they frame the stories of individuals and groups will depend on their ability to listen and observe and set those stories within the larger context of region, nation, or world. Many anthropologists today are natives of the cultures and societies they describe. This also affects the way in which they understand and interpret people’s stories. Ethnographers’ modes of telling may range from academic writing to writing for the educated public to film, video, cd, and other kinds of narrative prose and poetry.

We will be reading several short ethnographies, viewing documentary films, examining the use of photography, and learning the craft of field notes and notebooks. Experienced ethnographers will come in from time to time to share their particular field research.

REQUIREMENTS

These will include active participation in class discussion, written short reviews of readings, mini ethnographic field projects to be analyzed and presented in different formats, and a reflective final essay about the field.

 

LINGUISTICS

 

L200 Language and Culture
(32751)
BH 310
5:45-7:00pm TR

This course provides an introduction to the study of language and to the relationship between language and other aspects of culture. It examines how the languages that people speak reflect their cultural traditions, how the use of language shapes those traditions, how categories of language are related to categories of thought, and how linguistic variation reflects distinctions of race, class, and gender.

L312 Intermediate Lakota (Sioux) Language I
Parks (29825)
SB 138
4:00-5:15pm MWF

This course is the 3rd in a four-semester sequence designed to introduce students to the language and culture of an American Indian people, the Lakota (Western Sioux) of North and South Dakota. Study is designed around an introductory Lakota language textbook, weekly lessons, tape recordings, and readings on Lakota culture. The course requires both oral and written exercises (inside and outside the classroom), and will teach both speaking and reading.

The four semester sequence fulfills the COAS foreign language requirement.

L407 Language and Prehistory
LeSourd (29833)
SB 138
11:15am-12:30pm TR

This course provides an introduction to the areas of linguistic research that are most relevant to the concerns of archaeologists and other students of prehistory. We will investigate the ways in which languages change, explore the principles by which languages are grouped into families, and see how proto-languages, the ancestors of linguistic families, are reconstructed. We will then apply the results of these studies to such problems as identifying the locations of ancient populations, tracing early patterns of migration, and revealing the cultures of groups who lived in the distant past. Work for the course includes a series of problem sets that provide experience with the methods of historical reconstruction, plus additional projects relating language to history and prehistory.

ARCHAEOLOGY

 

P200 Intro to Archaeology
King (15833)
SB 150
11:15am-12:05pm MW

This course is an introduction to the methods and theories of archaeology. Archaeology is the study of human societies based on material remains left behind by people. We will explore the kinds of questions that archaeologists ask about past human societies, and the different ways that archaeologists use archaeological data to interpret social organization, subsistence, environment, architecture, trade, economic systems, interpersonal relations and political life. You will learn about the goals of archaeology as a subfield of anthropology, the development of archaeology as a scientific discipline and the wide range of methods archaeologists use to collect and analyze material remains.

Throughout the semester, we will draw on examples of archaeological research from across the globe, discuss major transitions in world history and evaluate how archaeologists reached those conclusions. Examples include the transition from hunting and gathering to sedentary lifestyles, the development of cities and complex societies, and interpretations of everyday life, identity, burial customs, and community membership. We will also discuss contemporary issues including museums, site preservation, looting, and use of the archaeological past in nation building and ethnic politics. Students should come away from this class with a solid background in how archaeologists do their work, what kinds of things we have learned and can learn about ancient human societies, and how archaeological research is relevant in our modern lives.

Students will be evaluated based on attendance, participation in discussion sections, section assignments and exams.

P230 Archaeology of the Maya
Pyburn (29857)
WY 015
2:30-3:45pm TR

This is a course focuses on those Maya speakers of Central America who lived between 1100 BC and the 16th century AD. Many Maya cultures and languages continue into the present day, and we will draw on the knowledge of living people to understand the past. But today Maya people exist in the modern world as do people of all living cultures, and their traditions are now part of the modern world system. Our focus will be on Maya cultures before they were incorporated into the current global economy and how they came to be incorporated, so most of the information we discuss will come from archaeology, history, and memory, not from contemporary ethnography. There are no prerequisites for this class, but any previous classes in anthropology will be an advantage.

We will begin by discussing the history of archaeology in Mesoamerica, to understand how the framework of western history has influenced the questions archaeologists ask about the past. Then we will turn to a historical overview of the cultures of the Maya as they grew and developed in the lowland tropics of Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras up through the beginning of the conquest of Mexico by the Spanish. From this point we will focus on topics that are key to current understanding of ancient Maya cultures.

Throughout the semester students will be required to evaluate interpretations of archaeological data. Archaeology is a living science, which means that conclusions that seem firm at the start of research will certainly come into question in later stages of investigation. We will talk about how and why scientific perspectives change. Since scientific research is a part of western intellectual tradition, we will also discuss the biases this introduces into our reconstructions of the pasts of other cultures, and consider what the ethical implications of these biases might be.

We will discuss how the history of Maya archaeology has influenced our current views of the past and we will talk about how the Maya are portrayed in popular media. Ultimately, we will consider the relationship between the living Maya, the ancient Maya, and the political present; and the relationship between science, popular culture, and the political present. We will read scholarly research papers, a novel, and watch videos that purport to be scholarly. Students will endure some lectures but will also participate in discussion.

