Prospectus

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World Archaeology 3.2: The Americas

Course
2024-2025

Admission requirements

None

Description

World Archaeology 3.2 provides a cursory initial overview of the archaeology of the American hemisphere from initial settling to the start of European colonisation.

Across the Americas people used material culture to shape their world and at the same time, people were shaped by the material culture they created. This type of data will be used to critically understand past indigenous societies of the Americas, including the use of pictorial indigenous, written sources and oral tradition.

During this brief introductory course, we will provide a first glimpse into some areas of the Americas, known to us through a long legacy of archaeological work, in part also centered at the Faculty of Archaeology. Starting with the Terminal Pleistocene process of human settlement of the American continents, we will move across space and time discussing a selection of Middle and Late Holocene areas, outlining major chronological developments, including subsistence practice, architectural repertoires, major archaeological sites, pottery making, social organisation and ideational worlds.

Although mentioning several different areas of the Americas, we will be centered around Middle America, providing regional introductions to the cultural areas of Mesoamerica and the Istmo-Colombian Area, with only a passing reference to the principal South American cultural areas.

In this course, we will begin to create an understanding of the features of archaeology in the Americas, underscoring the different areas and regions and the multiple scales of analysis.

The course will also include consideration of the rich contemporary variety of national and socio-cultural contexts in the Americas, highlighting the relevance of current societal problems and challenges.

Course objectives

  • Basic knowledge of principal archaeological developments in parts of the Americas;

  • Basic understanding of current debates and challenges in American archaeology;

  • Basic understanding of how peoples used material culture to shape the American world(s) and how their world(s) was/were shaped by material culture;

  • Initial understanding of some of the variety of archaeological evidence in the Americas, i.e., tools and ornaments, household items, imagery, structures of houses, pottery, burials, zoo-archaeological remains, etc.;

  • Knowledge of the nature of archaeological data and its correlation to the regional and temporal variations in indigenous linguistics, technologies, settlements, economies, social organisation and worldviews across the continent;

  • Ability to summarise and reflect on specialist literature regarding the course topics;

  • Ability to conceive and report in written format (Discussion Points on the assigned literature and the exam);

  • Ability to defend your Discussion Points during the class discussion, supporting your position with academically valid arguments.

Timetable

Course schedule details can be found in MyTimetable.
Log in with your ULCN account, and add this course using the 'Add timetable' button.

Mode of instruction

This course is taught by means of lectures, accompanied by tutorials.

Assessment method

The course is assessed by means of an online multiple-choice exam, with the option of a retake.

Assessment deadlines

The dates of exams and retakes can be found in MyTimetable. The deadlines of papers, essays and assignments are communicated through Brightspace.

Reading list

Required readings will be posted on Brightspace.

Registration

The Administration Office will register all Archaeology BA1 students for their lectures, tutorials and exams in semester 1 and semester 2.

If you are not a BA1 student but have to take this course, you can register yourself via this form.

General information about registration can be found on the Course and exam enrolment page.

Exchange and Study Abroad students, please contact the exchange coordinator for information on how to apply.

All information for those who are interested in taking this course as a Contractstudent is on the Contractonderwijs Archeologie webpage (in Dutch).

Retake exams

BA1 students who want to do a retake have to register themselves through MyStudymap.

All other students, please contact the administration office for enrollment for the retake.

Contact

For more information about this course, please contact Dr. A. (Alexander) Geurds.

Remarks

  • Compulsory attendance during tutorials. Upon missing more than one tutorial you will be excluded from the exam.

  • This course can be taken as an optional course, Contract course, or Study Abroad/Exchange course, but only in combination with World Archaeology 3.1: Historical Archaeology.