School of Arts and Sciences
Archaeology
Archaeology

Courses

Spring 2025 Courses Course Info on SIS Archives

Course Descriptions

The list below includes descriptions of all undergraduate and graduate courses offered by the Archaeology Program.

Review specific course requirements for the Archaeology Program. For up-to-date information on course offerings, schedules, room locations and registration, please visit the Student Information System (SIS).

General Courses

ARCH 0026 Ancient Egypt. (Cross-listed as HIST 76, CLS 26, and ILVS 26.) Survey of roughly 4,000 years of ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern civilization spanning c. 3,200 BCE to 651 CE. Analysis of the interrelations between art, architecture, history, and ideology, as preserved in material culture, inscriptions, and literary texts: pyramids, temples, tombs, settlements and cities, exceptional masterpieces and artifacts of daily life. Multiple excursions into religion, diplomacy, hieroglyphic writing, and artistic technique. Examination of the internal and external relations of Egypt in the context of a world system that included the kingdoms and empires of the Near East and the Mediterranean: from the Sumerians, Assyrians, Hittites, and Babylonians, to the Achaemenid Persian Empire, Alexander the Great, and the Imperium Romanum. Includes a field trip to the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts.

ARCH 0027 Classical Archaeology. (Cross-listed as HAA 19, CLS 27, and ILVS 27.) Survey of ancient Greco-Roman civilization spanning c. 3,100 BCE to 565 CE.  Archaeological analysis of the interrelations between art, architecture, history, and ideology, as preserved in material culture, inscriptions, and literary texts: sculpture, temples, tombs, settlements and cities, exceptional masterpieces and artifacts of daily life. Multiple excursions into religion, sociopolitical organization, and artistic technique.  Examination of the development and collapse of the Bronze Age civilizations of the Aegean and Italy.  Exploration of the evidence of cultural transformations driven by trade, colonization, and territorial expansion leading first to the development of the city-state in archaic Greece and Italy, then to the Greek-speaking kingdoms of the eastern Mediterranean and Near East, and finally to the inclusion of the Latins, Etruscans, Greeks, Egyptians, and others within a single multicultural state: the Roman Empire.  Assessment of the renegotiation of identities and historical narratives as polytheistic religions were supplanted by Christianity within the Roman state.  Field trip to the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts.

ARCH 0028 Ancient China, Korea, and Japan. Survey of the ancient cultures of China, Korea, and Japan from g . 2,100 BCE to 907 CE. Archaeological analysis of the interrelations between art, architecture, history, and ideology, as preserved in material culture, inscriptions, and literary texts: social rituals, tombs, settlements and cities, exceptional masterpieces and artifacts of daily life. Excursions into sociopolitical organization, religion, diplomacy, philosophy, writing systems, and artistic technique. Evidence of cultural transformations and renegotiations of identity driven by trade, colonization, diplomacy, and territorial expansion leading first to the development of the state in ancient China, and finally to the evolution of a world system that interconnected the kingdoms and peoples of East Asia, as well as the many cultures linked by the Silk Routes: from the Yangshao culture to the Shang state, the first unification of China under the Qin emperor, to the Han and Tang periods, Gojoseon, Goguryeo, then the Jomon, Yayoi, and Kofun period Japan. Includes a field trip to the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts.

ARCH 0029 Archaeology Of Palestine. (Cross-listed as HAA 18, CLS 29, and JS 77.) Introduction to the archaeology of Palestine from the Persian period to the Muslim conquest (586 B.C.-640 A.D.), including the influence of Greco-Roman civilization on the local cultures; the rise of diverse groups within Judaism, such as the sect that composed the Dead Sea Scrolls; the development of Rabbinic Judaism; the rise of Christianity; and the spread of Islam.

ARCH 0030 Introduction to Archaeology. (Cross-listed as ANTH 50.) Survey of human culture from the earliest paleolithic hunters and gatherers to the formation of states and the beginnings of recorded history. Course provides an introduction to archaeological methods, a worldwide overview of prehistoric ways of life, and a more detailed analysis of cultural development in the New World.

ARCH 0049 Archaeology of Complex Societies. Comparison of the emergence and disappearance of selected complex societies around the world. Focus on archaeological case studies with discussion of anthropological theory and contemporary debates.  
Recommendations:  Prerequisites: ARCH/CLS 27 or ARCH/ANTH 30.

ARCH 0051 Special Topics in Archaeology. Exploration of special topics in archaeology through a lecture course or seminar.  Prerequisites: ARCH/CLS 27 or ARCH 30/ANTH 50. Please see departmental website for specific details.

ARCH 0052 Special Topics in Archaeology. Exploration of special topics in archaeology through a lecture course or seminar.  Prerequisites: ARCH/CLS 27 or ARCH 30/ANTH 50. Please see departmental website for specific details.

