Archaeology

An introduction to the study of human biological and cultural evolution using the methods and theories of biological anthropology and archaeology. The course surveys some basic principles of evolutionary theory, primatology, the hominid fossil record, origins of modern humans, their physical variation, and archaeological evidence for the evolution of symbolic behavior, agriculture, and civilization.

Offered: every semester.

An introduction to the archaeological reconstruction of human prehistory beginning with the appearance of modern humans and culminating with the development of complex societies. The course focuses on major transitions in human prehistory: Upper Paleolithic developments in art and technology, the transition to agricultural societies, and the rise of stratified societies and urbanized cultures.

Offered: spring semester.

Prerequisite: ANTH 103.

Archaeology relies on a body of theories and methods for reading human prehistory from the incomplete record left by past cultures. This course offers a counterpoint to ANTH 230 - Ancient Societies in examining how questions asked by archaeologists are addressed. Topics include techniques of excavation and artifact analysis and the major theoretical approaches to archaeological inference. The course is divided between lecture and laboratory sessions in which students analyze archaeological data.

Offered: fall semester.

Prerequisite: ANTH 103.

An introduction to the material culture of the Greek and Roman worlds, including the main periods and styles of pottery, vase painting, sculpture, and other arts, as well as cities, sanctuaries, and architectural forms, from the Aegean Bronze Age to the Roman Empire. While furnishing an overview of the ancient classical world, the course considers what art and archaeology can tell us about civilization and society and about issues such as public and private, sacred and profane, male and female.

Offered: Offering varies.

This course focuses on the development and character of indigenous cultures of Latin America before the arrival of Europeans. Themes of power, economy, religion, ritual, and symbolism that uniquely characterize Latin American native societies are examined primarily through art, architecture and material culture. The course follows a topical and comparative approach drawing on data from archaeology, art history, ethnography and ethnohistory.

Offered: spring semester in even-numbered years.

Prerequisite: ANTH 103 or ANTH 104 or permission of instructor.

An intensive archaeological study of a selected region, focusing on surveys, specific sites, and ethnohistoric and experimental evidence to derive sequences of human occupation, use, and principles of culture change.

May be repeated for credit as topic changes.

Offered: Offering to be determined.

Prerequisite: ANTH 103 or ANTH 104.

A study of human skeletal biology and bioarcheology. The purpose of the course is to familiarize students with the bones and anatomical landmarks of the human skeleton and how stress, disease, injury, and lifestyle affect them. The course includes some instruction in paleopathology and forensic anthropology, with laboratory exercises providing direct examination of skeletal material.

Offered: fall semester.

Prerequisite: ANTH 103 or permission of instructor.

This course explores the art and architecture of the ancient and medieval eras, including study of the cultures of the Mediterranean, Near East, and northern Europe. Students will master a chronological history of representation and investigate the relationship between works of art and the cultures in which they were produced.

Offered: fall semester.

This course explores the intersection of the museum and its public with a focus on the rise of the museum in the late eighteenth century and its development up to the present day. Why were museums created, and what purposes do these institutions serve? What values do they project? Such questions are addressed through selected case studies and readings of key theoretical texts in the field. Analysis of current museum and gallery exhibitions, discussion of such issues as the role of government, the interdependence of museums and the art market, and debates over repatriation, restitution and looting or theft will also be addressed.

Offered: spring semester in even-numbered years.

An introduction to the history of Greece from the Bronze Age to Alexander the Great, including its artistic, social, economic, religious, military, and political developments, and the evolution of the basic concepts that have influenced Western thought. Special attention is given to original sources, with readings from the Greek historians and consideration of archaeology.

Offered: fall semester in even-numbered years.

An introduction to Roman history, covering the rise of Rome, Roman imperialism, social stresses, the transition from Republic to Empire, imperial civilization, the rise of Christianity, and the decline of the Roman Empire.

Offered: Offering varies.

An introduction to the material culture of the Greek and Roman worlds, including the main periods and styles of pottery, vase painting, sculpture, and other arts, as well as cities, sanctuaries, and architectural forms, from the Aegean Bronze Age to the Roman Empire. While furnishing an overview of the ancient classical world, the course considers what art and archaeology can tell us about civilization and society and about issues such as public and private, sacred and profane, male and female.

Offered: Offering varies.