P240 Archaeology and the Movies
Sievert (29862)
SB 150
4:00-7:00pm T

The popular cinema abounds with films depicting swashbuckling characters such as Indiana Jones and Lara Croft, as well as fictionalized prehistoric and ancient people. This is a course for students who are drawn to films about archaeologists or Egyptian mummies, but who question the interpretations of ancient people and of archaeologists that the movies present. We will look at how archaeologists are depicted (usually as glamorous adventurers) and compare this with the work that archaeologists actually do. We will address modern issues such as looting, exploitation, and antiquities trade, and see how artifacts can have lives of their own. One theme that recurs in such films is the romance of discovery as archaeologists retrieve ancient materials from archaeological sites. Where does this impression derive from, and how does it compare to the actual activities of real (not reel) archaeologists? Film producers make movies that cater to our curiosity about so-called forgotten cultures. How realistic are the interpretations that film producers present? We will examine movies that depict ancient people and places, including Egypt. Film genres include romantic comedy, drama, sci fi, and even animé. A series of e-reserve writings by and about archaeologists augment the films and provide a basis for discussion, which we will do both in class and via Oncourse discussion forums.

Evaluation: Graded essays and a final proposal for a film that you will present to the class.

No prerequisites. Gen Ed S & H and CASE S&H distribution credit

Textbook: There will be one short text for purchase plus Oncourse readings.

P314 Earlier Prehistory of Africa
Sept (29867)
SB 131
9:30-10:45am MW

AFRICA is the birthplace of humanity, and the only continent where we can study a complete archaeological record from the very beginnings of stone technology.

Over 2.5 million years ago in Africa proto-humans discovered how to fracture stone and create sharp-edged tools. With this initial invention, a trail of our ancestors' litter and refuse began to accumulate on ancient African landscapes. Archaeologists have been able to study these stone tools and other traces of behavior as clues to the evolution of our species and the emergence of modern human ways of life. This course is called the "Earlier" Prehistory of Africa because it focuses on human origins and evolution in Africa during the Stone Age. We will explore:

Human Origins Archaeology: After an introduction to the continent and brief overview of the evolution of early hominin species, we will study case studies of the major early archaeological sites, and learn how archaeologists use information from many different sources (primate behavior, carnivore studies, experiments) to learn about how Early Stone Age ways of life developed from the Oldowan through Acheulian times.

Rise of Humanity: We can recognize the beginnings of modern human biology and behavior very early in Africa. We will explore what Middle Stone Age and Later Stone Age sites reveal about ancient strategies for survival, and our evolution and cultural development as a species.

P330 Historical Archaeology
Sievert (29872)
SB 138
09:30-10:45am TR

This course takes you into the past using archaeology, historical documents, and material culture. Historical archaeology focuses on societies after the point of contact with European cultures. This time period is one of culture contact, rapid change, population movement, immigration, industrialization, and fluctuating power relations. Historical archaeology is particularly suited to looking at the archaeology of domestic life for a variety of folks, including African Americans, Native Americans, and European colonists in the Americas. It is also useful for examining behaviors that are not well documented otherwise, perhaps because they are unpopular or illegal. During the first part of the course, we will cover general topics and methodology. We will evaluate documents and explore the kinds of documents that historical archaeologists use. You will get practice using historic documents and maps, evaluating artifacts, and understanding architecture. We will read and discuss case studies from different cultural setting. Finally we will discuss the implications of historical archaeology for heritage and preservation issues. Format: There will be illustrated lectures, discussions, guests, labs, videos, and field experiences. As a prerequisite P200 is helpful but not mandatory. This class is great for students with interest in history, American Studies, archaeology, museums, and historic preservation. CASE S & H distribution.

Evaluation: Your grade comes from papers/exercises, fieldwork-based tests, and a collaborative project.

Textbooks:
What This Awl Means: Feminist Archaeology at a Wahpeton DakotaVillage, by Janet Spector. Historical Archaeology, by Charles Orser, Prentice Hall.
A Village of Outcasts: Historical Archaeology and Documentary Research at the Lighthouse Site, by Kenneth Feder.
The Sangamo Frontier, by Charles Mazrim.

P390 Geoarchaeology and Taphonomy
Hung (29886)
SB 220
4:00-6:15pm TR

Above class meets First Eight Weeks only

Geoarchaeology and taphonomy are critical for understanding how human societies interact with their diverse environmental settings. This interdisciplinary field incorporates the application of theoretical concepts and analytical methods from the earth sciences to study archaeological record. With hands-on opportunities, this course is designed to equip students with the knowledge and skill to effectively obtain and use geo-physicochemical data to study human behavior. Topics covered in this course include the dynamic processes involved in archaeological site formation, the analysis of soils and sediments relevant to archaeology, landscape evolution and paleoclimatic reconstruction, remote sensing of the physical environment, and geological sourcing of artifact proveniences.