ARCH 0126 Ancient Egypt. (Cross-listed as CLS 126.) Survey of roughly 4,000 years of ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern civilization spanning c. 3,200 BCE to 651 CE. Analysis of the interrelations between art, architecture, history, and ideology, as preserved in material culture, inscriptions, and literary texts: pyramids, temples, tombs, settlements and cities, exceptional masterpieces and artifacts of daily life. Multiple excursions into religion, diplomacy, hieroglyphic writing, and artistic technique. Examination of the internal and external relations of Egypt in the context of a world system that included the kingdoms and empires of the Near East and the Mediterranean: from the Sumerians, Assyrians, Hittites, and Babylonians, to the Achaemenid Persian Empire, Alexander the Great, and the Imperium Romanum. Includes a field trip to the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts.

ARCH 0128 Mesoamerican Archaeology. (Cross-listed as ANTH 128 and LAS 128.) An introduction to the archaeology of pre-Columbian cultures of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. Focus is on the origins of village life, the development of social complexity, emergence of states, ritual, religion, and culture collapse. Cultures studied include the Olmec, the Maya, the Zapotec, and the Aztec through artifacts, architecture, murals, inscribed monuments, hieroglyphs, and codices.

ARCH 0160 Giza Pyramids: Archaeology, History, And Technology. (Cross-listed as CLS 160.) Seminar examining aspects of the Giza Pyramids (2,500 BCE) and surrounding cemeteries in their archaeological and historical context with illustrated lectures and students seminar presentations. Includes participation in the Museum of Fine Arts' scholarly website "Giza Archives Project". 

ARCH 0163 Aegean Archaeology. (Cross-listed as HAA 103 and CLS 163.) The study of the sites and monuments of the Aegean area from the Neolithic period to the end of the Bronze Age, with special emphasis on the art of the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations. Museum trips will be part of the course. Recommendations:  ARCH/CLS 27 or permission of instructor.

ARCH 0164 Greek Art and Archaeology. (Cross-listed as HAA 104 and CLS 164.) The development of Greek art from the Geometric Age through the fourth century B.C., studied in architecture, sculpture, pottery, painting, and selected sites. Museum trips will be part of the course. Recommendations:  Prerequisite: ARCH/CLS 27, FAH 1, or permission of instructor.

ARCH 0167 Tyrrhenian Archaeology. (Cross-listed as HAA 105 and CLS 167.) The study of ancient Italy from prehistoric times to the Roman Republic. Special emphasis may be placed on the Etruscan civilization, it’s possible origins, and its context in the Mediterranean world as shown by its artistic development. Museum trips will be part of the course. Recommendations:  ARCH/CLS 27 or permission of instructor.

ARCH 0168 Roman Art and Archaeology. (Cross-listed as HAA 106 and CLS 168.) The study of Imperial Rome and its provinces, with attention to the Hellenistic background and subsequent contributions to urban development, architecture, sculpture, or painting. Museum trips will be part of the course. Recommendations:  ARCH/CLS 27, FAH 1, or permission of instructor.

ARCH 0175 Introduction to Geospatial Humanities. (Cross-listed as CLS 125 and UEP 103.) Geographic Information Systems (GIS) theory, methods, and technology for applications in the humanities in past and present settings. Topics include GIS data creation and data structures, geodesy, spatial analysis, and cartographic visualization. Includes extensive laboratory exercises to apply concepts presented in the lectures using a variety of GIS software and tools. Assignments concentrate on application of concepts covered in lectures and exercises and include a final project that applies GIS to each student’s field of interest.

ARCH 0187 Problems in Classical Archaeology. (Cross-listed as CLS 187.) Study and interpretation of material remains of antiquity with varying emphases: historical, artistic, documentary. Techniques in the recovery of material and remains and the changing aspects of the discipline of archaeology are considered. Recommendations:  ARCH/CLS 27 and permission of instructor.

ARCH 0188 Problems in Classical Archaeology. (Cross-listed as CLS 188.) Study and interpretation of material remains of antiquity with varying emphases: historical, artistic, documentary. Techniques in the recovery of material and remains and the changing aspects of the discipline of archaeology are considered. Recommendations:  ARCH/CLS 27 and permission of instructor.

ARCH 0190 Materials in Archaeology and Anthropology. Intensive study of materials encountered in archaeological and anthropological investigations. Topics change every semester and include metals, ceramics, lithics, and plant fossils. Taught on local collaborating campuses. Recommendations:  ARCH/CLS 27 or ARCH/ANTH 30, and permission of instructor.

ARCH 0191 Advanced Study or Seminar in Archaeology. For advanced students in archaeology. 

ARCH 0192 Advanced Study or Seminar in Archaeology. For advanced students in archaeology. 

ARCH 0193 Archaeology: Senior Capstone. Intensive investigation designed and carried out by the student, culminating in a written thesis and oral defense under the supervision of a thesis adviser. Usually two semesters. Recommendations:  Archaeology major and permission of instructor.

ARCH 0194 Senior Honors Thesis in Archaeology. Intensive investigation designed and carried out by the student, culminating in a written thesis and oral defense under the supervision of a thesis adviser. Usually two semesters.  Recommendations:  Archaeology major and permission of instructor. This is a yearlong course. Each semester counts as 4 credits towards a student’s credit load. Students will earn 8 credits at the end of the second semester.