Study of selected topics from Greek and Roman civilization, literature and archaeology. Topics change from year to year and include the Trojan War; the Golden Age of Athens; Rome of Caesar and Augustus; sport and spectacle in Greece and Rome; Alexander the Great; classics and computers; classics in cinema; Greek and Latin roots of English.

May be repeated for credit as topic changes.

Offered: Offering to be determined.

An examination of the lives of individuals in Classical Antiquity, both men and women in their public and private social lives. Considers gender roles, education, lifecycle, moral values, sexuality, working conditions, slavery, entertainments, religious activity, magic, medicine, and law. Makes use of a variety of sources from literature, inscriptions, art, and archaeology.

Offered: Offering to be determined.

A study of human skeletal biology and bioarcheology. The purpose of the course is to familiarize students with the bones and anatomical landmarks of the human skeleton and how stress, disease, injury, and lifestyle affect them. The course includes some instruction in paleopathology and forensic anthropology, with laboratory exercises providing direct examination of skeletal material.

Offered: fall semester.

Prerequisite: ANTH 103 or permission of instructor.

This summer field course introduces students to archaeological field methods, including survey, excavation, and artifact recovery and processing. Instruction is through participation in an ongoing research project. Location of the field research site varies annually. Recent offerings include Ecuador and Maine.

Offered: annually in summer.

Prerequisite: ANTH 311.

This course explores the intersection of the museum and its public with a focus on the rise of the museum in the late eighteenth century and its development up to the present day. Why were museums created, and what purposes do these institutions serve? What values do they project? Such questions are addressed through selected case studies and readings of key theoretical texts in the field. Analysis of current museum and gallery exhibitions, discussion of such issues as the role of government, the interdependence of museums and the art market, and debates over repatriation, restitution and looting or theft will also be addressed.

Offered: spring semester in even-numbered years.

An exploration of evolutionary and ecological processes and consequences, with close examination of population dynamics, population genetics, principles of heredity, the evolution of adaptations, community interactions, ecosystems, and biodiversity. Laboratory includes field-based investigations of upland and wetland ecosystems, as well as simulations and laboratory experiments.

Offered: fall semester.

A survey of the animals, plants, fungi, protista, and bacteria of Planet Earth, with comparative analysis of adaptations for survival, reproduction, development, and metabolism. Laboratory emphasizes experimental methods of science as well as morphology and physiology of the major phyla.

Offered: spring semester.

An introduction to the fundamental principles of chemistry as a quantitative science, including inorganic reactions, properties of gases, liquids, and solids, thermochemistry, atomic theory, and nuclear chemistry. Appropriate for those with little or no background in chemistry.

Offered: fall semester.

This summer field course introduces students to archaeological field methods, including survey, excavation, and artifact recovery and processing. Instruction is through participation in an ongoing research project. This course is an intensive three-to-four-week archaeological field school run by the Classics Department. Students participate actively in the excavation of a classical site, in addition to attending lectures and participating in site visits. Students will be introduced to the material culture of the region in which the excavation occurs. Students must be prepared for fairly strenuous outdoor physical activity in hot weather.

Signature of instructor required for registration.

Offered: annually.

Humans interact with the Earth in many ways: we use natural resources, experience natural hazards, and design geoengineering techniques that modify natural processes. In this course, we consider how a diversity of human activities affects our environment, and how a diversity of natural processes affects humans. These topics will help us delve into the meaning of "sustainability" from the perspective of Earth scientists. We will use the modern and historic New Jersey landscape as a case study, but we will also discuss topics such as mountaintop removal in the Appalachians, earthquakes in Indonesia, and water usage in the Western US. Students will learn basic Earth science concepts, techniques for field scientists, methods of data analysis and presentation, and skills for effectively teasing apart complex environmental issues. This lab.

This course explores GIS (Geographic Information System) and related spatial analysis tools, which are used to elucidate the natural landscape and human modification of the earth's surface. Students will acquire cartographic, ArcGIS, and remote sensing skills through case studies and individual research investigations.

This course is designed to enable you to use statistics for data analysis and to understand the use of statistics in the media. The course makes use of SPSS, a widely-used statistics package for the computer. Course topics include graphical and tabular presentation of data, measures of central tendency, dispersion, and shape, linear transformations of data, correlation, regression, basic probability and the normal probability model, sampling, t-tests, and one-way analysis of variance.

Offered: every semester.

An investigation of one or more major subject areas in archaeology. Topics vary in accordance with student interest and faculty expertise.

May be repeated for credit as topic changes.

Offered: spring semester in odd-numbered years.