P399 Material Culture of Early East Asian Community
Hung (27512)
BH 105
4:00-6:15pm TR

Above class meets Second Eight Weeks only

This course investigates prehistoric and early historic East Asian communities through the study of their rich material cultural remains, suc h as pottery, jade, bronze, textiles/silk, and porcelain, and etc. We will examine the social acts involved from the acquisition of raw material to the final abandonment of objects, with a specific focus on how objects were used to construct social relations and mark differences between individuals and groups. Data discussed in this course are primarily yielded from archaeological excavations, while students will have hand-on opportunities to study East Asian collections at the Indiana University Art museums and the Mathers museum of World Cultures.

COLL Critical Approaches Courses

 

C104 People and Animals
Scheiber (28026)
BH 109
11:15am-12:05pm MW

In this course, students explore how other cultures have addressed relationships between people and animals, using archaeology, ethnography, historical texts, and literature. We consider how people’s interactions with animals are varied and unique across cultures and through time, and how anthropologists specifically have tried to address these issues. Course topics includes food and identity; hunting and herding; domestication; pets as companions; symbolism in art and culture; use of animals as laborers, in captivity, and on display; origins of the American conservation movement; ethics of medical research; animals as pathways of disease; and human interactions with living primates. This course includes contemporary examples from across the globe, as well as historical examples in Native North America, Native South America, and Southeast Asia. The course is interdisciplinary in focus and introduces students to perspectives on human interactions with animals within anthropology, anthrozoology, archaeology, biology, zoology, history, and the humanities. Discussions sections include discussions, debates, and hands-on laboratory components. As a critical approaches class, students will ask why animal domestication occurred on some continents but not on others. They will ask why dogs are or were sacred in China, cattle in India, and primates in Bali. They will question the validity of the opinions of various stakeholders involved in American buffalo ranching and in wolf re-introduction in the contemporary western U.S. This course will be a gateway to a College education by helping first- and second-year students to understand how universities (Indiana University) organize knowledge within multiple disciplines (anthropology, history, biology, critical studies). We will help put the students in a position to choose a methodological/critical approach within different disciplinary discourses revolving around the topic of anthrozoology. For example, student will read and evaluate very different case studies. By taking methodologies from several books, students will be encouraged to emphasize commonalities and disparities across time and space in the ways people of the New World revered or honored or consumed different animal bodies.

This course will appeal to students interested in anthropology, archaeology, ethnography, ecology, conservation, zoology, animal behavior, medical sciences, and animal welfare. It is has broad appeal for anyone interested in the different ways that people and animal interact and perceive of each other in a cross-cultural context. In some cultures, there is a definite separation or boundary between people and animals and in others this boundary is more fluid. There isn’t anything inherently different about the animals, it is the human condition that leads to different scenarios involving the natural world around them. Students will gain a better appreciation of this wide diversity and be able to critically evaluate the role of animals in human societies through time and place.

Students will learn that the relationships between people and animals in any particular culture can be seen as a metaphor for the ways that people treat each other and how they relate to the world around them. They will learn about different subsistence strategies around the world, how to identify hunter-gatherers, farmers, and herders, and how to interpret the archaeological record (animal bones) to determine subsistence strategies in the past. They will see how people’s long term relationships with animals caused some animals to be domesticated thousands of years ago, a process that continues today. They will see that animals were not domesticated in all contexts, and discuss why that may be. They will discuss the benefits of animal domestication within different kinds of societies, and how to recognize if an animal has been domesticated by examining differences in behavior and morphology. They will learn that some of these domesticated animals became something more than beasts of burden or food resources, as some smaller mammals (dogs and cats) provided people with other perhaps non-tangible life benefits. The way this process happened in different cultures and with different animals will be explored in relative perspective. They will learn that there are psychological benefits to having animals around as well. They will learn that just as people in western society became less likely to see animals in the world due to industrialization and urbanism, children started playing with facsimiles of the real things (books and children toys) and visiting them in artificial surroundings (zoos). They will see the ways animals enter our lives today in shared motifs and symbols that have antecedents to the past but is also unique in contemporary society. They will discuss the role of animals in the spread and transmission of disease, and how this is a cultural as well as biological construct. They will end by considering the relationships between people and their nearest biological neighbor (non-human primates) and how these relationships may be the same or differ from other animals in the animal kingdom.

C105 Intro to Human Brain Evolution
Schoenemann (27571)
CH 033
10:10-11:00am MWF

An introduction to the study of the evolution of the brain, with a specific focus on the human species. Students will review basic concepts in evolutionary biology that form the basis for an evolutionary approach. The direct fossil evidence of vertebrate brain evolution will then be reviewed, and comparative (cross-species) perspectives on neuroanatomy and behavior will be emphasized. An analysis of the specific changes in the brain during human evolution will then be covered. We will consider possible sources of evidence relevant to brain evolution as well, such as the archaeological record of human behavioral evolution. Current controversies and theories about the causes and consequences of hominid brain evolution will be reviewed, including the possible role of language, tool use, sociality, dietary shifts, and other behavioral adaptations. In addition, sex differences in brain and behavior will be discussed, as well as philosophical questions surrounding the problems of consciousness, mind and brain. A consideration will also be given to the possible origins of human ethics and morals.