Department of Anthropology College of Arts and Sciences The University of Alabama

ANALYTICAL ARCHAEOLOGY

 ANT - 528-001

 Dr. Vernon James Knight, Professor of Anthropology

Spring  2001

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

      This is a seminar course in modern archaeological method and theory. The course objective is to acquaint graduate students with the issues and primary source materials that have shaped Americanist and European archaeology over the past four decades. Knowledge of these formative issues is crucial to understanding current debates, and also to making sense of the idiom in which nearly all modern archaeological discourse is conducted. Students will be expected to think critically and write critically about these topics in relation to their own research.

  FORMAT:

    Each weekly discussion focuses on a topic and set of readings. You will be given the full schedule of readings at the beginning of the course. After completion of each week's reading assignments, the student will prepare a typed summary of approximately four pages double spaced (about 700 - 1,000 words). A copy of this short essay will be turned in to your instructor no later than 4:00 p.m. on the day prior to the discussion. During class discussions, your instructor will serve as moderator. Participation is mandatory.

  READINGS:

    A typical week's reading assignment consists of about six or seven articles or book chapters (around 100 printed pages). The order in which they are listed is deliberate, and it will be helpful, if not always practical, to read the selections in that order. It is, of course, up to each student to locate the materials in the library. Your instructor has checked to make sure all those listed are in the current holdings and in the stacks, or alternatively, on reserve. Please inform your instructor immediately should an item be unavailable. In some cases another copy or substitute may be given.

          When you remove a volume from the stacks, please take the time to re-shelve it. Do not count on the librarians to do it for you. Leaving a volume where the next student cannot find it will cause much unnecessary frustration. Obviously, most of your reading will have to be done in the library. You should schedule plenty of time each week to track down, read, and take notes on your assigned materials. Under no circumstances should you check out any of the readings. In other words, use common sense and courtesy.

          Your readings are generally of four kinds: (a) historically important "cornerstones" on a given theoretical or methodological topic, normally authored by a person prominent in the discipline. These are some of the most often-cited papers in the literature; (b) historically important critiques or debates on major posi­tions; (c) overview papers that review the current literature on a given topic; (d) papers that may be considered good or classic examples of a given approach. There are, of course, far more of these on any subject than you could be expected to read. Your instructor has tried to strike a balance among these different kinds of articles, perhaps placing greatest emphasis on the "cornerstone" pieces, in order to acquaint you with the classic statements in the literature on various topics. You should be aware, however, that the earliest applica­tion of a given idea is not necessarily (or even usually) the best applica­tion of that idea. Some of the examples to which you will be exposed might today be considered inappropriate or flawed to some degree, despite the importance of that article in bring­ing the idea to light for the first time.

          Together with the list of readings on each topic, you will note a section called "FOR FURTHER REFERENCE." The items listed there are not required reading. They are included for your benefit, either now or later, should you wish to take up the subject in more detail. In many cases these works are important monographs on the topic of the week, too lengthy to be assigned in this course. At minimum, you should be aware of these, and it will be helpful, when time allows, to peruse them.

USE OF RESERVE LIST:

          There are some required readings that are not in the hold­ings of our library. For these, your instructor has placed two photo­copies on reserve in the main library. You will be given the complete reserve list at the beginning of the course. In the case of updates to this list, please consult the online version of the reserve list in the University Libraries catalog.

USE OF ANTHOLOGIES:

          You will note that a substantial number of the readings may be found either in their original journal or book or in one of several anthologies. Copies of the most useful antholo­gies are also placed on reserve, and additional copies may be found in the stacks. Check your reading list to note which readings appear in anthologies, and use these anthologies as necessary, particularly where two or more of you wish to consult the same article at the same time.

  TEXTS:

  The following required texts are to be purchased at Alabama Book Store on University Boulevard or another establishment.

•   Reading the Past, by Ian Hodder. Cambridge University Press.

• The Early Mesoamerican Village, edited by Kent V. Flannery. Academic Press.

  There are two volumes that are currently out of print which will be used in the course, and I have asked that you try to obtain used copies of these through one of the used book clearinghouses on the Internet. The two volumes are:

• Method and Theory in American Archaeology, by Gordon R. Willey and Philip Phillips. University of Chicago

• Press. Analytical Archaeology, by David L. Clarke. 2nd edition, paper­back. Columbia University Press.

  One copy of the Clarke volume, plus another copy of the 1^st hardback edition, have been placed on reserve in case one or more of you cannot locate a copy.

 SUMMARY PAPERS:

       You are to summarize, critique, and otherwise comment on each week's readings, in a writing assignment (typed, of course) that is due in your instructor's Department of Anthropology mailbox (Room 19 ten Hoor) at 4:00 p.m. on the day preceding the ordinary class discussion. Expected length is about four pages (roughly 700 - 1,000 words). You should photocopy or print out a second copy of your assignment, both for in-class use and to keep a hard copy for future reference. At your option, you should consider providing advance copies to your class­mates as well. The simple way to do this is by e-mail. This would be quite helpful as grist for the discussion mill in class.

       Please double-space and use a 12-point font. Stick to a style guide of your choosing; a standard for the field is the one used by American Antiquity/Latin American Antiquity, available on the SAA web site. It is important to be consistent. In-text references should be done in standard social sciences form; e.g. (Binford 1964:116). Unless you cite something that is not on your assignment list, there is no need to add a "References Cited" section at the end of your discussion paper. The title should be the same as that shown for the topic on your reading list, and your name should be typed at the top of the first page. Please number the pages.

      Correct grammar, usage, punctuation, and spelling are expected as routine. Papers turned in that have obviously not been proof­read reflect poorly on the student's capabilities and irritate the sensibilities of your instructor.

 CLASS DISCUSSIONS:

     It is important to compile notes on your assigned readings as you read them, and to bring these notes to class. These notes may serve as reminders and prompts during the discussions. Participation in the seminar discussions is mandatory, and will be prompted if it is not otherwise forthcoming. Preparation for these discussions is an essential part of the course, and each student should be prepared to discuss any of the material assigned for that week.

  EVALUATION:

  The assigned letter grade for the course is to be based on two considerations:

 1.  The overall quality of the typed assignments, as judged on criteria of thoroughness, thoughtfulness, care in preparation, etc. At some point midway though the course, each student will arrange to meet privately with the instructor for a short briefing on his/her progress in the course, any shortcomings in writing that might be improved, and any other factor that might be impinging negatively on the grade.

  2.  Seminar participation. A pattern of poor preparation, scant participation, late paper submissions, and/or unexcused absences is not expected and will not be ignored. Under the course structure, the material to be mastered is such that only full, timely, and responsible partici­pation by each student will result in effective learning.