ANTH 107 Archaeology of Ancient Civilization (5 credits)
Distribution Area Fulfilled Social Sciences; General Transfer Elective
Formerly ANTHR 106
Course Description
We explore the nature and dynamics of the world’s earliest civilizations. We learn how and why complex societies arose, how they differ from simpler societies, what everyday life was like in them, and the strategies elites used to maintain power.
Course Content
Scientific vs. pseudoscientific approaches to understanding the past.
Researching ancient civilizations:
Effective search terms
Identifying and evaluating reliable sources
Note-taking strategies
Anthropological theories and archaeological evidence regarding the development of ancient complex societies.
Differences in the organization and dynamics of societies of different scales (i.e. simple vs. complex societies), including archaeological correlates.
The development of the earliest ancient complex societies in Mesopotamia, Africa, Asia, the Aegean, and the Americas. Evidence in each region for:
Community-level cooperation and organization
Emerging differences in social prestige
Peer polity competition and interaction
The social, economic, and political organization of the earliest complex societies in each region, including cultural traditions (e.g., writing, artifacts, architecture, daily life, beliefs)
Location and significance of key sites.
Dynamics of power and resistance in ancient complex societies:
Strategies of social, economic, and political power
Heterarchy and hierarchy
Factionalism
Student Outcomes
- Distinguish between scientific and pseudoscientific approaches to understanding ancient civilizations.
- Critique past and current theoretical perspectives on the rise of complexity.
- Analyze the archaeological evidence for the development of complex societies in different regions of the world.
- Describe the major cultural (social, economic, and political) characteristics of specific ancient complex societies.
- Explain dimensions and dynamics of power and resistance in ancient complex societies.
- Evaluate sources for college level research on a particular ancient civilization.
Degree Outcomes
Social Science: Graduates analyze and interpret social phenomenon using social science theories and methods.
Critical, Creative, and Reflective Thinking: Graduates will evaluate, analyze, synthesize, and generate ideas; construct informed, meaningful, and justifiable conclusions; and process feelings, beliefs, biases, strengths, and weaknesses as they relate to their thinking, decisions, and creations.
Information Literacy:
Graduates will be critical users, creators, and disseminators of information by examining how information is created, valued, and influenced by power and privilege.
Lecture Contact Hours 50
Lab Contact Hours 0
Clinical Contact Hours 0
Total Contact Hours 50
Potential Methods
Examinations
Quizzes
Individual written assignments / essays
Individual or group work in class
Research assignments
Class presentation
Large and small group discussions
Group assignments
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